As the laundry tumbles dry, the kids are finally asleep! What a great day...after finding the perfect (and first one we found) parking spot, we headed off to buy tickets for the Old Towne Trolley tour. Let me just say that Washington was & still is a city built by true artisans. We purchased our tickets at the Mayflower Hotel. This hotel looked like one right out of a '20s-era movie! Our first stop on the "Green Line" was the National Cathedral. 
The building was only just dedicated in 1990 but, again, looks like something from an era gone by. And yes, it just so happed that we were at the cathedral just as Sunday service was beginning. Words (written or spoken) cannot describe this magnificent building. As soon as we stepped inside, we were taken back to days of kings and knights and humble monks. The modern masonry looked to be centuries old. The crown jewel of our Cathedral stop was just as we entered the church, the sun came out from behind the clouds, revealing the colors of the spectacular stained glass. Due to morning Mass, pictures were not allowed inside the church, so you will just have to take my word for it. But, God was truly present today in that beautiful church. We made a pit stop down in the crypts for a couple of books & a leather-bound bible. 
After the Cathedral, we wound our way through Georgetown & down by the Capitol. After a brief glimpse of the White House, we transferred to the "Orange Line" for our trip around the National Mall. Before we boarded the Orange Line, we stopped for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. One word: AWESOME! We got off the Orange Trolley at the Lincoln Memori
al to start our tour at the west end of the Mall. Let's just say that's all we needed. After ascending the steps of the Memorial, having our picture taken at Abe's feet, seeing the Washington Monument from the far end AND taking in the Vietnam Memorial, we were full and ready for "home". Tomorrow will be a day much like the middle book of a trilogy; bridging the beginning and the end of our relatively-short-by-comparison Journey to Tennessee, but still just as important. Please keep us in your prayers and we will post again once we reach the safety and comfort of the Embassy Suites in Charleston, WV.
After the Cathedral, we wound our way through Georgetown & down by the Capitol. After a brief glimpse of the White House, we transferred to the "Orange Line" for our trip around the National Mall. Before we boarded the Orange Line, we stopped for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. One word: AWESOME! We got off the Orange Trolley at the Lincoln Memori
al to start our tour at the west end of the Mall. Let's just say that's all we needed. After ascending the steps of the Memorial, having our picture taken at Abe's feet, seeing the Washington Monument from the far end AND taking in the Vietnam Memorial, we were full and ready for "home". Tomorrow will be a day much like the middle book of a trilogy; bridging the beginning and the end of our relatively-short-by-comparison Journey to Tennessee, but still just as important. Please keep us in your prayers and we will post again once we reach the safety and comfort of the Embassy Suites in Charleston, WV. Till next time,
JSII
