New Mexico - Day 1

First day of vacation and it’s already an adventure.  We started the day heading north.  Yes, north.  The boys both won top blue ribbons at County 4-H Days and qualified to give their speeches again at Regional 4-H Days.  So, we began the first day of our vacation in El Dorado, sitting in a crowded hallway, talking with Grandpa Coy and Grandma Jane, waiting our turn to give two speeches to a judge.  Two more blue ribbons and we were back on the road to Winfield.

After a quick stop at the house to change, load the car and take the traditional “boys about to go on the road” picture, we turned south to Edmond, Oklahoma, The Mother Road, and a day of discovery.  During the drive, we made the first of three major discovery’s that day:

Discovery #1:  At a dinner party, mom and dad would probably play soft jazz or Top 40 rock, Isaac would play classical music and Sam would have silence.  These are the things that the Hicks’ discuss in the car.

We left I-35 north of Edmond and headed east to catch The Mother Road (State Highway 66) just to the east of Arcadia, Oklahoma.  It was there we stopped at our first roadside attraction – The Round Barn.  Originally built in 1898 by Big Bill Odor, he apparently felt a round barn would be tornado proof.

While tornados may not have ravaged the building, time finally did.  A book I purchased at the gift store says “At 12:09 on the afternoon of June 29, 1988, the decaying roof of the old barn ‘just kind of sighed and fell in, like a soufflé.’’  And so, along came Luke Robinson, a 74-year-old, retired carpenter who raised funds and lovingly raised the barn and its fallen roof back to its former glory. 

There was a wedding in the top part of the barn while we were there so we weren’t able to peek in.  But we did traverse the museum and gift shop in the bottom where there is some great Route 66 memorabilia – including a highway map from 1900 showing a highway running through Winfield, Kansas that we never knew existed.

After that, we stopped at Pop’s Soda Ranch and all of us – including the car, had a drink.  Pop’s is another Route 66 landmark and worth the stop.  There is a huge, neon soda bottle in the front and the store boasts that it sells over 600 flavors of soda.  We took a little time to choose four and had our first snack from the back of the car in the parking lot.

From there, we headed west following Route 66 (which has now basically morphed into I-40), stopping at the Sayre Denny’s for dinner.  Nature gave the car a nice carwash along the way.

Discovery #2 – Approximately 20 minutes outside of Sayre, Ross suddenly sat alert behind the wheel, glanced in the rear-view mirror and loudly exclaimed, “Son of a….!”  Thinking we were about to get hit by something behind us, I jerked awake from a cozy, full-tummy snooze.  “The church clothes are still hanging on the door in the bedroom.”  So at least no one was hurt, but at 8:35 in the evening, finding substitutes in the next 12 hours was a challenge that none of us were ready to take on.

Outside of Amarillo, we ran into a good old fashioned Texas windstorm the likes of which I have never experienced.  There was so much dust in the air, visibility was limited.  We were sharing the road with what Isaac termed, “the most semi trucks I’ve ever seen in my life” so the high winds and low visibility were making driving slow and troublesome.  Tumbleweeds were blowing across the road at a nice clip, occasionally hitting the side of the car but creating some interesting entertainment as we hunted for our exit.  Finally, we reached exit 74 just outside of town and pulled into The Big Texan where we had reservations for the night (more on The Big Texan tomorrow).

Discovery #3 – While checking into the hotel, Holly, the hotel clerk pointed out that I was using a Discover Card that didn’t have my name on it.  Sure enough, when she handed me back the card and I examined it, I discovered that I had been using a girlfriend’s card!  Apparently, during our girlfriend night to the movies last weekend, the cards had gotten switched at dinner.  I quickly called said girlfriend and told her to pull out her Discover Card and look at it.  We both had a good laugh at the circumstance.

Vowing to cease using the card, we hunkered in for the night to the sounds of gravel hitting the side of the hotel and the “whap, whap” of a loose tarp in the back end of a truck parked outside our door – a tiring but eventful day.  We are going to sleep in late tomorrow and have our own church service in our PJs when we decide to get up.

Perhaps it is the Snow...

