This post is a consolidation of the prior DC posts. A slide show of additional photos is at the end of this post.
It was a great trip and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thanks go out to our Scoutmaster, Mr. Kelley, who planned and organized the whole trip. Thanks also to the 5 adults that assisted Mr. Kelley on the trip: Mr. Tyler Warren, Mr. Doug MacCallum, Mr. Jack Kelley, Mr. Schneider and Mr. Keenan. Additional thanks go out to Mr. Jack Kelley for loaning us his van for the trip.
We left the Weymouth Heights Club at 8:30pm on Friday and started our drive south to DC. The driving was good and we were able to make good time, stopping for gas and pit-stops as needed.
While the GPS did give us a little problem on the way down, the trip to DC went very smoothly otherwise. We arrived in DC at about 5:30 on Saturday morning and made our way to the nearest McDonald's for breakfast.
After the boys were fed, we passed out some t-shirts so we could recognize our scouts in the crowd. The shirts worked very well and made tracking our guys much easier.
2am- getting gas along the Jersey Turnpike.
Tyler, James, Jonathan, Doug
Tyler, James, Jonathan, Doug
While the GPS did give us a little problem on the way down, the trip to DC went very smoothly otherwise. We arrived in DC at about 5:30 on Saturday morning and made our way to the nearest McDonald's for breakfast.
5:30am - time for breakfast at McD. Forecast is hot and sticky. About time for some coffee for the drivers.
Ben, DJ, Jonathan, Joe, Shane, Doug, Tyler, Bryan, Eric, Mr. Jack Kelley
Ben, DJ, Jonathan, Joe, Shane, Doug, Tyler, Bryan, Eric, Mr. Jack Kelley
After the boys were fed, we passed out some t-shirts so we could recognize our scouts in the crowd. The shirts worked very well and made tracking our guys much easier.
We found parking spots for the vans, after breakfast and we were soon off to visit the monuments. The first stop was at the George Mason Memorial. This monument pays tribute to the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Mason is often thought of as the "forgotten Founder." Mason withheld his signature from the United States Constitution because it did not abolish the slave trade or provide adequate protection for the individual from the federal government
By 7am we were at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was still early enough that we were the only ones at the memorial. This is an impressive place, looking over the Potomac Tidal Basin as the sun comes up on a hazy morning. We could see the White House across the water and through a break in the trees.
From the Jefferson Memorial, we made our way to the FDR memorial. The FDR is a dramatic shift from the Jefferson. The FDR stretches over a larger area and presents a walking tour of the 12 years that Roosevelt served as president. Numerous statues, scenes and quotes give a picture of the times and FDR's presidency - all this is mixed in to water falls and small ponds.
After leaving the FDR, we walked for a bit to get to the Lincoln Memorial. The boys were all excited to see this one, as they all know this monument fairly well. It was still pretty early in the day, so there were no crowds to deal with yet. Everyone enjoyed the view from the steps of the monument down onto the reflecting pool and then to the Washington Monument at the far end. Many references to Forest Gump and Night at the Museum here.
On our way to Arlington, we drove past the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial. The Arlington National Cemetery is incredibly large (over 300,000 graves). The rows of marble stones are as impressive in person as any picture. Troop 2 flagged over 2,000 graves during the Memorial Day weekend, at the same time that Arlington would have been flagging their graves - hopefully the scouts will have a new perspective on this activity.
At Arlington we visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and were able to watch the wreath laying ceremonies. This was an impressive, yet solemn, ceremony. Our scouts acted with the utmost of respect, acting as fantastic representatives for Troop 2. We even received comments from onlookers as to the behavior of our guys. From the Tomb of the Unknowns, we made our way to the eternal flame at the Kennedy grave site. This is another solemn place.
After Arlington we headed to our campground - the Capitol KOA. The camp was excellent, with a pool, pingpong, basketball, movie in the pavilion, good store, ice cream socials and clean showers. The kids enjoyed all the camp had to offer and the adults enjoyed doing nothing at all. Mr. Schneider whipped up some burgers and dogs for dinner and we all enjoyed a nice meal. The night didn't cool off too much and it was warm weather for sleeping.
We woke the next morning before 7am and had a breakfast of cold cereal. As soon as the food and showers where taken care of, we packed up and were headed back to DC for some time at the Smithsonian.
While Mr. Jack Kelley and Mr. Schneider found parking spots for the vans, the other four adults took the scouts to the Air and Space museum for a few hours. The kids broke up into chaperoned groups and toured the museum as they willed.
At 1pm we all collected together and made our way to the vans for some lunch. After lunch we were back on the road home. The travel home ran into more traffic than we had encountered on the way down. We also stopped for dinner along the New Jersey Turnpike. So after a trip of about 10 hours we arrived back in Weymouth at about 11:45pm on Sunday.
Thanks go out to the adults and scouts that attended this trip. It went off really well.
George Mason - Scouts in orange.
By 7am we were at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was still early enough that we were the only ones at the memorial. This is an impressive place, looking over the Potomac Tidal Basin as the sun comes up on a hazy morning. We could see the White House across the water and through a break in the trees.
