International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum in Washington DC is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage. Open since July 2002 and in development since 1996, the museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display – many have never been seen by the public. These artifacts – from a 1777 letter by George Washington authorizing a New York spy network to a 1980s coat with a camera concealed in a button – bring to life the people and techniques behind some of the most influential espionage actions in world history.

We had just a few hours to spend on our last morning in DC and we chose to visit the International Spy Museum. It is one of the few museums in DC that charges and entrance fee, but I was able to find a special Valentine's Day coupon online titled "Love a Spy." This might surprise you, but I really have an interest in espionage. Maybe it comes from being good at hiding my feelings, I'm not sure. I like to observe people--covertly of course--and often form opinions about them, which for some reason often prove true. For example, in the airport in DC, I noticed a young girl with pink hair....I know...you're thinking, "Who wouldn't notice?" Well, let me tell you, in some areas of our country, it's nothing out of the ordinary. What I also noticed was that her hair was evidently recently dyed because some of the pink was on her sweater. I remember thinking, "She is going to cause some sort of 'incident' on our flight." For that reason, I took special notice of her seating. She became violently ill during flight and a doctor was called for from the passengers. I doctor on ground was contacted as well, and it was decided that she would be okay--we would not have to land in Chicago. Whew! Now honestly....I wondered if she was really sick or if it was just a diversion for somethin bigger that was planned....but we arrived safely in Salt Lake where paramedics met our plane. Okay, I confess....I have a suspicious mind sometimes, but just in case I'm right---be careful, I am watching you! =)

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! :)

Battery Point Crescent City, CA

In 1855, the ship America burned in the harbor at Crescent City. Three cannons were salvaged from the wreckage and mounted nearby on the point at the northern side of the harbor's entrance. The cannons, which were often fired during Fourth of July celebrations, resulted in the point being named Battery Point.
A second event occurred that same year that would result in another addition to the point. In May of 1855, Congress appropriated $15,000 for the construction of a lighthouse on the tiny islet, which is connected to Battery Point by an isthmus at low tide. Although not included in the 1852 contract for the first eight west coast lighthouses, the Battery Point Lighthouse was actually lit ten days before the Humboldt Harbor Lighthouse, the last of the original eight to become operational. The lighthouse, like most of the original eight, was built in a Cape Cod style, with the tower located in the center of the dwelling. The fourth-order Fresnel lens in the lantern room first illuminated the night sky at Crescent City on December 10, 1856.

The first official keeper, Theophilis Magruder, arrived at the lighthouse fifteen days after it was first lit. A temporary keeper had been employed until Magruder could arrive. Magruder's starting salary was $1,000 per year. He subsequently received a 40% pay cut, which prompted his resignation.

John Jeffrey became keeper of the light in 1875, during the time when the lighthouse's future was uncertain. Jeffrey and his wife Nellie served for nearly forty years at the station, and for part of that time, Nellie was employed as the first assistant keeper. They raised four children at the station, and the life must have been somewhat agreeable as their son also entered into the lighthouse service, taking an assignment at the Oakland Harbor Lighthouse. Once the tide is in, making it to shore is extremely difficult. Impossible without a moterboat and very dangerous even with. Therefore, the boathouse doubled as "schoolhouse" for the four children.With its exposed location atop a rocky mound, the lighthouse is often battered by storms. Waves will wash over the islet and strike the lighthouse. One rogue wave broke three panes of glass in the lantern room and deposited water in the tower. Another time, a huge wave knocked over the old wood burning cook stove starting a fire. While the keepers ran for buckets of water, another wave hit and put the fire out!