We have snow in Kansas - for the first time in a while.  Perhaps it is the snow, perhaps it is my visit to the JASNA website, or perhaps it is having finished one of my favorite pieces of literature that drives me to dust off my blogger gloves, update my template and start putting words on virtual paper.

Perhaps it is the snow. 
"What we need is a good snow," said my husband.  Tension is high.  People are too caught up worrying about minutia.  "We need something to bring us together."  He is right.  We needed a reminder that people are more important than details.  Snow does that.  Snow unifies. 

Perhaps it is my visit to the JASNA website. 
What is that?  Well duh, she says....it's the Jane Austin Society of North America of which I am a card carrying member.  Why?  For the same reason I went out for track in high school, joined a sorority, became a mascot, let waiters choose my food and dance.  Because I can.  And because life is too short to spend time thinking about all the reasons to "not."

Perhaps it is having finished one of my favorite pieces of literature. 
For the past month or so, I've been listening with rapt attention at the feet of Jack Crabb.  I've loved dear and mystical Old Lodge Skins, grown up with the Human Beings, watched Caroline & Mrs. Pendrake with fascination, hunted buffalo, enjoyed Wild Bill Hickock as no one else will portray him, and revisited the Greasy Grass.  This book speaks to me like only great literature can.  It was a thrill to visit it again.

So, I find myself sitting here in front of my keyboard, coffee in hand, up early on a Saturday, contemplating Life.  ...Writing here for the first time in a over a year and feeling very much like I've missed visiting with an old friend.

Washington - FINAL DAY

We came, we saw, and now it was time to go home. Our flight left Reagan around noon, so we took our time packing, saying good bye to Joe, Sandy and Hudson and doing some light cleaning/straightening to help out with the guest transition. We also left an entirely unopened chocolate ice cream container in the freezer for anyone who might be interested (we let Joe know it was there for sure.)

And then, it was time for one more trek through our now very familiar neighborhood, down to the Eastern Market Metro and out to Reagan National for our flight back to Wichita. This time, getting our boarding passes was a piece of cake. No questions, we were in their system and we even had seats in the same vicinity as one another on both legs of the flight. Progress indeed!

Clearing this obstacle, we headed for the security line.

Now, you must know that when the Hicks' travel, Ross and I each get a travel buddy. Sam and Ross usually pair up which leave me with Isaac. This system -- devised while hiking steep canyon and mountain trails -- has worked, so far, pretty well. Sam and Ross are quiet, calm, take things slow and like to travel on the "down low." Isaac and I, well, let's just say we are not thrown by unnecessary attention. We have learned through the years that we all have a much better time if we separate into these groups during times of potential stress.

So, we queued up to the security line in this paired up fashion. We were split into separate lines by the guy checking boarding passes and Isaac went in front of me. I was very proud of him. He had his liquids at the ready, shoes off and electronics in the gray tub well ahead of reaching the actual scanner. I followed behind and got my stuff ready to go through. We both zipped effortlessly through the metal detector and started waiting for our stuff to come out on the other side.

I watched Isaac's shoes and electronics come out and pushed them down to the end of the table where he promptly began reassembling himself for the flight. I was watching him proudly while waiting patiently for my stuff when I realized that about 30 seconds had gone by and nothing else was coming down the conveyer belt.

I turned to see what was going on and noticed a small group of about 5 security officers all gathered around the screen in our line. The short, younger girl in the middle would look at the screen, then look up at me, then look back to the screen.

And then, in a sudden flash of memory, it hit me. "Here we go," I said under my breath to myself.

In a few moments, Isaac's bag finally came out of the conveyer belt and was immediately picked up by the security personnel. "Who's bag is this?" she asked me.

"His." I pointed at Isaac.

She nodded and looked at Isaac. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me," she said. I looked at my nine-year-old son. His eyes were quite possibly the biggest that I have seen them.

"Can we wait for just a moment for my stuff to come through so I can go with you?" I asked.

"Certainly," she said -- she was no George Washington, but immediate relief registered on Isaac's face.

I got my stuff, reassembled myself and headed with Isaac to the little side area where they pat people down and search their luggage.

