Back from D.C.

“I'm just back this afternoon from one of our motorcoach company's 8-day, high school trip to D.C. WOW! Am I beat! Riding back from D.C. overnight in a bus is NOT my idea of fun..... EEEEEEK!! lol (on the way out, we had more stops)

The country out that way looks very pretty. I'm always surprised that what I think of as really urban areas end up having great-looking outdoors and/or wilderness areas.

We saw:
1. Sears tower-Chicago
2. Notre Dame University-South Bend, IN
3. Gettysburg, complete with guided hike on the battleground hills
4. Harpers Ferry, WV (saw that the C & O Canal Towpath Trail goes through there, as does Appalachian Trail)
5. Shenandoah Valley and short trip on Skyline Drive
6. Stop at Cooter's, yes, home of the General Lee car from "Dukes of Hassard" and yes, COOTER! He was on the bus. LMAO! I guess he ties in, since he was a US representative a couple terms.
7. Monticello at Charlottesville, VA
8. State capital at Richmond, VA
9. Jamestown settlement (VA??! Ya kinda lose track with no map in a tour bus!! LOL!! I shoulda thought of that and brought a map)
10. ON TO D.C.
10A. Memorials at night
10B. Outside trek around Capitol Bldng, Hart Building (local senator's office there, but he was gone), Library of Congress, N'tl Air & Space Museum, N'tl Building Museum, policemen's memorial, a look at the subway (OK, so we're hicks!! LOL), walk-around of White House, and a dinner/dance cruise on the Potomac
10C. Mt. Vernon, wreath laying by the students at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and further walking tour of Arlington Cemetery, Iwo Jima memorial, fabulous fish buffet at Phillips, followed by "Hot Mikado" musical at Ford's Theatre (yes, where Lincoln was shot)
10D. Breakfast at Hard Rock Cafe, Holocaust Museum, Smithsonian American History Museum, time on the Mall just hanging in nice weather as Cherry Blossom Festival started.

Likes:
1. FDR Memorial. Very different in its scope than the traditional ones.
2. Gettysburg. It's crazy to see the scope of that battlefield, the terrain and logistics involved.
3. Harpers Ferry, WV. I wanna go back!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I like history combined with great outdoors activities.
4. Shenandoah N'tl Park and Skyline Drive, from what little I saw.

Dislikes:
1. Korean War Memorial. I didn't like the way the statues were made.
2. Standing in line and having bags checked at every location.
3. Getting busted for taking a group shot at the Hart Bldg. with a tripod. Apparently you need a permit for a tripod in D.C. No, this is NOT a post-911 security measure. Yeah, WEIRD!
4. Oh yeah, I still dislike Dubya. :-P

Ramblings:
1. I found it strange and disturbing how low and close jets still come in to DC and its memorials, flying over the Potomac. Creepy, man! (yes, I realize airport is on the river....but.......still.....)
2. It seemed to me tourism must be picking back up. The town was hopping! Course, there was the Cherry Blossom Festival just starting. And spring is the big time for schools to make trips out there.
3. The kids from the school were gems! Ranged from 8th-12th grades and all got along, polite, etc, etc. I am spoiled for future trips where I am the tour guide. (yes, this was an "in training/get photos for the company" type trip.”

“Sounds like ya had a good time!

8)”

“hope you have plenty of pictures”

“Hmmmmmm... a representative named 'Cooter'...

Why am I not surprised? <G>


I guess you didn't make it down to the Dubliner for a pint, "ARRRRrrrrrrrr!".”

“Sounds like you had a great time!”

“Memories!

In the 70's, my high school job was in the gift shop at the Washington Wax Museum on 5th and K NW. Used to be this time of year I would get to work after school and 20 buses would be parked outside.

Washington Monument in Lucite anyone? No, cedar box with a picture of the Capitol?”

“Pathman, the last time I was there was also on a bus tour and it was (fanfare) **1976**!!! I was on a 4-H citizenship trip. Saw Pearl Bailey sing on the Mall near the Washington Monument.

Let's see...... souvenirs?? Our group seemed to like the little keychain that would pop open to reveal the whole Capitol Hill area with little plastic buildings!! LOL”

“gawd... not the Bicentennial Class of '76, LOL


Do you feel like we do?”

“Yes, I think I feel like you do...but MUCH, MUCH YOUNGER. ;-P The Class of 77. Yes, 25-year reunion this summer!”

“Yep, we saws lots of 4H-ers. I stopped working there in 1972. Graduated HS in the area 1973.”

“Hey lizs, can you find me here?

The 70's!”

“Have any of you gotten a letter from your school asking to be put in your WILL yet?!?!?!

<GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR>

"Seeing as how you're Almost Dead and everything, we were wondering if we could glom onto some of your cash..."”