I have been so exhausted these past few days. There comes a point where you just can't absorb any more history!
After Washington DC, we headed to Richmond Virginia, the Confederate capitol during the Civil War.
They have a great Confederate museum there. Soooo many times, Civil War museums are very biased towards the North. They say that the war was primarily about slavery, when that wasn't the case.
Lincoln originally fought the war to keep the Union together. Slavery became a part of the war later.
The Confederacy fought the war for states rights. They weren't fighting FOR slaves. They were fighting for the right to choose whether or not they wanted slaves or not.
I must say that I am on the side of the South. People who hear that usually go, "WHAT? You want slavery???"
No. I think slavery is wrong. All men were created equal. The only difference between white people and black people is melanin!
I believe that if the Confederacy had won the Civil War, slavery would have eventually died out and we would be a much freer nation than we are today.
Anyway, enough of past wars.
Here are some pictures from the Museum of the Confederacy:
(It's a fez! Fezzes are cool....)
(Civil War drum! They are SO cool!)
(J.E.B. Stuart's saddle, desk, hat (you can see the hat in the picture in the back), gloves, sword, and pistol)
(A 19th century bull horn: "Let's MOVE. THAT. BUS!!!!!!!")
Another drum, along with a fife, and a bugle!
Civil War pipes:
I will let these two next pictures speak for themselves:
"Sherman's Bow tie." Sherman, a Union general, had his troops pull up rail road tracks and twist them into spirals so the Confederates couldn't use them.
I will let these next to pictures speak for themselves:
Next we toured Jefferson Davis (the president of the Confederacy) house:
It was very nice inside, although he only lived here during his presidency.
The day after Richmond, we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was amazing! They say take three days to meander through the whole place... We had one afternoon. It wasn't long enough. We could have stayed a lot longer.
We saw lots of people in period clothing and lots of building that were period buildings. I was very excited to walk down the streets because Felicity, the American Girl Doll, is from Colonial Williamsburg!
Near the end of the afternoon, there was a big presentation done by reanactors. It was so good! We nearly witnessed a tar and feathering! And we got to sit in on a young couple's wooing.
Oh yeah.... and Grama, Tintin, and I were thrown in the stocks.
Then to the gift shop.... And I got a fife! A $15 fife! A great price... Especially since we saw $25 and $100+ fifes in other stores in Williamsburg. I have wanted to play fife for awhile now (along with piccolo and organ) and this instrument will be the perfect thing to learn on. I even love the color.
So far I can make noise. The fife came with instructions for a beginner but without a teacher to show me how things work, I don't think I'll get far. I don't even know what sound is supposed to come out when I play a certain note.
So, when we get to Grama's I will be searching "How to play fife: beginner" on Youtube.
After 10 hours in the car, we went to the Creation Museum. It was a very good museum! Lots of great information. What was really neat was they were refuting things that evolutionists say. I feel like I can defend my faith even better now. Plus, the museum had a lot of dinosaurs, which is always a plus. =)
Wax paleontologists. This museum was full of wax figures that looked real! As all homeschoolers, I had a dinosaur faze. I wowed my parents when, at 6 years old, I could name all the dinosaurs. Grama was impressed that I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up. When my dream changed to archaeologist, she was still impressed. Now that I want to be a worship team/youth leader/mom/writer/wife when I grow up, I'm not sure what she thinks. Hee hee.
"I found Captain Haddock's friends from Prisoner's of the Sun!" Tintin laughed.
He wasn't too pleased when a dinosaur decided to have him for a snack.....
He even got to meet Adam and Eve!
(They invited him to go for a swim with them but Tintin declined the offer....)
Methuselah:
Outside the museum in the beautiful gardens was a petting zoo. They had Zorses!
And a whole family of peacocks (including a white one!)
(Where'd the head go?!)
Yesterday we went to a museum about the Underground Railroad. I didn't take any pictures and personally, I didn't think the museum was all that great. It was mostly reading repeating stuff.
But it was still interesting! To each his own.
Today we went to the Abraham Lincoln museum in Springfield Illinois. It was absolutely amazing. Lifelike figures and displays to make you feel like you were really there, enhanced the experience greatly.
Tintin got to sit on Abe's shoulder:
Tintin and I with fellow Shakespearean.... John Wilkes Booth:
Fascinating museum. I would recommend it highly to anyone who is a fan of Abe Lincoln.