Remarkably, the lighthouse received no damage when Crescent City received the worst tsunami damage ever suffered along the west coast of the lower forty-eight states. On March 27, 1964, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the northern hemisphere with a moment magnitude of 9.2 struck Alaska near Prince William Sound. A series of waves generated by the earthquake raced south at a speed of nearly 600 m.p.h. and reached Crescent City around midnight with crests of up to twenty feet.
Clarence and Peggy Coons were living in the lighthouse when the waves arrived. Peggy awoke a little before midnight to use the bathroom, and upon looking out the window noted an extremely high tide in the harbor that was illuminated by a nearly full moon. She roused her husband. They quickly dressed and then hurried outside the lighthouse in time to witness the first waves pummel Crescent City. The following is Peggy's account after the third wave had flooded the city:

The water withdrew as if someone had pulled the plug. It receded a distance of three-quarters of a mile from the shore. We were looking down, as though from a high mountain, into a black abyss. It was a mystical labyrinth of caves, canyons, basins, and pits, undreamed of in the wildest of fantasies. The basin was sucked dry...In the distance, a black wall of water was rapidly building up, evidenced by a flash of white as the edge of the boiling and seething seawater reflected the moonlight. Then the mammoth wall of water came barreling towards us. It was a terrifying mass, stretching up from the ocean floor and looking much higher than the island. Clarence shouted, "Let's head for the tower!" - but it was too late. "Look out!" he yelled and we both ducked as the water struck, split and swirled over both sides of the island. It struck with such force and speed that we felt we were being carried along with the ocean. It took several minutes before we realized that the island hadn't moved. When the tsunami assaulted the shore, it was like a violent explosion. A thunderous roar mingled with all the confusion. Everywhere we looked buildings, cars, lumber, and boats shifted around like crazy. The whole beachfront moved, changing before our very eyes. By this time, the fire had spread to the Texaco bulk tanks. They started exploding one after another, lighting up the sky. It was spectacular! It still seems hard to believe that with all the salvage that floated by us out to sea, the only bit to reach the island was one spool of lavender thread.
Eleven people in Crescent City were killed by the tsunami. Twenty-one boats were destroyed in the harbor, and ninety-one homes in town were damaged. The total cost of all the destruction was in excess of seven million dollars.

I was not raised by the sea and have not been a big fan of it prior to this trip. However, I fell in love with this place and it's stories. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the lighthouse--but I can tell you that I think I could live there. It was small, but so cozy and I loved the view! I also love the reminder that while the storm may surround us, our strength comes from the light that burns within.

The trip Home!

Finally. The last leg of our journey! We are all tired, but have had a much needed vacation on the end of a very stressful trip. Along our way from Anaheim, we chose to travel coastal highway 101 toward Crescent City. The views were breathtaking...although we left at midnight so a good portion was during the dark of night.

Here we have one of the lovely little beach houses. Beautiful! And the view out it's windows, even more!Rick and Kaite enjoying the cool sea air on Trinadad beach.The waving seaside grasses and wildflowers were a sight to behold.We spent the night and one whole day in Crescent City. Here are Kammy and Kaite doing a bit of "surfing" at the Ocean World aquarium we toured.We were eaten alive there by a giant shark.It was really a fun tour. Crescent City is a small town that we really fell in love with. We had a very inexpensive private tour of the aquarium, which was so nice after all the people we have been around lately.In Crescent City is the beautiful Battery Point lighthouse. We toured it as well. With the resident lightkeeper. We were not able to take pictures inside, but it was awesome! I plan to have Kayla write a full report for her blog sometime this summer.I especially love sunset at the beach. Maybe it is a good thing I don't live there, because I don't think I'd ever get much else done.Farther out to sea, is St George Reef lighthouse. It's really only a speck on the horizon to the naked eye, but Rick got this shot of it with our cheapie zoom.This shot was taken from the battery point island. The flowers are amazing!One of the keepers actually raised children here. He was here 39 years. They had school in the boathouse, because once the tide is in, reaching shore is impossible...even by boat.In Klamath, we drove through a giant redwood tree. We watched a few other smaller vehicles turn around because "they wouldn't fit" but we fit just fine.See? Okay...maybe it was a bit tight, but with the mirrors folded in and by holding our breath we made it through with no scratches, either to the truck or tree.My family inside a hollow log.Looking way, way up into those trees.As you can see, we didn't quite make it around the tree. :)Our last stop was a campgound where we let daddy rest up a little bit before we started out for home. He had to drive the whole way since my liscense had conveniently expired while we were in Cali. We left around 8pm and were home by 8am. Kammy went to sleep in California and woke up in Idaho! The others slept a good bit as well. Kammy told me that the day we got home was the best day of her whole life! Mine too, lol!