DC: the Washington Monument

I couldn't get enough of the simplicity and majesty that is the Washington Monument.

DC: Arlington National Cemetery

This was my favorite stop,so beautiful and it makes you stop and think about all the men and women who have served and worked for our Country. What a unique experience to walk through this Cemetery.

JFK, Jackie and their sons' graves.

Tomb of the Unknown, I loved learning more about this Tomb,who is resting underneath it and seeing the changing of the Guard was neat. So much honor and dedication in those Guards!

DC:the War Memorials

My friend A and I didn't visit all the Memorials,there sure are a lot! But we did enjoy walking to the Vietnam,Korean and WWII. All of these Memorials are powerful,prominent and meaningful. Being able to pay my respects and to thank and honor all the men and women who fought for our Country and made the ultimate sacrifice is something special.

 Vietnam War:

 Korean War:

                                            
 WW II:

And of course, Mr. Abe,he is a magnificent sight to see.

Friday five

Five of my favorite moments that I captured from this week's trip to DC:

(well this one actually wasn't taken by me,thanks T for taking it!)

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                                                               Happy (Good) Friday!!

Happy Easter Weekend!

Guest posting: Spring Break

Hello, Blonde Freedom visitors and thank you for stopping by and reading my lil ol' blog!
Since Skylar is on vacation for her Spring Break,I thought it would be fun to talk about my last two Spring Break trips.

Last March, I drove down to Nashville with two of my Besties,for a getaway and girls' weekend. What an awesome time we had! Exploring the South, eating delicious food, enjoying true Spring weather (there were flowers blooming and you could see the green grass AND it was "hot"--50s and 60s!. That was awesome enough for us Chicago girls who had endured a rather long,terribly snowy and dreadfully cold Winter.)

We went to the Grand Ole Opry for a tour, went to the Nashville Zoo on a superbly beautiful day, toured a classic Southern Plantation (Belle Meade), went on a wine tasting (yum!),stumbled upon the Parthenon and toured and tasted at Corsair Distillery. We had a truly fantastic time and I know I can't wait to go back to Nashville to hear some more country music!

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Another favorite Spring Break trip of mine was in 2012,when I flew out to NYC for the very first time! I hit a lot of the classic tourist stops but I also loved walking around Central Park and all of Uptown,Downtown and Greenwich Village along with stopping at the International Center of Photography Museum/Exhibits.Seeing the World Trade Center Memorial and rebuilding was a somber moment and going to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty reminded me of how strong and promising America is. I also learned that the Chrysler Building is my favorite in NYC, so pretty;and the views on top of the Empire State Building were breathtaking. And walking across the Brooklyn Bridge as traffic drives by was so neat and a tad nerve wracking.  I have to go back to NYC to capture everything I "missed" on this trip! It is a lively,busy,thriving city!

FRIENDS apartment,anyone? I was most proud of finding this on my own.

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There you go,some of my favorite Spring Break trips. I am going to DC next week for this year's Spring Break and I am sure I will be blown away again by another of America's wonderful cities and history hubs.

Christkindl 2014

One of my favorite Christmas must-dos! Being in the city and letting my ornament-loving-side shine and be happy :)