Our last trip of the summer was to Washington, D.C., for the Glenn Beck Restoring Honor Rally. Again I planned and schemed to use my points and do things as inexpensively as possible, and I think it was really unbelievable the trip we were able to have on the money we spent. It was really a great time and I will ever be grateful that we did it.

Our room was really, really beautiful and it is a shame that we didn't get to spend more time in it but we packed so much into the trip that lounging in the room was an impossibility!

Joey really thought we should leave really early Saturday morning so that we wouldn't have trouble getting to the Rally in time. I was a little skeptical of leaving that early but it is really lucky that we did as he suggested because it was insane!! We drove the rental to the metro stop that is furthest out. I don't know what the people did that were at the other stops because the whole metro was completely packed at the first stop that no one else could get on.

While the whole trip was very educational, we learned one thing while doing the "sardine" thing... Joey is a bit claustraphobic...well...perhaps it was because, while tall for his age, he is still not as tall as the people crammed in with us on the metro, in the station, or at the rally...thus I think his share of the available oxygen was severely limited. I think that was more of the problem than a real psychological issue from just being squished in. Anyway...when we got to the Foggy Bottom stop we all got off...I was going to say, we all poured off, but there was no pouring involved at all! There were more people in the station than I have seen in one place in my life! Because they were all there for the rally, they were the most polite, cheerful and wonderful sort of folks you would want to associate with but still, Joey was in need of some Oxygen. Joey had his cell phone on him and so I told him to squeeze his little person in and out and try to get to the air as quick as he could and wait for me at the exit. He did his in and out thing and eventually surfaced in the fresh air and recovered while waiting for me to surface some time later.

We walked to the Lincoln Memorial and marvelled at the lack of standing room (seriously) anywhere close to the mall or any one of the jumbo-trons set up along the reflecting pool. We finally found a place to stand and settled in for the show. It was really entertaining to see the incredible crowds of people all there with a single purpose. There was massive amounts of people...really a lot...did I say MASS amounts? Wow. The cool thing was how nice everyone was. There was about every variety of folks there but everyone really nice and considerate. At one point Joey got really hot and tired (on top of being perpetually short of the O2 thing). He sat down by my feet. The nice people around us got water for him and were so kind. Later in the program an older lady started to have an issue with the heat as well. Numerous people stepped in to help her and get her out to safety.

The program was really amazing. It was inspiring, uplifting, and beautiful. The four hours went by so quickly despite the heat, humidity and crowds. It was so cool to be there with so much diversity, but still bonded with so much commonality. I'm so glad we went.

After the rally as the people were dispersing, I was amazed at how clean everything was. The garbage were over-full, but the overages were all contained around the garbage cans. The lawns and sidewalks were clean. It was really cool.

Joey wanted to see all the war memorials. I hadn't talked to him about them but he was amazing to watch. We first stopped at the Viet Nam memorial. He was so reverent. He walked along quietly looking at all the names. Sometimes there would be pictures or cards stacked next to the wall and he would bend and reverently look at the pictures. I wanted to cry. His awe and reverence really touched me. On the way to the Smithsonian we also saw the new WWII memorial which is really stunning. We found the wreath for Utah and got a picture. After the Smithsonian we found the Korean War Memorial...finally...Joey was sure we would...it was worth the hunting and walking...it is really something else. The pictures don't do it justice...it is a real work of art.

We spent many hours in the American History museum. What a fun and interesting place. We could have probably spent a couple of days there. Joey had more stamina than I did and he had to leave me on a bench a couple of times and come back for me.

After the Smithsonian we walked back down the mall and after finally finding the Korean War memorial we finally got to the Lincoln Memorial. It is something that must be experienced in person. You can't believe the spirit that is there. As we were walking up the steps I just started to cry... (I don't think it was my aching feed and back either). There was a tour starting as we arrived inside and the lady park ranger told us so many incredible and fascinating things about the memorial, the materials and the man it memorialized. Joey was mesmerized.

We drug ourselves back to the metro station and marveled at the difference without the mobs of people. We got on and sat down (yes, I did say SAT down). Joey leaned on my shoulder and was fast asleep before we hit the next station. He did hit his second wind by the time we were back to the room and ended up being up much later than I was....but I can't say how late cause I was sound asleep.

The next morning we went to Mount Vernon. Who would have thunk it? It was a great day! We went on a cruise down the Potomac and toured the house and buildings. We learned a lot. We went through the visitors centers and watched all the movies...wow...I would love to go back! We got back to town quite late, but so much to do and see! We went to the Jefferson Memorial and because of our great experience with the Park Rangers, we waited for the tour. It was a fun day and we got back to our room again very late and very tired.

Our last day we went to Monticello. They have done a lot at Monticello and we were the happy beneficiaries of all of the fascinating things to learn and experience there. We thought we might get a chance to stop at Montpelier as well but alas, we drove straight to the airport with no time to spare. So many other things we would have loved to see and to do (we missed the tomb of the unknown soldier too, much to Joey's dismay) but for the time we had, we did a lot, and really enjoyed ourselves. Oh...and don't ask Joey about the toll roads...oops! We don't have those in Utah!