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The Stampin' Up Getaway trip was 3 days but because there is just so much to see and do in DC we decided to stay an extra 2 days.

I have wanted to see the Holocaust Museum for a long time. I knew it would be emotional and tears started before I even got inside the building.

One of the things that made this visit special is the woman we got to talk to. She is 97 years old and a survivor. She told us she experienced medical experiments and was unable to ever have children because of that. She had an amazing spirit and continued to say we need to "just love".

Then we took the Metro out to Arlington Cemetery. The Metro is the way to get around in DC for sure and so easy.

By the time we got to Arlington we opted for their bus tour. Aching feet and sore backs! I loved watching the ceremony with the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also saw Kennedy's grave and the Eternal Flame and a few other notable grave sites.

In between seeing the Lincoln Memorial and the Capital tour we visited the war memorials. Korean, WWII and Viet Nam. Each was very emotional and beautiful. The statues in the Korean Memorial are all life size.

From there we walked to the Viet Nam Wall. The statue on the right is dedicated to the women who served. During the 60's I bought a POW/MIA bracelet. These bracelets had the names of military persons either missing, captured, or deceased. I wore that bracelet for years. Many years later I gave it to the daughter of a friend of mine. When she visited the wall she made a rubbing of his name for me which I have in a scrapbook. The wall panel I am standing by below is the one with his name, Lt. Francis Setterquist.

Then we were off to the WWII Memorial. This was special because my dad served in the Navy. I took the photo of the pillar from Missouri because he was living in St. Louis when he was sent off to war.

This was all followed by the Capitol tour which I already posted. Lynn Ann and I both agreed that the Capitol was the highlight of the trip and the only way to see it is to contact your State Representative and arrange for a private tour. We had 5 people in our tour with no waiting compared to long lines and tour groups of about 20 people for those who walked in off the street.

Our Pillow Gift this night is the new Many Merry Stars Simply Created Kit. What fun this is going to be! Thank you Stampin' Up!

This was the day for Smithsonian Museums. I'm still amazed that all of this is free.

We especially liked the Museum of American History. We did also visit the American Indian, Natural History, and Air and Space Museums. We were surprised at what a great cafeteria they had in the American History Museum and wound up eating there two different days. The best salad bar.

              The Hope Diamond is just stunningl! And BIG!

Then we took a side trip to Ford's Theater and found that the theater was actually closed that day for a play rehearsal. We did, however, get to go through the house where he died. And since we are from Kentucky we have now seen the house where Lincoln was born and the house where he died.

Stampin' Up's final Pillow Gift that night is truly a book that I will treasure. There are so many things to remember from this fabulous trip.

This is one very tired gal tonight so I'm just posting some random photos of part of our day including the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, and The Botanical Garden. It was a perfect day. The first statue is exact replica of the one on top of the Capitol Dome. The statue of President Reagan has a piece of the Berlin Wall in the base and therefore has a guard posted by it at all times. After we got back to our hotel late afternoon we saw the Presidents motorcade drive right by. That was very exciting even if we couldn't see him. Lots of motorcycles, black cars, helicopters overhead and ambulance following at the end. Word on the street was he was on his way to a dinner at Capital Hill.

Just one of the many who greeted us at the airport today.

Lynn Ann and I grabbed a quick lunch

After a little exploring, brief rest, and fun dinner out with other demonstrators and their guests we got back to our room to find a Pillow Gift from Stampin' Up. These yummies are from Georgetown Cupcakes. And of course the box done in Stampin' Up style is just as yummy.