Saturday, June 4, 2016

We managed to find Mount Vernon today with the GPS.  Yesterday, she wasn't speaking to us or allowing addresses to be entered.

When we got to Mount Vernon, there were some school groups waiting to go in and the fifer (is that a word?) was playing in front of the ticket booth.  We bought a ticket for the mansion tour at 10:15 so we had 45 minutes to look at the other buildings and flowers.  Large groups of students were waiting in line for their tour through the house.  I think the ages ranged from about 4th graders to high schoolers.  Most if the groups had matching shirts.  One group had purple tie dye ones on, but we thought the best idea was the group of younger kids that were wearing neon yellow hats that you could see a mile away.

When it was our turn to line up at 10:15, one of the teachers told us we would just have to wait since her group of high schoolers was scheduled for 10:05 and another group was scheduled for 10:10.  The man who was either a volunteer or an employee who was lining people up said "we're running a little late".  Then he asked if it was just the two of us and when I said yes, he had us join the group ahead of us and ahead of the school groups.  I think the teacher was a little huffy over it but oh well.

Another person who was working there told us that there were 5,000 people scheduled for reserved tours today.  That didn't include people like us that just walked up and bought tickets.  I think that's why we don't think we got much of a tour.  We walked through the mansion, and even were allowed upstairs here, but none of the guides inside the house told us much about the Washingtons and their life here.  They had so many people to get through that it was kind of a keep moving tour.

The tour at Monticello was much better for the information we were given, and encouraged questions.  At Montpelier, it was the same.  We heard a lot about the Madison's and could ask as many questions as we wanted.  I'm glad we went to Mount Vernon, but I don't think this time of the year is the best for it.

We checked into the hotel in Springfield this afternoon.  We changed from last night because the Metro starts in Springfield.  I had studied the metro map and it stopped at Arlington National Cemetery, which was on our list.  The hotel has a shuttle that took us to the metro station and picked us up when we got back.  

We loved Arlington.  We opted for the tour which was a hop on and hop off one with 9 stops.  The first stop is at the Kennedy eternal flame and graves.  We got off there because you can't see the flame or graves from the road.  It's up a little hill.  Robert Kennedy and Ted Kennedy are buried nearby but we didn't walk to theirs.  After getting back on, we passed 4 or 5 school groups that were walking to the Tomb of the Unknowns for the changing of the guard.  Luckily for us, the Guard changes every half hour from April to October instead of every hour like the winter months, because by the time we got there, the ceremony had started.  You could hear a pin drop at the Tomb.  It was dead silent, even from all the kids.

We decided to sit and wait for the next ceremony so we could see it all.  As people began to gather, including more students, it was absolutely silent.  We were all glued to the guard who patrols back and forth in front of it taking exactly 21 steps, turning, standing for 21 seconds, turning, moving his rifle from shoulder to shoulder so it is always on the shoulder away from the tomb, standing for 21 seconds and taking 21 steps, etc.  When the officer marches out to start the ceremony, he announces it to the crowd, and says that it is to be silent and everyone is to stand for it.  Which we all did.  Amazing atmosphere.  I could have watched it over and over.

As the students walked around here, there were two policemen bringing up the rear, walking closely behind and at least one at the front of the group.  Could have been one or two in the middle, as well.
This is the only place where we have seen a police presence.

The metro is the only way to go here.  Tomorrow, we are going to buy tickets for a hop on and hop off bus tour that includes all the major sites, the Mall with the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, the Smithsonian, etc.  we can take the metro again and buy the tickets on the bus at one of its stops.