On July 4, my dear friend, Rene, turned 50. The week before her big day, her friends threw her a prom-themed birthday party down in Maryland, and I just had to be there! Rene was a wonderful new friend to me during the darkest last days of Mike's illness, and our friendship has only grown since. I decided to make a weekend of it all, so Mark and I drove down to Maryland for the party, then spent the weekend seeing the sights of Washington, D.C.
The party itself was great, once we got there (leaving later than expected plus Friday traffic were not a good mix). I got to meet Rene's friends and family, including her boyfriend, Dexter. The DJ got us all dancing up a storm, and the night ended with handing out awards, including prom queen and king (which of course went to Rene and Dexter!). What made the night truly memorable was when Dexter proposed to Rene! After some fidgeting from being in the spotlight, Rene said "yes," of course.
Saturday and Sunday were sight-seeing days. Mark and I took the Metro (subway) into the city and made our way to all the important spots -- Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. Each was awe-inspiring, and most brought tears to our eyes. The Vietnam Memorial, in particular, brought a lump to my throat. There is just something about a memorial that lists name upon name that is unmatched with any other kind of monument. Seeing so many thousands of names of young men and women touches the core of one's being like nothing else can.
At Arlington, we saw Kennedy's grave and then continued on to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We stuck around to witness the changing of the guard, which was just incredible. These soldiers don't mess around, and they take every aspect of their job extremely seriously. We were floored watching their staunch dedication.
What would a trip to Maryland be without a stop at Camden Yards?! On Saturday, we had to see the Orioles play, and we had great seats to watch them take on the Tampa Rays. The stadium was beautiful, the fans was super passionate, yet friendly, and the weather was awesome. The Orioles couldn't pull out the win, but the experience was great. The most exciting part for us was meeting former Oriole player Boog Powell! Boog owns a restaurant inside the stadium, and before the game he was there meeting fans and taking pictures with them. It was quite a thrill to get in on that action!
Although quick, the trip was a great getaway, and it gave me a feel for what I'd like to spend more time seeing if I ever go back there again.
Me and Rene
Dexter and Rene
Me and Mark
Camden Yards
Boog Powell
WWII Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Reflecting Pool
The Pentagon -- only part of it
Arlington National Cemetery
Eternal flame at Kennedy's grave
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The rubber mat the soldiers walk on is so worn out from all the back and forth, that it must be replaced a couple times a year
Changing of the guard
No comments:
Post a Comment