Jefferson Memorial:
Tyler W and Shane
Tyler W and Shane
From the Jefferson Memorial, we made our way to the FDR memorial. The FDR is a dramatic shift from the Jefferson. The FDR stretches over a larger area and presents a walking tour of the 12 years that Roosevelt served as president. Numerous statues, scenes and quotes give a picture of the times and FDR's presidency - all this is mixed in to water falls and small ponds.
FDR Memorial:
Jordan and Eleanor
Jordan and Eleanor
After leaving the FDR, we walked for a bit to get to the Lincoln Memorial. The boys were all excited to see this one, as they all know this monument fairly well. It was still pretty early in the day, so there were no crowds to deal with yet. Everyone enjoyed the view from the steps of the monument down onto the reflecting pool and then to the Washington Monument at the far end. Many references to Forest Gump and Night at the Museum here.
Ben and Abe
James, Mitch, Ben, DJ, Jonathan, Tyler, Tyler, Shane, PK, Joe, Bryan, Jordan.
AJ & Eric missing from picture.
AJ & Eric missing from picture.
Everyone toured the Lincoln Memorial and also the small museum in the base of the museum. From there we worked our way back to the Korean War Memorial. This memorial features statues of soldiers making their way across a field. The image of the memorial presents is powerful, as you move alongside the soldiers and see the looks on their faces.
Korean War
The next stop on our tour would have been the Vietnam Memorial, but we needed a short break from the heat before we continued. We found a nearby cafe and everyone got themselves something cold to drink. We sat and cooled off for a while, watching the planes on their approach to the nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Once the drinks were gone we headed back to the Vietnam Memorial. This, of course, is another powerful and solemn memorial. To see the thousands of names, carved in the shining granite it disturbing.
Vietnam War Memorial - over 58,000 names.
From "The Wall", it takes a while to get to the next memorial - World War II. The walk along the reflecting pool is nice, but we were being fenced in the whole time. In preparation for the July 4th fireworks, all the open green space was being fenced off with temporary fencing. This was unfortunate, as the fences didn't add anything to the scenery. The WWII Memorial is very large, with lots of small details to represent the many aspects of this war. The WWII Memorial is placed between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial - giving nice views in both directions.
World War II Memorial.
Lincoln Memorial in background. Bryan and Jonathan in foreground.
From the World War II Memorial, it was a short walk over to the Washington Monument. We would have liked to have gone to the top, but there was too long of a line. This is another impressive monument, just because of it's size and placement in the city. From the base of the Washington Monument, you can see the Lincoln Monument, the White House Portico and the Capitol Building.
Washington Monument:
Shane, Tyler, Doug, James, Eric, Jordan
Shane, Tyler, Doug, James, Eric, Jordan
After leaving the Mall and its monuments, we made our way back to our vans. It was a hot day for a walk, but the boys all did well. Once we got to the vans, Mr. Kelley brought out the provisions for cold-cut sandwiches. Fruit, cookies and water was also available. It was good to take a seat and relax for a while. After everyone ate their fill, we packed up and headed off to Arlington National Cemetery.
On our way to Arlington, we drove past the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial. The Arlington National Cemetery is incredibly large (over 300,000 graves). The rows of marble stones are as impressive in person as any picture. Troop 2 flagged over 2,000 graves during the Memorial Day weekend, at the same time that Arlington would have been flagging their graves - hopefully the scouts will have a new perspective on this activity.
At Arlington we visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and were able to watch the wreath laying ceremonies. This was an impressive, yet solemn, ceremony. Our scouts acted with the utmost of respect, acting as fantastic representatives for Troop 2. We even received comments from onlookers as to the behavior of our guys. From the Tomb of the Unknowns, we made our way to the eternal flame at the Kennedy grave site. This is another solemn place.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
After Arlington we headed to our campground - the Capitol KOA. The camp was excellent, with a pool, pingpong, basketball, movie in the pavilion, good store, ice cream socials and clean showers. The kids enjoyed all the camp had to offer and the adults enjoyed doing nothing at all. Mr. Schneider whipped up some burgers and dogs for dinner and we all enjoyed a nice meal. The night didn't cool off too much and it was warm weather for sleeping.
We woke the next morning before 7am and had a breakfast of cold cereal. As soon as the food and showers where taken care of, we packed up and were headed back to DC for some time at the Smithsonian.
While Mr. Jack Kelley and Mr. Schneider found parking spots for the vans, the other four adults took the scouts to the Air and Space museum for a few hours. The kids broke up into chaperoned groups and toured the museum as they willed.
Joe at the Air and Space Museum
At 1pm we all collected together and made our way to the vans for some lunch. After lunch we were back on the road home. The travel home ran into more traffic than we had encountered on the way down. We also stopped for dinner along the New Jersey Turnpike. So after a trip of about 10 hours we arrived back in Weymouth at about 11:45pm on Sunday.
Thanks go out to the adults and scouts that attended this trip. It went off really well.
