Animals, Architecture, and Stuff

Albert Einstein Memorial

Albert Einstein Memorial

Albert Einstein Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

Vietnam Memorial Wall

Vietnam Memorial Wall

Vietnam Memorial Wall

Washington Monument

Constitutional Gardens

Senate Connection

National Cathedral

National Cathedral

Stained Glass

IMG_1775

Stained Glass - Universe

National Cathedral

National Cathedral

Panda Panda Everywhere

Elephant Elephant Everywhere

National Zoo

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We start our trip with just trying to get to D.C. We had two draining flights - the one from Kona to San Francisco was turbulent - but we were excited to be on our way. For some of us, it was a long time since we flew over the Pacific, and we needed some help remembering how lavatories work on planes! It was nice that we had a short layover there to walk around, get some layers on, and grab a quick bite before getting on our next flight (an even longer one) to Baltimore. We were instructed to sleep on this overbooked flight, but it was not easy. Feeling like we barely got any sleep, we headed straight into activities in D.C. once we landed. Following breakfast, we rode the bus to the statue of Albert Einstein. Then, we went to the Vietnam Memorial to pay our respect. We reviewed the names of the honorable soldiers that fought proudly for our country. After the Vietnam Memorial, we went further down the road to a nearby park to see who signed the Declaration of Independence. Ducks and squirrels definitely caught our attention. After we spent what seemed like 30 minutes taking duck and squirrel photos and videos, we went to the legendary Washington Monument and learned about its history. We met up with a senator's assistant, who happens to also be an HPA alum, for lunch at the L'Enfant Plaza. We learned about the legislative branch of our government, and he answered questions we had. After that, we made our way to the amazing National Cathedral. We learned about the history and architecture behind the church itself -- even the stained glass windows have stories behind them, and some were based on historical events, such as the Apollo 11 window that depicts the launch. Other decorated windows were more traditional, and these showed Jesus Christ. The materials in the cathedral also had backstories. For instance, the cross was made from remnants of 9/11. The architecture was impressive, and after having a short visit in the gift shop, we traveled on to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. There we saw many giant panda, seals, and we even saw a white wolf. Then after being disappointed about the broken Dippin' Dots machine, we headed off to the Kennedy Center and Embassy Row, where we saw the flags of many countries. We had dinner at Bolt Burger and then headed across the river to Virginia, where we are happy to finally have some rest.

This part of the trip was amazing though tiring. We were all constantly amazed at the sights we were able to see and the memorials we were able to connect to.