RussLeona Trip 11/2/12 On the Road

Well, we are on the road.  We have two brand new windshields.  We had to wait six cold, rainy days to get into the American Coach Service Center but they did a great job.  We hit the road early today and drove to Phillipsburg, Missouri just north of Branson.  We aren't very far away but are anxious to get to Arizona.  We will just have do Branson another time.  We should be in Surprise sometime Monday if all goes well.  Below is just a couple photos we took while on the road.

Bellefontaine, Ohio

St. Louis Arch

RussLeona Trip 10/29/12 Decatur, IN

I thought we should give you an update.  We are in Decatur, Indiana at the American Coach Service Center getting our windshield replaced.  It is in really bad shape.  We were lucky to get here.  When you arrive if you don't have an appointment, you go on a waiting list.  Hopefully they will get to us soon.  We are ready to get on to Arizona but still have 1800-1900 miles to go.  We got our motorhome aligned and the oil changed today at another service center.  It was good to get it done, but costly.
It is cold, 35 this morning, and windy but much nicer than along the east coast.  We were so lucky to have good weather while we were there.

RussLeona Trip 10/25/12 Flight 93

We left Washington, D.C. late about noon.  Pennsylvania is very beautiful.  We drove over the Allegheny Mountains.  We noticed that we were passing within 30 miles of the Flight 93 crash site.  We drove over to it and was really glad we did. It was sad but very interesting.  They have built a nice Memorial with the names of everyone lost.  They have plans for a visitor center.
We are heading on to Decatur, Indiana to the American Factory to see if we can get our windshield replaced.

Pennsylvania from the top of the Allegheny Mountains. (2900 feet elevation)

The Flight 93 Memorial as you walk up to it.  The plane came over the hill to the right and hit close to the Memorial.

The Flight 93 Memorial.

The marble wall with the names of those lost.  After seeing the Capital, it was so special they were brave enough to save it.

RussLeona Trip 10/24/12 Capital/Pentagon

We met at our Senator Baucus' Office for our Capital tour.  Two members of the Senator's Staff took Leona and I on a personal tour.  We rode the underground trolley from the Senate Office Buildings  to the Capital.  That was really a rare experience.  We had a great tour of the Capital including the Old Supreme Court Chamber, the old Senate Chamber and both current chambers.  The two young men did a great job showing us around and helping us to better understand how Congress works.  Congress is not in session due to the election so we weren't able to see any action.  We took the train to the Pentagon for our tour.  After passing security, we were supervised by two soldiers on a walk around and through the complete building (1 1/2 miles).  The told us about the building and pointed out the many exhibits throughout the building.  We were able to spend some time in the 9/11 Memorial.  It was very emotional.  We weren't able to take photos in most of the Capital and none of the Pentagon so we don't have many photos.

Looking up at the Capital

The trolley from the Senate Office Buildings to the Capital.  Leona and the two Staffers are seated, waiting for me.

Leona and I behind the Pentagon podium.

The Enduring Freedom Tribute in front of the Pentagon.

RussLeona Trip 10/23/12 Museum of Natural History

We had a tour of the White House at 7:30 am, which meant we had to get up at 5 am to ride the train into town.  The tour was very interesting and the White House is beautiful.  Leona, especially liked the gardens.  Oh, we got to see the 1st dog "Bo".  A guy was taking him back from a walk.  We couldn't take photos.  We went to the Museum of Natural History.  A person could spend a week in this one museum.  We saw the Hope Diamond, large gold nuggets, dinosaurs, every stuffed animal, one could imagine, along with so many other interesting things.  We stopped at the National Archives so we could look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  It was so neat to look at the actual documents and the signatures of our fore fathers. The trees continue to color so I included a photo of our motorhome in our campground.

Early morning photo of the White House.

Not a very good photo but the Hope Diamond.

Amazingly big gold nuggets.

So many stuffed animals, many were with their young.

Triceratops.

The trees are so beautiful.

RussLeona Trip 10/22/12 Monuments

We went on a National Parks Tour of the monuments today that started at 8:30 am.  A very knowledgeable Park Ranger took six of us in a van.  As we toured each monument, he explained the designer, what he was trying to convey and how we should view it.  It was very interesting and he greatly added to our experience of touring the monuments.  We finished the tour at 3:30 pm.  The tour was scheduled by our Senator's staff.

We weren't able to go up in the Washington Monument as the damage from the recent earthquake is being repaired.  However, almost everywhere you go the monument is majestically standing up over the Mall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being one of the largest, the Lincoln Monument recognizes President Lincoln for his part in reuniting our country and freeing the slaves.  He knew that reuniting the country would be a challenge and his monument shows his concerns.

The President Jefferson is very beautiful.  He played a very important part of our country's development.  He wrote the Declaration of Independence and worked on the development of our Constitution.

The beautiful new World War II monument recognizes the ~400,000+ that lost their lives and the sacrifices of the families from every state and territory.

The Korean War Memorial shows soldiers from every branch of our armed forces moving through a field in front of a beautiful reflection wall.  South Korea was saved and has developed into one of the World's leading economies.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall lists the names of 58,000+ people that lost their lives in the war.  The  Memorial, as a whole, represents the entire country.  The wall represents wound that was gouged from our heart.

The President F.D.Roosevelt Memorial is one that our guide added a great perspective.  President Roosevelt led us through the recovery of the Stock Market Crash, World War II,started the United Nations Organization,  implemented Social Security, Federal Deposit Insurance, Farm Programs, and other key programs.  He was one of the most popular Presidents who significantly impacted our lives today.

The Martin Luther King Memorial is a representation from one of his speeches when he says "out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope".  You have to respect the achievements of this great man.

RussLeona Trip 10-21-12 Arlington

We learned a little about the big city today.  We left early, thinking it was Sunday and it would be quiet at the Arlington National Cemetery.  Wrong, there was an Army run with ~30,000 runners.  The roads were blocked and there were cars and people everywhere.  We could see the cemetery but we couldn't get there.  We drove out to the Pentagon Mall and took the train to the cemetery.  The Cemetery is huge, there are so many grave stones, it is very impressive.  It is very pretty with the leaves changing.  We walked up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is awesome.  We were able to watch the changing of the guard.  It was so quiet and very sobering.  I got a movie but it is too long to send.  We saw President John F. Kennedy's grave site with the Eternal Flame.  We remember that day so clearly.


Another great day.

The Cemetery is very pretty but so many graves.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from below.

The Guard.  He is so precise.  It is such a view, looking down on the Capital.

Another photo of the Tomb from below.

President John F. Kennedy's grave.  Jacqueline is beside him.