Tonight marked the last day of our travels. We drive for 7 hours tomorrow and end up at Grama's house where we will stay for a week or so. Then Mom and I will drive back home. I can not wait to get to Grama's, and eventually home. As I said before, I am burned out. I have learned to much and experienced so much. It's like you can't believe it's over so quickly, but yet you can because you want to get home so much.
So long farewell for now, I suppose. Until my next blog post. =)
Now I bid you all a good night. And don't let those bed bugs bite.
We went to the Smithsonian (mostly Air and Space) on our last day of DC.
Look, it's an Easter Island statue! "Dum dum bring me gum gum? Uh oh... Dum dum better run run... from Attila the Hun Hun!"
Tintin was in awe.... He was busy staring up at Mr. Easter Island when a little kid came up and snatched him! Luckily Mom-Lady the super hero/bug killer or the century swooped in and scooped Tintin up before the little kid could run off.
Look! It's the X-FLR6! Painted black and white instead of red and white....
Only this "rocket" wasn't made by Professor Calculas....
In reality, this is a V-2 - A Vengence Weapon 2. It was a German missile used in WW2. Germany launched 3000 V-2's on it's enemies during the Second World War.
Some random pictures from Air and Space:
This also made me think of Tintin:
See the floating food?
And this is where the astronauts would take a shower....
This made me think of Star Wars (it looks like something Han Solo would say)
Look! It's VGER! Or, in normal English, for you non-Trekkies, Voyager!
And in the gift shop? THE ENTERPRISE!! =D
They also has Spock ears but I didn't get any. Pity, I could have worn them to youth group.
After Air and Space we walked over to American History to see the hall of First Ladies' Fashions.
On the way there we saw the White Tree of Gondor:
Before going into the Hall of First Ladies, we went into the music hall. They had three Stradivarius violins.... It saddened me to see them behind glass instead of being played. On the way out, we saw a sign that said they were played, which is good. Instruments are made to be played.
After the Hall of First Ladies (sorry, no pictures) we looked at a GIANT doll house! It was very cool. We used to have one like it on display at our library.
Then we headed over to the Iwo Jima memorial statue.
We didn't just come to see the statue though.... We came to hear the Marine Band play! They do concerts here every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. My word... it was amazing. I thought I would never say it, but after the concert I asked my mom, "Can you put me in school so I can join marching band?"
I video taped much of the concert. Here is "Stars and Stripes." No other song is short enough to post, sadly.
After the band played, soldiers came marching in. One platoon did silent drilling. Many complex movements including throwing guns - with bayonettes attached! - from one to another. All without orders... It was all memorizied. It was very impressive.
Here are some pictures from the best concert I have ever been to:
On Sunday the 10th we went to Uncle J's Southern Baptist church. They had the best music! They had a 3 octave bell choir playing along with piano, organ, and horns! It was amazing! They played A Mighty Fortress is our God, one of my favorite hymns. It was very, very nice.
After church we went out to lunch and then went to The Shrine of Immaculate Conception. It was a giant Catholic church nearly completely devoted to Mary. It was quite sad. Soooo many statues of Mary. Only one or two of Jesus. On the walls were painted things like, "Mary saves" and things. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but Jesus is the one that saves. Mary carried Jesus, but he is infinitely more important than she is.
The church was very, very beautiful with mosaics all over the ceilings. And a beautiful pipe organ!
Then we walked past the capitol buildings, which were closed.
The Supreme Court:
Library of Congress (and the steps that Ben Gates ran up during the Library of Congress scene from National Treasure #2)
Congress:
The Canadian Embassy!
Then we walked the memorials.
Memorial for those killed in the Vietnam War (I believe):
There were many many many names. Lining the whole wall. Uncle J said he knew some of these people. Uncle J was drafted into the United States army. They were looking for 3 volunteers to join the Marines. When no one volunteered they called names. My uncle's was one that was called. The Marines are known for being the toughest branch of the military. Luckily my uncle didn't see combat. He says that being in the Marines made him a better person and that if he were to do it all again, he would still go into the Marines as opposed to another branch. I think that's pretty cool.
Lincoln Memorial:
Washington Monument (nope, we didn't climb this one! It is closed due to the earthquake in the DC area last year. Also, the reflecting pool has been emptied due to the fact that it was mostly mud. I did, however, get a picture of the monument reflecting on a lake!).
Jefferson Memorial (as we were on Shank's Ponies, we didn't walk all the way to this memorial. Instead I just got a picture).
