This Veterans' Day my mom and I decided to go to Washington D.C. for the first time in both our lives! I had NO idea what I was in for. It was truly awesome! It was a beautiful fall weekend, the colors were at their peak (for this area), and there were so many people in town to celebrate our veterans. We drove up to the train station and left my car there. It was also my mom's first train ride!!! It was so much fun for these 2 small-town girls! We checked into the Melrose hotel, which was only about 2 blocks from a train station that took us to the Mall. We knew there was SO much to see and only two days to do it, so we went right to the big monuments. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, White House, Treasury, everything!!! Also, there was an Obama motorcade that drove by us as he came to check out his new house! People were packed in the streets just to catch a glimpse of his limo!
Washington Monument 
U.S. Treasury
The White House
Getting ready for the inauguration! 
WWII Memorial
Reflecting Pool
Mom walking to see Lincoln
Eating an amazing meal, plus wine and dessert at Old Ebbits Grill
Day two of our trip was Veterans' Day. Our biggest plan was to go to Arlington National Cemetery and watch the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was pretty chilly that day, but the sun was out and the colors were so vivid! We got up early and went back to the Mall first to take some more pictures. It would be hard to see those monuments too many times! Then we took the train to Arlington. I had no idea how moving seeing Arlington cemetery would be, and I was floored. As far as you can see there are tombstones, many with just a number on them, of the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The scenery is breathtaking and it is the single most humbling place I've ever visited. We finally found the tomb and when we arrived, learned that Vice President Dick Cheney was to speak! It was so awesome to be able to see that! Then we went out and saw a Changing of the Guard at the tomb.
V.P. Dick Cheney
After the wreath laying at Arlington, we went back to check out some more of our capitol city. We saw a presentation at the Vietnam memorial for the women of Vietnam, which hit my mom pretty hard. So many of those women were nurses in Vietnam, and I'm sure my mom could connect with their stories, feelings of loss, and desire to care for our soldiers.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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