So last time I mentioned our little vacation in DC, we went to the National Zoo. The next day was a work day so Ian was off to FSI for his last day of language. (He tested the next day and got his 2/2 in Arabic.) We went to Arlington National Cemetery to visit with the grandfather my kids never met. When we arrived we skipped the usual tourist paths, which is actually tough to do since tourists are corralled and guided towards the hill where the Tomb of the Unknown is and other familiar spots. Check out the interactive map on the website and I sure didn't know there were so many monuments in the cemetery. Apparently we also walked directly past the burial site for Admiral Grace Hopper on our way to the columbarium. No relation.
We passed several burials, either in preparation or in progress.
After much searching, we found him. It was very hot and long walk from our hotel and the columbarium has no shade. But the cemetery is peaceful and no one minded the search.
Ian's father died before I ever met him. Oddly, and sadly(?), it's one of the things that brought us together. He died from complications from diabetes in the fall of my senior year of college, shortly after Ian and I met and started dating. Ian flew home to Ohio for the funeral but then was going to drive his father's car back to school in Virginia. Something in me said that two days of driving alone right after losing a father sometimes isn't a good thing. I flew out to Ohio and we drove back together.
So we don't forget again where he is. I'm sure we'll be back sometime. Since it was Ian's last day of language he got off early and picked us up from the cemetery, letting us avoid a long hot walk back, or an expensive Metro ride. We didn't make it up to the "popular" sites, but that can be for next time if we don't walk to the cemetery in the first place in summer heat. It's a big plot of land. We drove to Target to pick up a few items and had some lunch, then relaxed at the hotel for the afternoon.
Dinner was at Front Page. But first, dessert from a nearby cupcakery. We also stopped in a book store and got each of the kids who wanted one a puzzle book.
Front Page was so loud. There was a young professionals happy hour going on and they didn't keep it down to a bearable level. Thank goodness we left before the karaoke and quiz night. The food was excellent, even the French onion soup I had. It was too hot to eat any more.
Yum.
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