My Country `tis of Thee...

[jmalone]

I had the opportunity on my Tampa (TPA) to Baltimore-Washington (BWI) flight the other day to play host to 17 students and their headmaster, Mr. Brian Siegel, from the Pinellas County Jewish Day School.  They were on their way to visit our Nation's capital.  It sounded like they had a pretty full agenda for the four days that they were going to be visiting.   On Monday, they were going to be visiting the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial as well as the Lincoln Memorial.  They were then going to be taking a evening cruise down the Potomac River. Tuesday, they were going to visit their Congressman, the Honorable Bill Young of Florida.  After some time with him, they were off to the Ford Theater, the Aerospace Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and then a visit to the Israeli Embassy. Wednesday held even more fun.  A visit to the Supreme Court and then off to Mount Vernon.  Thursday they were off to the Spy Museum and then the I Street Synagogue.  And then, a very tired bunch of eighth graders were going to be returning on a BWI - TPA flight.  As you can tell, they were in for a fun-filled, very busy week in our Nation's capital.

[Cygnus]

Sounds like a blast to meet those kids, James! I need to get to the Holocaust Museum. And the Spy Museum is an absolute must-see in DC.

[Adam_Lawrence]

FOUR war memorials? That seems a bit much...

[Leah4]

I LUV DC! It's awesome. I've been there five times. I've been to the FBI, Lincoln & Jefferson Memorials, the Holocaust Museum (I'm ethnically Jewish), & I've seen the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetary, & Ive been up in the Washington Monument, as well as many other places; once, I got to participate with three others to walk down to see the wreath being laid. Of course, we four didn't actually lay the wreath, but still, it was quite an awesome experience! Yes, Paul, please do go to the Holocaust Museum!

[Scott5]

Sound a lot like our trip back in January, Southwest management take note, this class came up to BWI not IAD. I guess we made need more TPA-IAD to accommodate more trips not like these? Just a thought.

[James5]

I love DC too...I've visited most of those places...but one of the most interested places I've been is the Air Space Museum at IAD (Dulles Airport). You can check out my visit http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2006/11/10/iad-dulles-washington/ here.

[Eric2]

What a fun trip! I will be visiting DC this fall (I go very often and have seen all the sights at this point. However, many, especially the museums, are worth revisiting as they offer new exhibits and features every time I go.) I usually fly into DCA or BWI when visiting DC, however, I am going to look for a good SW fare into IAD this time around. I haven't flown into Dulles since the 80s and would like to check out how it has changed. The Dulles Turnpike and the lack of time constraints on my commute should make IAD possible... The only reason I fly into DCA is if I need to get off the plane and onto the Metro. I sure wish ATA had more slots into DCA (earning Rapid Rewards Points and flying into DCA would be awesome x 1000).

[Cygnus]

James, the Udvar-Hazy portion of the Air and Space Museum at Dulles is also on my list of DC-area places to get to. Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but Eric, if you have to fly into BWI, there's a regular shuttle to the Greenbelt Metro. And here's an off-the-beaten-track place to visit in the DC area: Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey house in Mount Vernon. It may not be Fallingwater, but there's still a fascinating history behind it.

[FriendofBlogBoy]

James, What a great trip -- it sounds like these kids were in for the trip of a lifetime, or at least one that they'll remember for a long time. As we've blogged about before, there are so many excellent places to visit in Washington, and as far as war memorials go, there can never be enough to honor the memories of the men and women who died for our country. (note to Adam Lawrence -- I only count three in James' list -- the Lincoln Memorial is in honor of our 16th President) I also strongly agree with my good friend Leah -- the Holocaust Museum is a must-see. Although I'm not ethnically Jewish like her, I am part of a branch that has been grafted into that vine, and we must never forget. One of the less-publicized places that I thoroughly enjoyed was the Old Post Office Building (http://www.oldpostofficedc.com/ or http://www.nps.gov/opot/). First off, if you find yourself walking in or around the central part of the city, you'll notice a lot of office buildings and a distinct shortage of casual eating places. Guess what? Go to this building and descend to the basement level, where I count fourteen food establishments on their website. Then, if you want a GREAT view of our nation's capital, go up 270 feet into the observation tower. I still enjoy the pictures I took from up there -- a 360 degree view from the Capitol to the Main Mall to the Potomac and the White House side of town. It can't be beat! Thanks, James, for helping welcome and transport these lucky youngsters on Southwest Airlines for such a busy trip! Kim External Blog Boy 🙂

[blusk]

Another great place to visit in DC--and it's free is Washington Union Station. It sits at the end of one of the radial streets that originate at the Capitol, and it has a history of its own. For years it was where royalty and other foreing dignitaries arrived on their visits to Washington, and during the first Eisenhower innaguration, a large electric locomotive crashed into the building and fell through the floor to a lower level. (The inspiration for the Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor movie, Silver Streak.) 96 hours later all the wreckage was cleared and the terminal repaired for the train bringing General Eisenhower to Washington to become President. For many Southwest visitors to Washington, Union Station is where they begin or end their journey from the Baltimore/Washington Airport on a MARC or Amtrak train. The Station also has a great shopping mall and restaurants in what was the original main concourse. Blog Boy

[Cygnus]

James, the Udvar-Hazy portion of the Air and Space Museum at Dulles is also on my list of DC-area places to get to. And I just discovered it was written about extensively here. :-( Oh well. Read lots, post little, I guess.

[Cygnus]

I meant here: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2006/11/10/iad-dulles-washington/

[Stephanie111]

yea it was fun im the one eating the twizzler in the one pictrue

[George_B__Coope]

How can I find out when the next trip would be for WWII Veterans on the Honor Flight from Cleveland, OH? I was in the Navy from 1944-1946 and served in the Pacific.