Day 2 began with another early wake up call, 6:30 am est to be exact, but we had breakfast waiting on us. We loaded up the bus and headed to our first stop, Mt Vernon! It was amazing, we toured the house, walked the grounds, and visited the tomb of George and Martha Washington. After walking around the plantation for about 2 hours we headed to the museum. The museum had several amazing exhibits displaying the contributions that George Washington made to this great country. To top it all of we had the opportunity to a short film outlining George Washington's life during the American Revolution. I think this was Elmo's favorite part of visiting Mt. Vernon. This film was nothing like i thought it would be, it was interactive, they had smoke, snow, and the seats moved during the film. Truly a must do if you ever make it to Mt. Vernon! This was the beginning of our day!
We then headed to a buffet for lunch, and then back to Washington D.C. to the Museum of American History and The Holocaust Museum. I am an American History teacher, so this was right up my alley. The most impressive exhibit was the American Flag. They have the flag from the War of 1812, which inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the "Star Spangled Banner." The only downer was this was a no photography section of the museum. Elmo really enjoyed the transportation exhibit and took several photographs with planes, trains, and automobiles. Elmo's was really excited to because he had the opportunity to meet his idol "Kermit the Frog." We also got to see a piece of the Berlin Wall, some old cannons, and deliver a speech as President of The United States.
After touring through the American History Museum we had a short walk to the Holocaust Museum. The Holocaust Museum was a truly moving experience and they would not allow us to take photographs. Elmo and I saw several videos, propaganda posters, and documents. The most interesting part of the museum was the exhibits on the 2nd floor. We saw a train car used to transport Jews to the camps, castings of the doors from the furnaces, thousands of shoes, and empty gas canisters. It was heartbreaking to think what happened to an entire race of people.
Our next stop was dinner at Fuddrucker's and it was delicious! We then headed out to Arlington Cemetery for an event known as the Sunset Ceremony. We got to see the USMC band and the silent drill team perform in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial, it was really cool. I took video of the silent drill team and I'll post it for everyone to see. Elmo ran into 2 young Marines and asked them for the opportunity to have his picture taken with such brave men, he also thanked them for their service!
Our final stop was a night tour of the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center. The Lincoln Memorial was amazing to see at night, and Elmo wanted to have his picture taken in the exact spot that Dr. King stood, it took some time due to the number of people out that night, but we got it done. The Kennedy Center provided us with a great view of the city, and we then headed back to the hotel and hit the sack around 11:15, a long and exhausting day, but well worth it!
