Washington D.C.

We are prepared for Hurricane Sandy and are now just waiting for the experience to begin. We have pulled in all three slide outs, packed our bags (including our medications), got the dog's food bagged for the next three days, did the laundry today before the power goes out as predicted, and charged all of our batteries.

Right now, the temperature is 55 degrees, the wind is starting to kick up and a few rain drops have fallen. The local weather report has us getting 5-10 inches of rain and winds of  60 miles per hour, gusting up to 75 miles per hour, starting early Monday morning and continuing non-stop until Tuesday evening. In addition, the storm coming from the west may drop snow in this area. Power is expected to be out for up to 10 days due to trees falling on the lines. (Remember that I told you in an earlier blog that the East Coast is covered with wires!)

Watching the weather reports and forecast, we marvel at the fact that we just left all the areas being discussed on TV (New York, Jersey City, Atlantic City, Delaware). We shutter to think of where we would be forced to go had we still been in that parking lot right on the ocean in Jersey City. We feel safer here which is a bit in-land even though we are in the middle of the red 800-mile swatch on the weather map.

Yesterday (Saturday) was our only day to actually drive into Washington D.C. to see some of the sites. We couldn't drive into the city today because of the Marine Corp. Marathon event. They had 30,000 runners, so lots of the streets were blocked off to traffic.

Our first stop yesterday was to the Arlington National Cemetery. 

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy's Burial Sites

(The lighted flame is hard to see on the photo.)

View of the city from high up on the Arlington Cemetery grounds.

From there, we drove around the city until we found a place to park the car. We walked to the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial with a group of tourist.

Let me tell you about the leader of this group. The place was filled with people trying to get their pictures taken in front of the Lincoln sculpture. The leader of this particular group took over and literally moved others away so that she could get her own pictures. Since I realized that there was no way that I could get a picture without people in it, I decided to capture one of this group, too. 

The Lincoln Memorial from a distance.

Taken from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

and showing the Washington Memorial in the background

with the Reflective Pond. We finally figured out 

why there were so many people around. They must have been here 

for the Marine Corp. Marathon that took place today.

The Reflective Pond in front of the Washington Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Faces of Honor sculpture in the 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park 

created by Frederick Hart

Albert Einstein sculpture located near

the Science Museum

We came to the East Coast to follow the changing of the leaves.  I have a feeling, however, that after Miss Sandy blows through, the colored leaves will all be on the ground and that part of our trip will be over. 

If we have an internet connection this week, we will let you know what is happening to us. 

Have a great week everyone.