A Monumental Bike Tour

In the cooler breezes of October, Alissa's parents came for a first time visit to Washington D.C. After hiking the tour on foot ourselves in 1997, Dave and I knew that there had to be a better way to see the sights with kids. We discovered D.C. bike rentals and tours earlier this year and we decided to give it a shot with the boys and Grandma and Grandpa Lawyer. It worked out perfectly. Especially after Grandpa rescued Alissa from having to ride with Jack on a tandem/trailer. She just couldn't maneuver with a big 7 year old on the back so Grandpa stepped up and saved the day. Once that was settled we had a relaxing time cruising up and down the mall to all the major monuments. I think we will all look back on that day as one of the most memorable experiences as a family, learning and appreciating the freedoms of our country and the men and women that made it possible.
In addition to the traditional monument tour, we also headed to Mt. Vernon with Grandma and Grandpa Lawyer. I think that I stated in an earlier post how amazing Mt. Vernon truly is and how much we learned about George and Martha. This second visit was just as exciting because we were able to see some things that we had not on the first visit earlier in the summer. For instance we enjoyed a traditional colonial meal at the Mt. Vernon Inn (complete with Peanut and Chestnut Soup....yumm!), we also encountered a comrade of General Washington that was one of the U.S.'s first spies. You know Washington was a master of espionage. We walked more of the grounds because it was much cooler and saw an entire area of the indoor museum that we missed the first time. Though I am not a huge fan of Martha Stewart, I would have to agree with her observation that Mt. Vernon is America's home.
On a whim, we took Alissa's parents to the Marine Corp Museum just 20 minutes from our house. We knew it was free and thought it might be a nice way to spend a cool October afternoon and simultaneously honor the memory of Grandpa's older brother Gary Wayne Lawyer. He was a marine and was seriously injured in Vietnam as a young man. His life was forever changed by that experience and by visiting the Marine Corp Museum we hoped to have a better understanding of Gary's life and the millions of others who serve our country in this way.
We were pleasantly surprised by the state of the art exhibitions at the USMC museum . The displays were top notch and even the boys gained a better understanding of what it means to serve our country in the U.S. military. Through the use of special effects and creativity, we experienced a drill sergeant yelling in our ears the moment we "stepped off the bus" and continued on the journey through boot camp, training and battle. Though this may sound intense, it was presented in a way that really opened our eyes but didn't shock or appall us in any way. There were also great reminders of the sacrifices made by many, presented through film, sculpture, memorials and artwork. The boys even had a chance to write a note to marines serving our country right now. Alissa and her dad could have roamed the halls for hours reading and learning more about the history of our country and the many battles, heroes and struggles that those before us faced. Once again we were reminded of the great opportunity we have living here in Northern Virginia on this temporary assignment.