KOA Toledo, OH, to KOA west of Grand Rapids, MI:  Left this morning a little after 9:00 to give us plenty of time to find the tire repair place in Toledo.  Found it with no trouble and had to wait for them to open at 10:00.  They replaced the remaining valve stems and we were out of there by noon.  After getting back on I80 we stopped at the first service plaza and had some lunch.  I continued driving for a while, but felt really sleepy so Mike took over driving and drove the rest of the way.  We finally found the KOA and got set up when James called.  He was on the way over to us and showed up in about 15 minutes.  Had some sandwiches and then he left to go back home.  We’re getting together with him tomorrow night for dinner.  We didn’t get here until after 5:00.  But this is a pretty nice KOA.  We’re tucked into a bunch of pines and back up to the woods.  Nice.  91 here today.

Magnolia tree in bloom.

KOA, Madison, PA, to KOA east of Toledo, OH:  Left at 9:15 this morning.  Early for us.  I opted to drive first, which I regretted because it started pouring shortly after we got going.  I hate driving in the rain when we’re hauling.  But it didn’t last long.  Took I76 north which is the PA Turnpike.  Left the lush rolling hills of PA and took I80 west through Ohio.  Stopped at a service area on I80 and had some lunch.  Then Mike took over driving through flat and nondescript northern Ohio.  Easy drive though because we skirted by all the major cities.  Got here and were set up by 3:30.  But another tire has a slow leak, so we’re heading to a tire place in Toledo tomorrow morning to have all the remaining valve stems replaced (sigh).  Will probably be a long day tomorrow.  86 when we got here.

The very efficient DC metro system.

Pretty little bird taking a bath--some kind of oriole I think.

Cherry Hill RV Resort, College Park, MD, to KOA, Madison, PA:  Left College Park this morning around 10:00.  Left the urban sprawl of DC and were quickly in the lush green hills of Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania.  Lots of long pulls up and long coasts down through the Laurel Highlands.  Beautiful though.  Sprinkled off and on, but the temps were in the 70s when we got here.  Stopped around the PA line, topped off the tank and had some lunch.  Then I took over driving.  This is not the greatest KOA, but we have cable TV, Wi-Fi and we’re here for one night only—not even unhooking.  Got here and were set up by 3:30.

Jones Point Lighthouse--Potomac River
The family that worked this lighthouse raised 17 children here!  Jeeze!

Great quote on the tee shirt our waitress was wearing in our favorite watering hole in DC.

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Cherry Hill RV Resort, College Park, MD:  Drove to old town Alexandria this morning and were just in time to catch the boat up the Potomac to see George Washington’s Mount Vernon.  The boat made two stops—one at the Gaylord Resort and also at the National Harbor which were both on the Maryland side of the river.  Took about an hour and a half to get there.  Mount Vernon is really beautiful.  It was a huge (8000 acres) working farm and they were pretty self-sufficient. Had to be back then as it was out in the middle of nowhere.  The Kennedy’s had a state dinner here—the only one to be held outside of Washington.  After touring the mansion and grounds we had lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn.  Then took the shuttle down to the 16-sided barn which Washington devised as a more efficient way to separate the wheat from the chaff.  They would spread the wheat on the barn floor and would trot horses around and around in this circular structure which would loosen the chaff and it would fall through the cracks in the floor to the level below and then they’d scoop it up in baskets.  Pretty ingenious I'd say.  Back to the boat and we left at 4:00 to head back to Alexandria.  Got back there at 5:30 and then walked around old town for a while in the hopes that rush hour traffic would abate some before we headed back.  Well, so much for that idea.  Traffic was terrible. Before we could go back home we had to stop and get fuel and then hit the grocery store.  We are both beat.  Going to take a shower and crash.  Poor Mike had to go back out and get a prescription filled.

Old Town Alexandria, VA

Mount Vernon Mansion

Green House, Martha's Garden and the Slave Quarters

The mansion is made of wood to look like masonry.  They beveled the edges and then covered  the surface with sand.  Looks just like masonry.  Washington called this procedure "rustication."

