I have just about caught up with laundry and other such piddlin’ details of life. I think that the worst of the jet lag is also past now. But, I am glad I took these extra two days off work.

Details of the trip? Where to begin . . . well, here are a couple of interesting stats: I took my pedometer along as I knew we would be getting in a fair amount of walking. (fair amount – HA!) The two days with the fewest steps were, of course, the traveling days. Sitting on an airplane does not allow for many, although those runs through airports from gate to gate – well, phew!

Nevertheless, from Sunday when we left Anchorage through the week to Saturday when we returned, I accumulated 106,029 steps. That is just shy of 50 miles for the week! The kids did many more – they didn’t stop to rest as often – and they did a lot of splashing in the pool at the hotel each night. I’d imagine their totals were closer to 75-80 miles for the week.

Another stat: 6 young men – 6 young women – 4 adults (1 male teacher, 1 female school district chaperone, one dad, and one gramma). Those were some pretty good odds that the kids would have at least one set of eyes on them at all times.

There are pics on the flickr bar. I’ll get in there today if I can to add captions so you will know what it is you are seeing through my eyes.

The weather was gorgeous as you can see. We shucked jackets the first day because it was in the 40s. From there it only got warmer. Our last activity day, Friday, it was in the high 70s. A lot of us came home sunburnt. It was also extremely windy that day and the kids all had a great time at the Washington Monument while we waited our turn to go up. They donned jackets and held them open to catch the wind like sails. The teacher and I were guessing 90 mph winds, so you can imagine the fun they were having. Several would stand in place and then jump up to find that the wind would carry them about 2 feet farther away.

We saw breathtaking sights – Arlington National Cemetery was extremely moving. As the elder of the group I was the only one who could remember the shooting of John F. Kennedy. I know where I was at that exact moment. Seeing the eternal flame was very emotional for me.

Four of our students laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the Arlington National Cemetery. We had watched the changing of the guard just before that and then our group laid their wreath. The guards are very dedicated to this service. 21 steps – 21 second pause – turn and 21 second pause – turn and 21 second pause – 21 steps. As you might guess, the 21s are all in honor, standing in for a 21 gun salute. Several of the kids tried to mimic the walk afterwards, but none could get the absolute motionlessness down pat. Quite interesting to see. Again, very moving.

Equally moving was the newest monument – the World War II Memorial. Those are the first few photos you see there. I guess there had been some controversy about building the memorial there on the Mall – folks did not want the view obstructed. They got around that by building a low memorial with the four corners being set so that there was an open space. My dad served in the Army at Okinawa and I was able to share that with my grandson.

We also visited the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Wall Memorial. Several of the kids had names they wanted to look up on the Wall and paused to honor those they found. Several years ago the “traveling wall” came to our town and I was extremely moved by it. Seeing the “real” wall was overwhelming. The kids wanted to know why I cried. I told them that so many of my high school classmates and other friends served in Vietnam – so many lives represented by those etched names.

Someday they will understand.

We saw The Awakening, a huge art project in a park along the Potomac River. We drove through countless neighborhoods with historic backgrounds. We saw a “spite” house. There’s a picture over there on the bar. Seems there was a neighborly difference of opinion and someone decided to “block their light” by building a very narrow, two story house in the alleway between two other homes. It is about 800-900 square feet according to our tour guide, so it actually is the same size as my house (including the garage!) here in Alaska. Only I am spread out on one floor and this was two floors. By the way, do you know why most of the homes were built 2.5 stories instead of 3? (this was in Alexandria, VA) Taxes – pure and simple answer. If you built only 2.5 stories you paid no more than if you only had a 2 story home. But, go up that extra half story and you got taxed mightily.

We also saw the “last” cobblestoned street still in existence (according to our guide), Princess Street in Alexandria.

We visited the FDR Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and Einstein Memorial Statue. We spent a day driving to visit Jamestown, watching the glass blowing and climbing on one of the replica ships. Then on to Williamsburg where I put the Boy in stocks and in the gaol. (heh) I took him back out, okay?

We trekked through some of the Smithsonian museums – saw the Hope diamond at the Boy’s request. We saw an IMAX movie at the Air & Space Museum and, again, I was the one who could tell the kids the exact date we landed on the moon. The movie just kept saying July, 1969. Well, we watched it from the hospital where my nephew was born on July 20th, 1969. 😉

We spent a day transporting via the Metro subway system and that was a first for many of the kids and one of the adults.

We watched “Daniel’s Story” at the Holocaust Museum. This is the story of a boy about their age whose family owned a store in Germany – their freedom was taken away because they were Jewish. Their store was closed, they were moved first to a ghetto and then taken to a camp. His mother and sister were murdered in the camp. He and his father were rescued from the camp. Very moving.

We metro’d to the National Zoo where I parked on a bench while the group went off to look for the Giant Pandas and other animals. It was a nice pick-em-up after Daniel’s Story.

Let’s see: we visited the National Cathedral (a highlight for me), the George Washington Masonic?National Memorial?(complete with his masonic apron and trowel), the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they were printing $1 and $100 bills), the National Archives (no, there is NO MAP on the back of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution).

We had a picture stop only at the White House (no tours) where we saw two things of interest: the crew of The West Wing was filming – but we couldn’t get close enough to get pics of any stars; and a protester set up. According to our guide, this woman has been living across from the White House since 1981 practicing her right of free speech. She has a tent set up and signs calling for Peace. Someone must be there 24×7 or the Park Service will dismantle the camp. So, if she needs to leave for whatever reason either her husband (who was there that day) or her son take her place. That way the Park Service people leave her alone. You have to admire such dedication to a cause. She is not getting the press the woman who parks herself outside G’s house in TX, but she still sits there.

We visited the Capitol – stood in line for security (I have been through more security in the past week . . . ) to go to the House side, then came back out to stand in line again for security to go back into the same building (!!!) in order to visit the Rotunda. We were unable to visit the Senate side.

We saw Ford’s Theatre and the?Petersen House?across the street where they carried Lincoln after he was shot and the bed in which he died. We visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Oh, my. I’m sure I am forgetting a LOT. We did so much in such a short period of time.

I hope to go again in two years with the Girl. I know now that I am going to have to be in even better shape than I am now. My ankles and my knees did a lot of complaining this week. My ankles apparently are still not healed up from that “little fall” a couple of years ago. My knees were just generally letting me know that I needed to “GET OFF” of them.

But, I am so thankful to the teacher and to the students for letting me come along. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime for me. And, to do it with the Boy? Well, that was just icing on the cake.

Oh – we also had a surprise birthday party for him on our last night. He turned 14 Friday and the company provided a cake and sodas for the kids. I had carried a gift from Kenai for his mama to give to him. He received phone calls from Mama, sisters and the twins (friends of his sister) singing to him as we woke up, and two calls from his auntie Ladybug and her family that were left on the message machine while we were out trekking around. His day and his trip were complete!

If you get the chance, do take a tour of our Nation’s capital. A Native American on the plane on the return trip asked me “did they tell you the truth?” I have to say that with the guide we had and the teacher who took these kids that, yes, we heard the truth. The truth about our country’s beginnings is not always pretty. But we have to recount history properly in order to learn and to grow.

Hey, thanks for slogging through this long treatise. See you soon.

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