D.C. Day 2
Our second day in Washington was one of my favorites. We started off the morning at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. Aside from the gift shops and restaurants, I loved imagining GW’s peaceful way of life. We walked to every corner of his now 500-acre property. The mansion, salt house, spinning room, blacksmith shop, wash house, slave barracks, tombs, memorials, museum, barns, movie theater, and visitor’s center. Needless to say, we got our exercise. The view from Mt. Vernon as it looks out over the Potomac is too beautiful for words to adequately describe.
Before we made it to Mount Vernon we paid a visit to George Washington’s church, Christ Church in Alexandria, VA. It had a gorgeous sanctuary filled with so much history. I was able to sit on the very pew that George Washington sat every Sunday. He actually had a box that all of his family sat in. That same box has been sat in by Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanore Roosevelt, and many other world leaders. Robert E. Lee also attended church here. When he was a boy, he actually helped decorate the sanctuary for Christmas and I was able to stand right where he stood when he was confirmed.
We wrapped up our second day in Washington, DC by visiting Arlington National Cemetery. The sheer number of graves was overwhelming. More than 400,000 people are buried here and more than 4 million people visit the cemetery every year. I was able to attend the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and it was awe inspiring. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Arlington Estate was originally owned by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted grandson of George Washington. His daughter married Robert E. Lee and Arlington House is now a memorial for Robert E. Lee. I have such a love for history and so much appreciation for our nation’s veterans. I have been visiting veterans at hospitals around the country the past several weeks for National Salute to Veterans and being able to visit the graves of so many of the soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery was something I will never forget.
“Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible.” – Audrey Hepburn
Jules Fletcher
Miss Teen International 2015
Before we made it to Mount Vernon we paid a visit to George Washington’s church, Christ Church in Alexandria, VA. It had a gorgeous sanctuary filled with so much history. I was able to sit on the very pew that George Washington sat every Sunday. He actually had a box that all of his family sat in. That same box has been sat in by Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanore Roosevelt, and many other world leaders. Robert E. Lee also attended church here. When he was a boy, he actually helped decorate the sanctuary for Christmas and I was able to stand right where he stood when he was confirmed.
Christ Church still has an active congregation of 1,600 members attending three separate services every Sunday.
The outside of the church is virtually unaltered except for the addition of the tower seen here.
Me sitting in the exact spot where George Washington sat every Sunday.
We wrapped up our second day in Washington, DC by visiting Arlington National Cemetery. The sheer number of graves was overwhelming. More than 400,000 people are buried here and more than 4 million people visit the cemetery every year. I was able to attend the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and it was awe inspiring. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Arlington Estate was originally owned by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted grandson of George Washington. His daughter married Robert E. Lee and Arlington House is now a memorial for Robert E. Lee. I have such a love for history and so much appreciation for our nation’s veterans. I have been visiting veterans at hospitals around the country the past several weeks for National Salute to Veterans and being able to visit the graves of so many of the soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery was something I will never forget.
Tombstones of many soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery with Arlington House, Robert E. Lee’s home in background.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
“Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible.” – Audrey Hepburn
Jules Fletcher
Miss Teen International 2015
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