Washington DC Tour Day

Early start to the day. We took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery, wanting to tour the grounds and catch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before the heat set in.

Nothing really prepares you for Arlington. You know, intellectually, what it is before you walk in — but knowing and feeling are two very different things. Row after row after row of white headstones, stretching out over rolling hills for as far as you can see. The tour guides do an incredible job.

We stopped at the Eternal Flame at JFK's gravesite — that small, steady fire in the middle of all that stillness feels heavy.

Then we made our way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Watching the Changing of the Guard in person is something else entirely. The precision of it — the exact number of steps, the exact pause, the rifle changing shoulders with a crisp click — it's mesmerizing. And then there was a moment where the guard had to sharply admonish a couple of visitors for talking during the ceremony. Everyone learned real quick to keep silent.

We rounded out the cemetery visit with a tour of Arlington House and learned the connection to George Washington and Robert E Lee, from the war that established the US to the war that nearly ended it.

From there, we hopped the tour trolley back across the bridge into DC. We toured the Lincoln Memorial, including the undercroft — which only opened last month, so we felt lucky to catch it. Then on to the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the MLK Memorial, before scooting (literally) toward the Capitol for our tour, with a quick stop at the World War II Memorial along the way.

Turns out the Capitol grounds are a "No Scooter" zone. Not a huge deal on its own, except the Visitor Center where we needed to check in was on the far side of the building — and the Capitol is not a small building to walk around. In the heat. We made it, sweaty but on time, and did the tour.

Now it's back to the hotel to pack up for our train ride to Baltimore tomorrow.

Steps: 14,000+