The 16-sided barn where they ran horses around and around in a trot which separated the wheat from the chaff.

One of the horses they used.  He's so cute.

Cherry Hill RV Resort, College Park, MD:  Up and out this morning on the 10:05 express bus to the metro station and then the metro down to the National Archives.  Took a taxi to the Lincoln Memorial and then walked down to the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the WWII Memorial.  The most impressive was the Korean War Memorial.  The walk down from the Lincoln Memorial was in a park along the reflecting pool with really old growth trees—probably 150 years old.  Mike was able to find the name of a school mate of his who died in the Vietnam War.  After that we took a taxi to Capitol Hill and found a little restaurant where we stopped and had some lunch.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato basil soup and Mike had a buffalo chicken wrap.  Both really good.  Felt good to sit down and cool off.  After our brief respite we walked a few blocks up Constitution Avenue and caught the blue line metro over to the Pentagon.  Then another long walk around two sides of the Pentagon to the Memorial.  The youngest to die here was 3 years old.  Apparently there was a day care center in the Pentagon.  Walked back to the metro station and this time took the yellow line back to College Park and then the bus back to our park.  Think it hit the upper 80s today with a really nice breeze.  Got back around 4:15.  Now we’ve got to find the energy to go over and do the laundry (sigh).

Lincoln Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Korean War Memorial
This marble wall has ghostly images of the soldiers etched into the marble somehow.  It's smooth, so I guess they did it with lasers or something.  It's very impressive and the sculpture of the soldiers walking through the field are reflected in there also.  A beautiful design.

Vietnam War Memorial

WWII War Memorial looking down the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial in the distance.

The Pentagon Memorial

The Pentagon where the plane hit.  You can see the different color of the bricks

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Cherry Hill RV Resort, College Park, MD:  Today we just kicked back at the park.  We had a tire problem with our brand new, heavy-duty tires on the RV—Mike figured a valve stem.  So we had a guy come out and fix that late morning.  I did the cleaning while waiting for him.  And then in the evening we met a school mate of Mike’s, Joe Krebs and his wife, Mary.  Joe was a news anchor for NBC news Washington for several years.  Had a great time visiting with them over dinner and drinks.  Mike brought several pictures of he and Joe and their girl friends, etc., back when they were in high school.  Very entertaining.  I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of them.  Damn!  A nice day.  Felt pretty hot when the sun came out.  A lot of clouds most of the day.  Think it hit the low 90s today.  Only two full days left.  We are running out of time.

Sculpture outside the Federal Trade Commission depicting "Man Holding Back Runaway Trade"

United States Supreme Court

Cherry Hill RV Resort, College Park, MD:  A little drizzle this morning and much cooler.  We decided to venture back to D.C. and do a hop-on/hop-off trolley tour.  We saw a lot and it was very convenient since we got on right where we got off the metro.  Our first stop was beautiful Union Station where we had lunch at the Center Café.  I had lobster ravioli covered with a tomato cream sauce and tiny shrimp.  Really good.  Mike had a pastrami panini which was also delicious.  Left there and stopped at the Jefferson Memorial.  Spent most of our time at Arlington National Cemetery.  There was a funeral going on there at the time with the caisson pulled by six white horses and an honor guard, etc.  Wonder who he or she was.  Left there and stopped at Ford Theater and then walked to our favorite watering hole by our metro station and had a couple of drinks.  Then back on the metro, then the bus back to our park.  Busy day.  It cleared off in the afternoon.  Think it hit 86 today.

Union Station

Inside Union Station--restoration in progress.  Netting was put up after the earthquake back in March.

Jefferson Memorial

Lee/Custis House--after Lee went with the South during the Civil War, the federal government confiscated his plantation and turned it into a Union cemetery.  Of course Lee and his wife never returned.  He's buried along with his wife and his horse, Traveler, in his beloved Virginia.

The eternal flame and graves of President Kennedy, Jacqueline, their son Patrick, and their unnamed daughter.

The grave of Robert F. Kennedy--a simple wooden cross as he requested.

Tomb of the Unknowns

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns

Amphitheater at the Tomb of the Unknowns