Holocaust Museum

They asked that photographs not be taken here and quite honestly, it would have been in bad taste anyway. This would better be called a Memorial than a Museum. When you enter, on the bottom floor, you receive an ID card including a name, picture and story of a real person during the holocaust. From there, you take an elevator to the fourth floor and and slowly work your way through the horrific details and back to the first level.
A few things really stood out to me:
1. Homelife.
How important it is to "Train up a Child." Who better than the parents of Alolph Hitler to have prevented this portion of history?
2. Personal Choice.
You can make the choice to rise above difficult circumstances, or you can get bitter. In his younger years, Hitler lived a loner's life, he wasn't popular, but had a big addiction. Pornography. If you don't believe me, reshearch it for yourself and you will find that sexual sin is at the heart of a large majority of crime. Ted Bundy spoke to this fact just hours before his execution. Hitler was also a man filled with bitterness and hatred. For various reasons, his hatred was directed at Jews, Homosexuals, Jehovah's Witness's and other minorities. This hatred led him to do things that even he himself never imagined. He was able to deceive others well, because he himself was deceived. As his addictions and hatreds grew, he needed more and more to satisfy the demons.
3. Failure to act.
Martin Neimoller put it this way,
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."
We must remember that ALL men are created equal. Notice that they did not come first for the Jew, but for the Socialist.
Many a plea was put out to the world for help, but everyone turned a blind eye--until it was too late.
4. Spiritual pride.
Even Martin Luther, the man we christians credit for the Protestant Reformation, called the Jews "blind, stupid, foolish people." He felt that they should be given an opportunity to convert, and if they chose not to, they should be eliminated in some way. He thought the Jews were proud, but it sounds to me like HE was a little proud himself. This is also another reminder that everyone is human--doing something good does not give you special priviledges with God.
5. Never forget.
In Germany, high school students are made to watch footage and study the history of the holocaust. If you ask the average American college student about the halocaust, they won't be able to tell you what it was....they think Adolph Hitler was an actor or something.
"Take heed…lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and…teach them to your children and to your children's children." —Deuteronomy 4:9
6. A Mother's Halocaust.
Every day, Americans murder babies--and call it abortion--if that doesn't chill your mother blood, nothing will!
We saw the actual door to a gas chamber, some of the bunks, a portion of the rail those many death trains rode, the ovens they burned bodies in, and saw a room FULL of shoes--shoes that stopped walking forever....never again to stroll hand in hand with a lover, to walk the floor with a crying child, to skip off to school...some never got to take those first steps at all.
There were personal items....combs, razors, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, baby bottles....yes, I cried.

Arlington National Cemetery

One morning we got up early and visited Arlington National Cemetery. It was quiet and peaceful-- the sun shone down upon acres and acres of white stones and I asked God to thank those who made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedoms.

We were able to see the hourly changing of guards at the Tomb of the Unknown.

Outside the amphitheater where Memorial Day services and other patriotic events are held.

National Mall and surrounding area

In front of the White House

Ford Theater ~ where President Abraham Lincoln was shot on April 16, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth.

Capitol Hill

Park Police horses outside the White House. We knew Kammy would want pictures. :)

Sunset at the Lincoln Memorial.

Rick with the Washington Monument in the background.

Mount Vernon and Alexandria

One of the very best things we did was visit Mount Vernon and the Washington Mansion. History gets ahold of my heart, and I really could have moved right in. In fact, I think we sort of did, because when we got back out to the city, it felt a bit like time travel.
These statues are to scale of the Washington's and their grandchildren. George was the same height as my husband and Martha even more petite than I.

This is on the pack porch of the mansion. The view of the Potomac is awesome! We weren't allowed to take photographs inside the mansion itself, but it was awesome to see all of the intricate details and many original furnishings. We toured the blacksmith shop, wash house, gardener's house, stables, smokehouse, guesthouse, and numerous other places.

Once again, we saw how very much our country was founded on Godly principles. Washington's army was outnumbered 10 to 1, but Washington prayed to a God who is never outnumbered. Being the first, Washington set the standard for all presidents who would follow him including but not limited to taking an oath on the Bible. His last words were, "Tis well."

This is a pew from the parish that Washington's family attended. I love the cozy family design and the fact that it has a door--ingenious! That would certainly assist in corralling the little ones! :)

Mount Vernon is on the edge of Alexandria--a colonial port city. We toured some of the smaller museums, including a factory that made torpedos during WWI and II here and walked F.O.R.E.V.E.R. in the cold rain.

At the end of the day, we made our way to Gadsby's Tavern--a restaurant built in 1785. It was originally a hotel as well. George Washington ate here many times. Thomas Jefferson's Inaugural Banquet was upstairs here. Andrew Jackson climbed out a White House window and walked here...6 miles to escape all the noise and people at his inaugural ball.

Our meal was fabulous, the atmosphere quaint and quiet with candles and soft music. The original woodwork and floors throughout were A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. We saw so many historal homes and buildings including General Robert E. Lee's boyhood home, which is still a private residence.

Georgetown and Key Park

My husband and I recently took a trip to the DC area. It was a working vacation, but of course, we made time for some sightseeing as well.

One night we took the metro to Georgetown--or as close as the metro will take you anyway. We walked across the Potomac on the Key Bridge. It was beautiful, if a bit scary--two of my greatest fears are water and height, so....you get the picture. :)

I love all the references to God in this historical place. It was reaffirmed again and again to me that Almightly God was at the very center of the founding of our great country. It made me very sad to think of the leaders who reside here and yet have complete disregard or even open hatred for our heritage.

We had BBQ at Old Glory where everything they serve from the beef to the wide selection of sauces are American made or grown. The setting was a very old building with lots of authentic charm.

Afterwards, we stopped by Georgetown Cupcake....they make the best!

The night was not without incident. Rick and I accidently boarded trains going seperate ways on the metro. When I got off, I was a long way from him and found myself in the middle of a police take-down. I'm not sure what happened, but they did end up shutting down a section of the line. It took a long time, many phone calls, bus and train rides and text messages, but we finally found our way back together in the wee hours of the morning. To put it mildly, I was quite happy to see him! :)