(sorry it's on its side)
Korean War Memorial:
Freedom is not free.
Martin Luther King Jr. memorial (see the rock in the background? The statue was carved out of it. The rock came from a mountain. This is significant because he was on a mountain top when he had a revelation... Or something along those lines. As Barliman Butterbur says, "One thing drives out another.")
Out last stop? The Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial:
Boy were our feet sore! We walked at least 2 miles, possibly 3 or 4 in one day. It felt like 10.
My poor mom has blisters a plenty.
Monday, the 11th we slept in a little later and then left for The International Spy Museum.
The information I am about to disclose to you is top secret. I am trusting you to keep it secret. Don't be alarmed if your computer self destructs after reading this blog post. Remember, if the police come for you, deny everything. You never read this blog post. Understand? Good. You may proceed.
After acquiring your tickets, you stand in line for the elevator. Above your head is the statue of Russian spy Feliks Dzerzhinsky. He was toppled from his base in from of KGB headquarters to symbolize the end of Soviet regime.
Finally the anticipated elevator arrives. You enter. As you go up, a voice is heard. She tells you that you are going to the briefing area where you will receive your orders.
Before you get briefed, though, you have to pick a secret identity from pre-written bios on the walls. I picked Colin Walker, a 21 year old art major from London. You have to remember your cover because two interactive displays in the museum ask you to receive and fulfill a mission.
Then into the briefing room where a film about the history of spies is shown. It was very good.
Then into the museum. It was filled with facts and artifacts on spies from all points in time. I was very impressed. Even Grama, who thought it was going to be a different kind of museum, was impressed.
The best part for me was all the different displays.... It was as if you were actually in the underground tunnels America build to spy on Russia. It was as if you really were in a 18th century parlor. In one part you could climb through the vents! (I thought of my friend Jessica's story Finding Lily).
Unfortunately, pictures were prohibited throughout the entire museum.
It is a very good museum and I highly recommend it to anyone who is into spies and espionage. (It makes it all the better that the first quote I saw upon entering was from Sherlock Holmes!).
The gift shop was just as fun as the museum. And the absolute best thing in the gift shop? Lord of the Rings! But not just any copy.... This version didn't have any words! Just a hole so you can hide things!
I didn't have $30 to spend on LotR's so instead I got these instead:
A postcard (at the top), a bookmark (to the left), 3 pins (to the right), and a CD ("Music to Spy By" at the bottom). The CD includes 19 spy themes from various TV shows and movies. Arrangements include, James Bond Theme, Pink Panther Theme, Mission: Impossible Theme, 007 Theme, Get Smart Theme, I Got My Spies on You, and many more! I haven't had a chance to listen to it all yet.... But from what I've heard it's really good music to write by.... er, spy by.
After the museum we ate lunch here:
The food was good but not out of the ordinary.
After The International Spy Museum we headed over to Ford's Theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot. A loooong line awaited us. They were out of tickets for the day! We hung our heads in defeat and wondered what to do for the rest of the afternoon when a school group asked, "Do you need tickets? They gave us way to many!" So we were able to get it after all! I guess school groups aren't so bad after all.... At least the older students.
The outside of the theater:
The booth where Lincoln was assassinated:
After Lincoln was killed, the theater was gutted and turned into a military building. Eventually the government or national parks service got a hold of it and re-did it to look like it did when Lincoln was shot.
Here is the house where Lincoln died:
We walked through it and I believe there was a museum next to it.... I was really tired this day and I really don't remember much.
Inside the museum was a tower of "books" (real books would be too dangerous so they were fake books). Every single book on this tower is about Abraham Lincoln (there are doubles... and triples... but still, that's a LOT of books about one guy!).
I still have one more day in DC to report on but I shall refrain from doing so at this moment because it is 11:00 and we have to get up at 7:30 tomorrow morning. You can look forewords to a blog about our last day in DC and probably Colonial Williamsburg (where we were today) as well.
Tomorrow we start the loooong 5-day journey home. We'll be driving all day tomorrow and we'll end up in Cincinnati Ohio where we will go to the Creation Museum and Underground Railroad Museum that are there. We will then go on to Illinois and check out the birthplace of Lincoln. Then 10 hours in the car later, we'll end up at Grama's house where we will stay for a few days before heading back to wonderful West Coast.
I must say I am glad.... Things are starting to go right over my head. I'm not learning much anymore. It's so much to take in!! We've been gone 23 days.
Plus I've been singing this song.....
