George's place and shattered "Forrest Gump" dreams

May 3rd found us packed and on the bus by 7:00 AM for the trip into D.C. I wish I'd taken pictures as we cruised through beautiful Alexandria, Virginia, but alas, I didn't. I wish we could've squeezed in some time to explore around there...such a gorgeous, history-filled city.

We headed straight to Mount Vernon and had a much, much better experience there than last year. I was able to spend some time with things I had to rush through last year...the gardens, the tomb, the wharf, and the stables.

My favorite part of the morning, though, was sitting on George's back porch ("piazza") enjoying the view of the Potomac River and the breeze and pondering life.

{If I were George, I'd sit out here all the time and have my meals out here and, don't ya know it, probably even sleep out here.}

{pondering life in a shirt of the most offensive shade of yellow imaginable}

After touring the Washington homestead, we finally arrived in the big city. My heart started to pitter-patter just a bit. You see, one of my favorite movies of all time is "Forrest Gump". I've watched it more times than I can count and I know most of the lines by heart. Love. It. I dream of having my own "Forrrrrrrrrrest! Jenn-ay!" moment in the pool. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looking at the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument is one of my all-time favorite sights to see. I got a killer picture last year and was hoping to repeat this year with my new camera.

I must not be livin' right. This is what I got instead:

What the heck, D.C.? What? The? Heck? Apparently, a filtration system is being installed in the pool. That'll be a good thing...when it's finished in two years. Gag. Shattered dreams, folks. I was bummed. I still am.

We walked 42 miles over the course of that afternoon, touring the monuments and soaking up the atmosphere. Aside from the dismal state of the reflecting pool, it was a lovely day.

{WWII Memorial...these reliefs are my favorite part}

{Each star represents 100 American military deaths. There are over 4,000 stars on that wall. Sincerely humbling.}

{sweet home}

{memorial to women in Vietnam}

{None of my other Vietnam Wall pictures were any good. Sad.}

We have a wondrous capital.