Arlington

Saturday morning we rolled out the bikes and rode to the Arlington National Cementary. Doing this independent of RFTW afforded us the opportunity to take in more of Arlington than we would have other wise. Of all there is to see there nothing is more impressive than visiting the Tomb of the Unkown. To witness the impeccable precision of the guards, especially the "Changing of the Guard" is truly an amazing site. Add to that watching a "Laying of the Wreath" ceremony, accompanied by the solo bugle playing of Taps. Such a scene stirs one deep in the heart, to the point of tears.

The balance of the day was available to allow each of us to pursue our individual interests. There are endless things of great interest for one to take in. We each took advantage of the opportunity to do a large variety of things, some visiting memorials, some taking in the sights around the Capitol, others exploring locations outside the immediate area. Many of us found fatigue catching up with us as the afternoon wore on and returned to the hotel to get a bit of rest before having some dinner.

Tomorrow is the Rolling Thunder Parade, staging begins very early in the morning, so avoiding late night activities was in order. Immediately following the parade, we will begin our journey home.

Many of us have had deeply moving experiences while here, certainly our love and passion for our nation and its people has been greatly bolstered. Hopefully in some way we will be able to share this with all our friends and family. If we seem to be overly enthused at times, please be patient with us.