[Previous entry: "National Shrine, Washington, D.C."] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Renaissance Faire II"]

10/10/2003 Archived Entry: "Arlington National Cemetery, Franciscan Monastery"

We visited Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA today. I saw JFK's tomb for the first time, and was surprised at how many people still visit it every day -- it was crowded on a Friday morning. I also witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; a very moving experience.

Bus parking is very easy at Arlington, but pricey -- $5.00 per hour for the first three hours. The only problem is that bus parking isn't all that close to where many people want to visit -- a good ten minute walk to the Kennedy graves, and 20 minutes to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There is a shuttle available, however it costs $6.00 per person for the round trip ride -- that's pricey, too, in my opinion.

Yesterday we visited the Franciscan Monastery near the National Shrine in Washington, DC. It is absolutely beautiful, another must-see if you're in Washington. Once again, the photos below don't begin to do it justice, but will give you a small idea of what you'll see inside. The Monastery duplicates many of the scenes from the Holy Land in Israel as it appears today, including the Bethlehem manger area, Christ's tomb, the Catacombs, and others. Nearly all the statues and figures in the Monastery are wood carvings, most life size. A very, very beautiful place.