"Is there anything in here that will hurt or cut me?" the young security officer asked Isaac.

"No, ma'am," he said immediately. (I was proud of him for using his polite words.)

"Tell her what IS in there, Isaac," I said calmly.

And he proceeded to tell her, at length, about his really cool comb that he got at the spy museum that looks exactly like a switchblade.

Sure enough, they found the comb -- he had the good sense to pack it on the outside pocket so they didn't have to go digging around in the inside of the bag. They pulled it out gingerly and proceeded to attempt to open it up. At this point, Isaac had to help because they couldn't figure it out right away. And, fortunately for us ALL, they realized very quickly that it was exactly what Isaac had said it was.

But, they still confiscated it.

They graciously offered to let us go back and check it in checked luggage (which we did not have). If I had been on my game I could have asked Isaac at that moment if if wanted us to figure out how to mail it home. But, what can I say. I was tired.

I did tell them that Isaac had been warned this might happen and was prepared to relinquish the comb. (Yes, I used the word relinquish so that the security folks could see that they were dealing with an educated person.) And, he did let them take the comb with an amazing display of maturity. No tears. Just very, very, very big eyes and a face which was by this time devoid of color.

I, of course, had also looked over to see what Ross and Sam were during through all this. Sam was standing slack jawed and Ross had a look on his face that said, "Thank you GOD that it wasn't me." Yep. The travel buddy system never fails. To everyone's credit, we left the line without another word, got some snacks and made for an empty seat by the gate to wait for our plane. The incident was never mentioned again for the remainder of the trip.

I think, if Isaac would have cried, we might have gotten the comb back. As we were walking away, I heard the security officer ask her supervisor, "Can't we just give it to him?" But, rest assured that the security personnel at Reagan in Washinton DC are nothing but consistent in the name of safety. So, the infamous comb did not make it with us back to Kansas.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and we made it back to Kansas in time to do a little unpacking and fall in bed. Another memorable time. Another great trip. But I must say that I'm glad to be back home.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who contributed to the planning of this vacation. Jeannette and the folks in Senator Moran's office - couldn't have done it without you. Beth, Connie and Justin and anyone else at NASFAA who helped, thanks for all of your good ideas. Thanks to Joe, Sandy and Hudson for making our apartment a home away from home. And thanks also to most everyone I have come into contact with in the last year who offered suggestions and ideas.

Washington - Day 6 CORRECTION

First of all, I owe the family a correction on my last posted blog. We did not go back to the apartment for egg sandwiches. We went out. We went out because the whole day it was Sam's birthday! Our little boy is now 13 years old. A fact that my brain is apparently choosing to deny at present.

The importance of the date was proudly displayed on Sam's ID that we presented proudly to the White House Secret Service -- who did not comment. The guide at the Wilson House did. She wished him Happy Birthday as soon as it was discovered.

Nonetheless, he had a good day. By evening, he wanted a steak to celebrate. The nearest place to get one of those was Mr. Henry's -- a good, old fashioned Capitol Hill pub. We ate outside and watched the Saturday Washingtonians go about their weekend celebrations. Sam and Ross both agreed that their steak was one of the best steaks they had ever eaten, so the evening party was a success!

Sam also gave his mother a great complement. When the waiter asked how he would like his steak cooked, he said, "I want it how you cook it, mom." Made my heart melt.

Washington - Day 7

Today was another celebration day -- but a little more widely known. Today was Father's Day. What better way to spend this day than visiting the home of the father of our country? So, we got up and pointed ourselves toward Mount Vernon.

You cannot get to Mount Vernon on the Metro line. However, you can get there using combinations of the Metro, bus, trolley and/or boat rides. On a recommendation from the kind folks of the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators, we chose a boat ride by the Potomic Riverboat Company. And we were glad that we did.

We took the Metro to Alexandria, Virginia and decided to walk down to the Waterfront to catch The Miss Christin down to the Potomic. If you have the time, this is the way to go. The narrated ride was relaxing and fun. There were snacks on board to keep the kids occupied and plenty of time to walk around the boat. There is an upper deck where you can bask in the elements of the day or a lower, covered and air conditioned deck with windows on all sides. But, nothing beats the view as you arrive looking up at Mount Vernon on the hill.

