Gettysburg

We spent the day on the hallowed ground of Gettysburg, site of the largest military engagement in the Western Hemisphere.  We began with the awesome introductory video, cyclorama visit, and museum stop, and then a stroll through the National Military Cemetery at Gettysburg. After lunch, it was off to the battlefield, where we re-enacted the Iron Brigade at the Railroad Cut, saw the battlefield from both perspectives, held the line at Little Round Top, and relived Pickett's Charge.  After a drive back to DC, we went to the new MLK Memorial and the FDR Memorial before heading back to the hotel to look pretty for the dance cruise this evening!  Check back later for more pics from Thursday.

Red and Yellow Knight - Victorious!

The feast at Medieval Times was one to be remembered - the lords and ladies dined with their hands, our section's knight emerged victorious in battle, and one of our own was crowned "Queen of Beauty and Love".  How can you beat that?  Check out Wednesday's pictures for more visual evidence of the festive event.

Tons of Wednesday Fun

A beautiful morning at Mount Vernon started our second full day as we traipsed around the grounds, checked out Washington's home, learned more about Washington the planter, and watched a movie with snow (ask your historian).  I think many kids want to go back!  After a drive through historic Alexandria and lunch, we hit the US Capitol.  Representative Ryan met us on the steps of the House ... pretty cool from a big name in the news.  We then toured the Capitol, and one group actually got to go into the House gallery.  We had to leave early due to traffic for dinner, but all in all, a great (and more leisurely) day!

Day 1 in DC

We have some happy and tired DC tourists, as we saw a ton of the city and sights today!  We started out with a fun breakfast at the Hard Rock Café, followed by a trip next door to Ford’s Theater.  A visit to the museum and presentation by a NPS Ranger told the story of that fateful April 14, 1865.  We took a great picture stop at the White House, one of everyone’s highlights today.  Kids chose their favorite piece of art at the National Gallery of Art – ask them when they return.  After lunch, we hit the Newseum and Holocaust Memorial Musuem, grabbed some dinner, and did a night tour of the major monuments on the Mall.  All in all, we had a great opening day in DC.  Tomorrow – Mount Vernon, the Capital , and jousting!

Ready for action

We made it safe and sound, arriving at the hotel within ten minutes of each other! The kids are in great spirits, but we will see what happens tomorrow as we hit DC hard. Ford's Theater, the Newseum, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a night tour of the monuments on the Mall ... but we probably don't have to worry about heatstroke!

Happy 50th, Schwiets!

It's time to go!  We are assembling at USM between 1:45 and 2:00 to gather our belongings, sing a dong to the esteemed and mature Mr. Schwieters on his 50th, bid adieu to the Bard for a week, and head to MKE for our flights.  We should have a few airport photos posted late this evening, along with some audiocasts!