On the sixth day of our "history vacation" we left our hotel and first stopped at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is hard to put the place into words or into perspective.  The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier stands as a solemn reminder of the men and women who served and have served our nation and the cause of freedom.  Regardless of your view of war, I would think it impossible to not reflect on the sacrifice made by so many.  We watched the changing of the guard ceremony and captured it on video.  Commitment.

The markers laid out with perfect symmetry in all directions force contemplation.  The names often carry stories, usually untold.  A three-star general dad laid next to a four-star general son.  Names with obvious foreign origins (I know we call came from some where) caused me to wonder..."Did he arrive here, then show his full measure of devotion by going to war to defend his new home?"

President John Kennedy and his wife are buried at Arlington along with their baby daughter.  Of course, his grave is marked with an eternal flame.  His assassinated brother, is near but in a simply marked grave on the hillside.  I thought it was interesting that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was having some elaborate garden built around a future home for his remains. 

Arlington evokes a sense of pride and sorrow all at once.

We left late in the morning and made our way to Mount Vernon, the home and resting place of our first President, George Washington.  Of course, we toured the residence.  I was always asking how much of each room was original, which pieces of furniture belonged to he and his wife, Martha.  The master bedroom was roughly 90% as it was the day that Washington died.  That alone could have caused me to just stand and stare for hours on end.  The stairway to and from the bedroom was walked by the President and the First Lady every day.  There is something about the steps of history that inspires me and causes chills.

Washington's half-brother, Lawrence, was the first to live there.  in taking a "Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Mount Vernon based on the movie National Treasure - Book of Secrets revealed parts of the home that no one else sees.  It was great and the movie will never be watched the same way.

The plantation of George Washington was a technological marvel for many reasons, not the least of which was the citrus greenhouse than was able to grow fruit in the cold winters of Virginia.  I highly recommend a stop at Mount Vernon if you are anywhere in the region.

There are many places of history that we did not have time to see on this trip.  On my list would be the home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello (outside Charlottesville), and the farm of John Adams, Peacefield (near Boston).  Both men shared a complex and deep relationship.  Both died on the 50th anniversary of the founding of our nation on July 4th. 

From Mount Vernon we drive north and rested for the night in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.