The whole ride - stops to pick up additional passengers included - took about 1.5 hours. We had purchased one-way tickets thinking that we would catch the bus back to the Metro from the Mount Vernon Visitor's Center. But, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided we would try our best to catch the boat back.

The Mount Vernon complex has grown much since the last time that Ross and I visited. We had also visited in the middle of the winter - so there were a few more people present as well.

We started by popping in to see Washington's tomb and pay our respects to George and Martha. Apparently, when Washington died, there was some question as to where he would be buried. Washington, a humble man and a farmer at heart, wanted to be buried at home on Mount Vernon. The political machine wanted him to be buried in the soon to be completed Capitol building. Fortunately, one of his sons put his foot down and thereby secured the fate of the future of the plantation.

After that, we headed up the hill for a quick snack before the timed entry into the home. Remembering a favorite moment from our last visit, we popped around to the part of the house facing the river and took a seat to wait for our visit on one of the chairs lined up on the porch. Never disappoints.

Following that bit of heaven, we lucked out and got to the tour entry point when there was no line. So we headed in early and toured the gracious, orderly home.

When you are on the Mount Vernon plantation, it is difficult to remember that you are walking through a home that was operating in the late 1700s. There are several things there to remind you - candlestick light fixtures, carriage houses, outhouses and kitchen outbuildings - but despite all that, Mount Vernon exudes an aura of style, grace and relevance.

One of the things that I picked up from this tour was that it was often used to house traveler's on their way to Washington. The thing that strikes you as you walk through the home is that it is full of bedrooms. Washington's slaves and servants would spend hours preparing these rooms for hundreds of visitors who would stay there for only a few nights. The rooms, of course, housed family members, but they were also home to the likes of the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

When we finished touring the home, we puttered around looking at the various outbuildings to the left of the home - the carriage house, the smokehouse, the laundry yard, the storage room. As we were walking back across the front lawn on the way to the buildings on the right (Washington was a huge believer in symmetry - God Bless him), we ran into none other than George himself entertaining his guests on the front lawn.

Apparently, during special occasions such as Father's Day, George makes an appearance. And there he stood, his six-foot large frame towering over a group of tourists, entertaining questions from the group. "Sir, what do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the country today?" someone asked. "Keeping this Union together," he immediately responded. And then went on to explain that he was concerned that this young country of 15 states was so culturally diverse that he was concerned about us all getting along. He pointed to a young man wearing a t-shirt with an American flag on it. "I see your flag their with its stars and stripes," he said. "I think that the number of stars is very optomistic, but I like your faith in the future of the country." And he continued in this way, graciously entertaining his enraptured audience.

Over on the right side of the home, we ran into Martha who was holding court in her own outbuilding designed for that purpose. This is apparently a regular feature of the property and can be experienced any day that you visit. She was sitting up front and knitting while we took our seats in the chairs that were provided for us.

Martha was also taking questions. Instead of chatting about political matters, her conversations were more about her family, her husband, and life at home in Mount Vernon. She was dressed in half-mourning, a fact that she explained was in memory of one of her daughters that had died on that very day.

Now, I know that these folks were actors. But, I kid you not, they were some of the best historical reinactors that I have encountered in my travels. They never broke character - not once. Their speeches, though they had to be rehearsed, were delivered in a conversational way and in response to questions from the audience. When Martha talked about her daughter that died, she had one Brenda Hicks from Winfield, Kansas crying where she sat. History presented in the best possible way.

We had one more encounter with General Washington -- and you were compelled to address him in this respectful way. We caught him completely unsurrounded by tourists over by the slave quarters. I took the opportunity to ask for a quick picture. "Sir, can I take a picture of you with my two boys?" I carefully asked.

"I have no idea if you can, madam," he replied quickly.

I hesitated, then the light went on. "I apologize, sir," I said. "MAY I take a picture of you with my boys?"

"Absolutely ma'am," he said. And we got the shot. The boys were thrilled - possibly for life. George caught mom at her own game. They talked about it all the way back to Winfield.

