Outta Here!

Our time in Greenbelt was nearly up, and we could hardly believe how quickly the past 4-1/2 months had flown by. We decided to make one more visit to NJ to see Russ’ sister and her family before we hit the road plus we had to pick up stuff we had stored there. We loaded Abby into the car and left plenty of food and water for Jo-Jo. When we arrived, their grandsons Will, Josh, and Ryan were there and so full of energy! Abby was thrilled to have run of the big backyard and had a blast playing with Zena, her 140 lb. cousin (the Scotties, Barney and Rambo, decided to let the big dogs play and stayed out from underfoot).









Their son, Billy, has been coaching the T-ball team and had a practice scheduled on one of the diamonds in the park behind their house. Will (6) is on the team, and Josh (3) gets to join the fun during practices. He was so funny because as he ran the bases, they’d yell after him to be sure to touch the base, and he would stop on the base pad, bend down, touch it, and then take off running again! What a hoot!

Kristi stopped by with Alexander, and though he’s not keen on letting the guys hold him, I got the privilege for a little bit. We all went out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner to celebrate my birthday, but the picture taken by our server did not turn out good at all so I only have one of Kristi and Alexander to share from that event. Though it was a quick trip, we had a relaxing, fun time.

At the beginning of March, Greenbelt likes to have two sets of hosts on duty. As you know, we were filling in until the ranger could find a replacement for us, but we were soon joined by the second set of hosts, Howard and Margie. They had hosted at Greenbelt a couple of years ago so were familiar with the routine and would be staying for a few months. Though we weren’t together long, we had a wonderful time getting acquainted and plan to stay in touch. Our last night they joined us for a roaring fire, but it was too dark for a photo with them by the time they had finished their rounds.

A couple of days before leaving the area, we had lunch at the local Ruby Tuesday with two of the rangers (that’s our supervisor, Kevin, on the left). We had a great time chatting and spending a little more time getting to know our new friends.

It was now time to hit the road even though our replacements had not yet arrived. We were heading to St. Louis for a month of fun with friends and family, and Howard emailed this photo he snapped of us pulling out of the campground….thanks, Howard!

Moonlit Stroll

One of the best things to do in DC is to see the memorials and monuments at night. Several tour companies offer such “moonlight tours”, and though we did take one of those many years ago, we generally just drive into town, find a place to park, and begin our walk. We once again parked near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and this time we had decided to take Abby with us since dogs are allowed on the walkways (but not in the memorials) as long as they are leashed. She definitely got her exercise that night and was so good! We had also been thinking it would be a beautiful night to see the cherry blossoms under the moonlight, but they really weren’t lit up and not as picturesque as we had imagined. Since we’ve discussed all these memorials before, I’ll simply post some pictures for your enjoyment.

Glorious Day For A Walk

On such a glorious day viewing the cherry blossoms, we also took the opportunity for a leisurely (albeit long) walk to see some of DC’s magnificent monuments starting with the Jefferson Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/thje). The 19 ft. tall statue of Jefferson housed in the rotunda is obviously the centerpiece of this memorial, but the engraved passages from his writings that grace the walls are equally as memorable.

Though we’ve seen all of these monuments and memorials in past visits, different seasons and times of day can showcase them in a different light. They are all so spectacular, not only in their architecture but in what they each represent. For instance the World War II Memorial (www.nps.gov/nwwm/) honors the sacrifice of those who served in the armed forces and of those at home. At each end is a 43 ft. tall victory pavilion, each representing one of the two military theaters of operations that were happening on opposite sides of the world, the Atlantic and the Pacific. Along one side against a backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial is the Freedom Wall containing 4,048 gold stars. Each star represents 100 American military dead or missing in action from WWII. The 56 granite columns are engraved with the name of one of the 48 states, 7 federal territories, or the District of Columbia that all came together during this war. Though we had not yet begun our RV travels, we happened to be in DC when it was first opened to the public in 2004 and still regard it as a wonderful tribute to those who served.

