A Note from Washington, D.C.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!!

I had a loooooooooong day today. We walked 18,000 steps, which for me was about 9 miles! We walked all over Washington, DC and saw many of our country's monuments and memorials.

We started the day at the White House. We didn't get to go in,  but we did get pretty close to the front lawn. And, no...we didn't see President Obama. We did hear that Prince Charles was in town, though. No sign of the Royal Family, either. :(

 We made a lot of stops and visited a lot of fun places, including the Capitol Building. They are currently working on fixing and sealing many of the small holes in the rotunda. For those of you who may not know, the Capitol Building is where the Senate and the House make important decisions about new laws and regulations for our country. This Branch of our government is called the Legislative Branch.














This quote was on the base of the Frederick Douglas statue on the inside of the Capitol Building. I thought this was a really great quote, especially when thinking about the context in which Douglas said this powerful statement (which will learn about very soon).

 This is the main reading and research room on the Library of Congress. EVERY book that has ever been published in the United States is in this library. There was even a collection of books that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's original collection of books was the inspiration for the Library of Congress.

 This is the Supreme Court. This is one of the main buildings that makes up the Judicial Branch of government. If there are ever any laws or amendments that are questionable, the 9 Supreme Court Justices make a decision on whether or not they are Constitutional.

 I am a little sad I didn't get a picture of the outside of this building, but the inside of the building was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. This is the National Cathedral. The Gothic style architecture was amazingly grand, and there is so much history in this church. Not to mention, there are many famous people interred within the walls of the church, including Helen Keller.

We ended the day with a visit to the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam War Wall. These places were extremely powerful. They help to remind everyone that Freedom comes at a huge cost, and that we need to be thankful for all of those who have helped to shape our country, and those who have given their lives to protect our Freedom.

                     

Today, we are heading to Arlington National Cemetery, as well visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the September 11th Memorial at the Pentagon. I'll post more pictures later on for you to see tomorrow.  :)

Have a good day!

-Mr. Mault