After scoring the picture with the man himself, we grabbed lunch at the cafe in the visitor's cetner and then zipped through the museum. This new, multi-million dollar facility contains George's original dentures (he rarely smiled due to inflamed gums and sore mouth), a diorama of the French and Indian war, Martha's jewelry and china, and reconstructions of what George and Martha looked like when they were younger. The museum folks is definately worth your time and energy if you are ever in the area.

From there we headed back to the boat dock hiking through a piece of woods on the property and a reproduction of one of Washington's farms. We got back on the boat with no trouble and headed back upriver to the Alexandria Waterfront.

Father's Day did put a kink in our dinner options. (We had wanted to eat at Gadsby's Tavern but couldn't get in there until later in the evening.) We managed to get a table at the Chart House Restaurant and enjoyed an amazing seafood dinner on the banks of the Potomic. I ordered a plate of oysters and was successful in getting both boys to try a small, heavily sauced piece.

We grabbed the free downtown trolley for the uphill ride back up to the King Street Metro station and headed back home. This day was definately one of our favorites.

Washington - Day 6

Days like today make me feel fortunate to be a mother. Children, you understand, go through life seeing things just a little differently. They also, at times, have absolutely no awareness of their surroundings or the importance of decorum and behavior. This, while an annoying trait, can make life on vacation just a little more colorful than normal.

Today was the day that we visited the White House.

Before we get to all that (our White House appointment wasn't until the afternoon), we spent the morning enjoying a short walk down Embassy Row in search of the Woodrow Wilson home. Mr. Wilson, as we had already learned, is the only President buried in the National Cathedral. He is credited with many things.....like allowing sheep to graze on the white house lawn and establishing the observance of Mother's Day....but is also famous for winning the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his peace making efforts.

He was the 28th President of the United States which meant that he was President in 1913 - 1921. He was the son of a Presbyterian minister, served as President of Princeton University and remains the only president to have earned a Ph.D. Most people will remember him as the man in power when the United States entered and fought in World War I.

His home is wonderfully preserved and remains much the same as it did when the Wilson's (Woodrow and his second wife, Edith) lived there until Edith's death in the 60s. The website is excellent and educational. There is a tour preview page with great pictures of the things that we saw while touring the home.

What we most loved about this home is just that - it's a home. From the moment that we sat watching the preview video in Mr. Wilson's personal secretary's office, to peeking into his closet (where the infamous fur coat he wore while reviewing the World War I troups with General Pershing hung - cool), to checking out the steamer trunks in the huge hallway closet the place was just as he and his wife Edith left it. It was homey, it was comfortable, and it was fascinating.

The boys were completely fascinated with the ice box in the kitchen. "I've seen one before, but it wasn't this fancy!" remarked Sam as the Hicks clan gathered around the original label stuck to the door showing you how to load the ice and hook up the drain. I loved Mr. Wilson's library and study which looked out into the back yard and gardens - books, books and more books. Ross' favorite item was in this room as well - sequestered in the corner was Woodrow's very own movie projector. Apparently one of his favorite things to do was to invite people over for lunch and show movies. Woodrow was an intellectual, somewhat introverted, a little awkward, intense and definately intriguing. This tour was a highlight of our week.

After this great start to the day, we grabbed a bite to eat in the Dupont Circle area and headed to the White House for our tour. We made sure to arrive early -- getting this appointment was an achievement close in scale to winning an Acadamy Award. The last time I visited the White House was pre-September 11. I was snowed in and had an extra Sunday while waiting on my rescheduled flight. So, on a whim, I popped into a short line, walked in with my camera and handbag and toured nearly by myself.

Post 9/11, we had to submit everything but a blood sample about 3 months prior to our visit (they recommend earlier if you want to see it during cherry blossom season). We received a timed appointment, were told to show up no later than 15 minutes beforehand with picture IDs and NOTHING ELSE - no camera's, no bags, no NOTHING -- and even then we had to walk through a metal detector. The tour was still self-guided, but this time there were secret service agents in every room to answer questions and point out things of interest.

