Washington DC 2019 | Day Four – Sound Bites & Snap Shots

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Today started much like yesterday with complimentary breakfast at the hotel and then they made their way to George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

They toured the 21 room mansion built in 1734 by Augustine Washington.

This is the room George Washington called his “New Room.” It served as a dining room or an entertainment room.

Mason doesn’t quite recall what this picture was of but I liked the exposed wall. Maybe it’s a renovation.

This rail was built by George Washington himself.

The bed in this room is 6 feet long and 6 feet wide.

The Blue Room was one of the six primary bedchambers for visiting family and guests.

Mason’s group posed with George Washington’s sword.

They peered in at a di0rama of Fort Necessity.

Mason with George Washington on a horse.

After the morning with George, they drove to the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia. This is the companion museum to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. It has two large hangars filled with aviation and space artifacts and, among other aircraft, the Space Shuttle Discovery. This stop was timed for lunch at McDonalds and a guided tour.

Mason and Grant sidled up to Neil Armstrong’s suit.

Then the group returned to Washington DC and the Newseum. This stop was also added since Walker’s 8th grade class went to Washington DC. It has been open for eleven years but will be closing its doors on December 31, 2019 due to financial struggles. This museum’s mission is to increase the understanding of the a free press and first amendment.

Mason is standing in the back listening to the guide explain the museum’s mission.

The Seriously Funny: From the Desk of Jon Stewart exhibit featured more that 50 artifacts from the Daily Show and explored the impact that Comedy Central’s program had on American politics and the press through four presidential campaigns, two wars and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

This is a suicide bomber’s truck.

The Berlin Wall Gallery is eight 12-foot high concrete sections of the original wall.

The 9/11 Gallery is a vivid exploration of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, intertwined with extraordinary first-person accounts from journalists who covered the story.

The Journalists Memorial is a two-story glass memorial that bears the names of 2,344 reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters who lost their lives reporting the news. Their names are etched in glass and there are kiosks where the public can research more details about each journalist.

Pentagon Memorial honors the 184 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 at the Pentagon. Each person is remembered with a cantilevered bench, a lighted pool of flowing water, and a permanent tribute.

They dined tonight at the Pentagon Mall and then had another walking tour of more monuments and memorials.