DC RECAP – Day 2 (Thursday)

Greetings from a warm and sunny DC!  We understand that it was colder and rainy in Deerfield today, so we won’t brag too much that it was sunny and in the upper 70s today (almost “hot!”).  It was a great day to be outside!

We started our day at the C&O Canal and Great Falls.  This one of Mr. Petersen’s favorite places in the DC area but isn’t a place most “tourist” go and see.  The C&O Canal is an early 1800s infrastructure project (like the more famous Eire Canal), but the highlight for most is the Great Falls of the Potomac River.  This is where the normally calm Potomac drops about 80 feet in less than a mile.  We got to walk on bridges over a couple 20-foot-tall waterfalls and on various boardwalks as we island-hoped to the main falls.  With the spring snow-melt off the Appalachian Mountains feeding the river at this time of year, the falls were specular.  Many kids were very surprised at the power and the beauty of the area – just a few miles from downtown DC. 

After the falls, we headed towards the National Zoo for lunch and to see some of the animals.  With the amazing weather, it was filled with families and small children – all excited to see the animals.  From elephants to gorillas, we got to see different species from around the world.

Another highlight of the day came after the zoo, when we had a chance to tour the National Cathedral.  This is another of Mr. Petersen’s favorite “off-the-beaten-path” places in DC (ever since he did a large photography project at the Cathedral while he was in high school!).  We learned that this is the 6th largest cathedral in the world as well as the history and the symbolism in the architecture and art in the building.  While it is a modern building (construction started in the early 1900s and ended about 80 years later in 1990), it is built in a tradition style – with no metal and almost all the stonework carved by hand.  Notably, President Wilson and Helen Keller are buried at the Cathedral.  The kids were amazed by the size of the building and the colorful light coming through the stained-glass.   (We also found the Darth Vader gargoyle on the outside of the building!)

Next was a chance to go back to the Smithsonians.  Mr. Petersen led a group of about 20 students through the brand-new National Museum of African American History and Culture, while other students explored the Natural History Museum and American History Museum.

Dinner was downtown at the Hard Rock Café (sitting right by some Beatles memorabilia!).  The Café is right next to Ford’s Theater (where President Lincoln was shot).

We finished the day continuing to visit some of sites downtown – including the White House, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.