Now, this particular information got the boys really excited. The idea of being able to be in breathing distance to actual, factual secret service agents? Too thrilling to be talked about in mere words. Reality, however, fell a little short of their expectations.

First of all, when I pointed out one of the secret service agents to Isaac, his immediate, unimpressed response was, "that's just a cop." Translation: "Mom, I can't believe you are so dumb." His obvious superior knowledge was based on the fact that the agents were dressed in black pants and white, short sleeved shirts instead of black suits, sunglasses and cool communication gear.

Sam must have been expecting to be self-guided into the depths of the cool parts of the house and was quite deflated when we reached the front foyer. "That's it?!" he said in disbelief before we popped out the front door. Apparently seeing the hallway the President walks down prior to his speeches on TV, and the cool photos of the President's hanging out with famous people were not impressive enough to warrent the time.

And so, it was also here, and directly in front of what I'm sure was an amused, casually dressed secret service agent, that we experienced the joy of having children who are incredibly comfortable in their surroundings -- in this case, our nation's very own dining room.

You see, most people visiting the white house (including the group of high school field trippers who were going through at the same time we were) are checking out the style of decoration in the different rooms, admiring the custom made furniture, or going on an eagle "scavenger hunt." Instead, while standing in the west dining room and waiting for their parents to "catch up," our boys chose to entertain themselves in a different way.

"Sam," said Isaac. "I bet that I can lift you up using just my knee."

"I'd like to see you try," said Sam.

"OK," said Isaac, undaunted. "Spread your legs a little."

Sam spread his legs. Hardly believing his good fortune at how well this was going, Isaac quickly lifted his knee in an attempt to deal his brother a painful blow. At the last second, Sam caught on and jumped about two feet in the air narrowly escaping a debilitating incident.

"See?" giggled Isaac. "It worked."

We're so proud.

Pressing our luck, we left the White House and hopped back on the Metro for a short trip to Arlington Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These boys needed to see some pomp and circumstance.

On the way to the tomb, we stopped by the grave of President Kennedy, breezed through the "in the process of restoration" Robert E. Lee home where Isaac got a little grief from the rangers about his mohawk, and got to the tomb about 10 minutes before the next guard change. We manuvered ourselves on the front step next to the rope and waited.

The boys had a few whispered questions, but this time, they conducted themselves with poise and dignity. The replacement guard and his superior came out of the waiting room, performed the ceremony and disappeared around the corner. "That was cool," whispered Sam in awe. Mission accomplished.

After that, we went back to the apartment for egg sandwiches, a little TV and an early bedtime. Another great day.

Washington - Day 5

One of the great things that your Senator or Congressman's office does for you is to give you a semi-private tour of the Capital building. Nothing makes you more grateful for this than watching a loooooong line of tourists with headsets heading en masse up an escalator from the visitor's center. Instead, you get to walk slowly through the Capital in a group of 10 or so people from your home state with an intern -- a college student who is usually majoring in some form of political science or national policy and who is just excited about being there as you are about touring.

Devon and Jara were our interns for the day. Devon was a young man from Olathe, a junior in political science at Yale. Jara was from Nebraska but had served on the horse and livestock judging teams the previous few years at Kansas State University. Jara ended up knowing Meg Drake -- a local from Winfield who is also on the horse judging team. Small world.

Because the senate office buildings were very close to our apartment, we walked through the Hart Building, waved "hello" to Senator Roberts office on the first floor and then went downstairs to the tunnel that connects the Hart Building to the Russell Building - which is where we found the offices of Jerry Moran. We were early, so we walked on in and hung out in the office chatting with Devon and Joshua (the office assistant) while waiting on the other family who were touring that day.

On the way to the office, we noticed increased levels of secret service posted throughout the Capital complex area. In the Senator's office, we discovered why. On the TV, the MSN reporters were stationed outside the Pentagon where apparently a suspicious car had been found with a bomb inside. The streets around the pentagon were gridlocked and the office staff were paying close attention to the news coverage. I think this is the first time the boys understood what mom and dad meant by saying that this trip would make watching news channels on tv a little more interesting.