We briefly visited part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (www.nps.gov/frde), which spreads out over 7-1/2 acres. Granite walls separate it into four areas each representing a different term of his 12 year presidency. There are several bronze sculptures throughout the memorial including a larger-than-life statue of FDR and his dog Fala, a life-size statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, and some sculptures depicting scenes from the Great Depression such as “The Rural Couple” and “Breadline”. In addition to beautiful landscaping and numerous waterfalls, FDR quotes are inscribed throughout.









We passed the Vietnam Women’s Memorial dedicated in 1993. The bronze statue stands 8 ft. x 15 ft. and honors the many women who served during the war. Of course any visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (www.nps.gov/vive/) is always a humbling experience as you pass the 58,272 names of those who gave their lives or went missing during the war.










One of the most famous sites in Washington, DC, is the Lincoln Memorial (www.nps.gov/linc/). We took the elevator from the lower lobby to the central chamber where the 19 ft. tall marble statue resides and took a few minutes to read the Gettysburg address inscribed on one of the side chamber walls. His second Inaugural Address is inscribed on the wall of the other chamber. Exiting the chambers, you can walk all the way around the memorial between the marble columns and the chamber walls and experience fantastic views of the surrounding area.

From the back side in the distance we could see Arlington National Cemetery and even the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. Dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in battle, it stands 32 ft. high, and my camera zoom gave us an incredible shot. As we came around the side of the building, we had a remarkable view of the Washington Monument and the Capitol, which is usually more impressive when there is water in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but it is currently under renovation.

As we made our way back, we visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial (www.nps.gov/kowa/), a very unique memorial indeed. We came along the backside where in a triangular “field” 19 individual stainless steel statues depict a squad on patrol wearing their windblown ponchos. Along the south side, a polished black granite wall reflects not only the statues’ images and visitors as they pass by (can you see Russ?), but also has faces etched into its surface. These faces were taken from actual photos of unidentified American military personnel.









Yes, indeed, a glorious day for a walk...time to relax, reflect, and remember. And not only had the cherry blossoms been at full strength, but the nearby magnolia trees still had plenty of blooms on the trees and on the ground...a beautiful sight.

Spring Is In The Air

This year marks the 100th anniversary of when the Japanese flowering cherry trees were first planted on the National Mall. Generally the average peak bloom date is early April, but this year fortunately for us it happened the week of March 19th! Remember we were supposed to already be gone, but when the replacement hosts had problems, we were asked to stay a couple extra weeks and are we glad we did.

We drove into DC on Mon. and as we were heading towards the Tidal Basin to find a parking spot, we had our first view of the cherry blossoms near the Washington Monument…wow! We found a spot near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and made our way over towards the Basin. Hundreds of cherry trees surround the Tidal Basin with some branches even hanging over the walkway. It was the perfect day to observe this incredible beauty because there was hardly a bud unopened and no petals had yet dropped to the ground.











The original trees were a gift from
Tokyo symbolizing friendship between Japan and the U.S. Of the 3,000 trees originally planted, about 100 are still standing including the two originally planted by First Lady Taft and the wife of the Japanese Ambassador. There are currently about 3,750 total trees of 16 varieties located in three areas on National Park Service land. Some of the original trees can still be found (and seen in this photo) near this traditional Japanese stone lantern that was gifted to the city and dedicated in 1954. This 20 ton, 10 ft. tall lantern is over 350 years old, and symbolizes the “enduring cultural partnership that re-emerged between Japan and the United States after World War II.”










Since 1935 the National Cherry Blossom Festival (http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/w.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/) has been held city-wide and annually brings over one million people to the area. This two week event features over 200 international cultural performances and events from a parade to art exhibits to music to food and more, most free of charge. The website will give you not only information on the Festival but also more information on the history of the cherry trees. We didn’t attend any of the Festival events but simply enjoyed the beauty of a gorgeous spring day.