Madeline Miller
5-4-11
My Vacation to Washington, DC
Over Spring Break, my family took a vacation to Washington DC for four days.
On the first day we spent in DC, my family decided to see all the museums. The very first
museum we saw was the Smithsonian Museum of American History. During the exhibits about
war and slavery, my eyes were opened to the sacrifices humans made in the past, so Americans
could have freedom in the future. The next two museums we went to were the other
Smithsonians: Air and Space, and Natural History. At these museums, I learned all kinds of
information about the past, and saw how far technology has come. The last museum of the day
was the National Archives. We saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the
Bill of Rights. I was amazed that all the ancient documents still had a huge impact on America
today.
The second day was dedicated to the important monuments and buildings. First, we
went to the U.S. Capitol and saw a heated debate over the budget that took place on the House
of Representatives floor. Then, my family and I took a tour of the White House. I was so
interested to see the historical and elaborate rooms, such as the Blue Room and Formal Dining
Room. The White House gardens were amazing and had many flowers and cherry blossom
trees in bloom. Next, my family went to the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and discovered a
lot of facts about those two presidents. They were both amazing men who were important in
the early history of our country. Afterwards, we headed to the top of the Washington
Monument and my family marveled at the view. The last building we went into that day was
the glorious Library of Congress with its millions of books.
On our third day we visited the war memorials. At the Vietnam Memorial, I traced my
distant cousin’s name from the wall onto paper and was astonished at the number of names on
the wall. I was saddened to realize how many people lost their lives to fight for freedom. Then,
we walked over to two relatively new memorials, the Korean War and World War II, and
admired their beauty and design. Third, my family went to the Arlington National Cemetery for
the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier, and watched an unexpected
funeral procession. Finally, I saw Iwo Jima, which is my favorite memorial because of it’s
representation of American soldiers raising the U.S. flag.
Our last day in DC was spent seeing anything we missed. The first thing we did was drive
to Georgetown and had Georgetown and Sprinkles cupcakes, which were delicious! Second, my
family and I drove down to Mount Vernon, in Northern Virginia, and saw the birth and burial
place of George Washington. While in the area, my dad took us to George Washington’s
whiskey factory, which was still up and running, and surprisingly interesting. After that, a tour
bus took us to the National Cathedral, and it was stunningly beautiful! The last place we went
to in DC was Madame Tussauds wax museum, where the figures are so life-like, it’s almost
frightening.
After reading this article about my trip to Washington DC, I hope you take the first opportunity
you can to go yourself! Maybe on the BLMS trip, who knows?