The capital tour was great and Devon did a super job of pointing out things like bullet holes throughout the capital for the boys. He also talked about the statues. Each state in the union gets to have two statues in the National Statuary Collection located inside the building. One of our statues is Dwight Eisenhower who is prominently displayed next to Ronald Reagan in the Capital rotunda. Cool. The second statue is John James Ingalls. "Who??" you may ask. And everyone from Kansas would say, "Exactly." Apparently, John was a supporter of Kansas and instrumental to Kansas becoming a state....the only problem is, nobody knows who he is. So, in August of 2010, the Kansas legislature voted to replace John with the very well known Amelia Earhart. She will become the tenth woman honored by having a statue in the collection. People are discussing the design for it as we speak.

The other cool part of the tour was the old House chamber where there is a plaque noting the location of John Quincy Adams' desk. Approximately 40 feet away on the other side of the room is another plaque where the leader of the Democratic party would hold meetings to discuss policy and opinions with his colleagues during debates. Unbeknownst to this group and due to the strange accoustics in the room, everything that is said in this area can be clearly heard in the spot where Republican John Adams sat. John would pretend to sleep while listening to everything his opposition was saying. Devon gave us a demonstration. It was awesome.

The Senate gallery was closed for the day, so we spent extra time in the House gallery checking out the room and hearing details about the various elements from Devon. From there, we took the tram back to the senate building and popped back down to the basement to eat dinner in the senate cafeteria. It was a great meal and much less expensive than the Smithsonian cafeteria from the day before. A good place to make a stop if you are nearby.

After that, we walked across the street to Union Station and hopped the Metro for the Ford's Theater. We got out at the Metro Center station and walked past the FBI building to the theater. The boys were thrilled with the idea of walking by this building and we actually saw some real life "men in black" coming out of it as we passed. Things were hopping in the Metro and around the building due to the bomb scare earlier in the day. We had some fun pondering where the guy was that they had just caught.

We got our tickets for the Ford Theater ranger presentation and spent a few moments wandering through the exhibit prior to the ranger talk. The exhibit is great (has the gun that shot Lincoln displayed, an area displaying the Confederate conspirators as well as pictures of the Lincoln family and some of Mrs. Lincoln's china). If you have younger folks with you, spend the extra few dollars it takes to get the audio tour. Sam remarked that one of the sections of the audio tour was pretty graphic, so of course we all dialed in the number and listened. It was a description of how the bullet that killed Lincoln traveled through his body and where it eventually lodged. If you have boys along, this is the stuff of legend.

We then went into the theater where the ranger did a terrific job of describing the events of the evening and the political climate that led to Lincoln's shooting. I never tire of hearing this presentation. It's amazing to relive this portion of history. Hearing it within the context of the actual building where it took place makes the history come alive. Great experience.

It was here that Isaac bought the souvenier that would bring joy to nearly everyone that we passed for the remainder of the trip. In the gift shop, he bought and then proceeded to wear a genuine Abraham Lincoln hat. Although Isaac and his freckles looked great, we all agreed that the person in our family that looked most like Lincoln with it on, was Ross.

From there, we returned to the American History museum to eat dinner in the cafeteria, finish looking through the Price of Freedom museum that we got kicked out of the day before, and then headed to the World War II memorial for an evening ranger led tour of the WWII, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Korean and Vietnam war memorials.

If you are in DC, and you have the time and inclination, touring these memorials as part of a ranger led tour is interesting. We were led by two rangers, one a student of 20th century war history and the second an expert on the construction of the memorials themselves. These two spent a little over two hours walking us through the wars and timeframe that these memorials represented and how each one was connected.

The boys remained interested throughout the entire tour, so I would say that the rangers did their job. The Korean Memorial remains my favorite - to get the full effect this one must be seen at night when the shadows of the soldiers cast their reflection in the wall behind them -- but each one is impressive in its own right. We ended the evening beside the Vietnam memorial and then headed across the street to check out the evening view from the Lincoln Memorial. The boys were excited about visiting this one and enjoyed our quick jaunt through Abe's house.

After that, it was back to the Smithsonian Metro station and the apartment. Another adventure filled, good day in DC.