Arlington National Cemetery -- A Photo Tour

I’m forever being asked questions about homeschooling, but recently I was asked one of the toughest questions anyone has asked me:

What has been your favorite field trip?

This is tough question, because we have been blessed to take many, many field trips over the past few years.

But when I asked Ben, he knew immediately which field trip I should tell you about. Because my husband is a federal employee, we have been able to travel to Washington DC on multiple occasions. Every time we go, there are 2 places we always visit: The Museum of Air and Space and Arlington National Cemetery.

Truth be told, Air and Space is probably Ben’s favorite, but since the question was asked of me, not him, I’m going to take you on a tour of my favorite place, Arlington National Cemetery. These particular pictures were taken nearly 2 years ago.

Our first stop was at the Kennedy gravesite and the Eternal Flame….buried here are JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and 2 of their children who died in childhood. Not far from the Eternal Flame are the simple gravesites of Robert Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, both marked with plain white gravestones and white wooden crosses.

Our next stop was at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where we arrived in time to watch the changing of the guard . . . the changing of the guard is my favorite part of this field trip. I am so proud to be an American when I watch these young men. If you don’t know much about these guards, be sure to click on the above link to learn more.

Our final stop was at Arlington House, home of Robert E. Lee. The house is currently being restored, so all of the furnishings have been removed. However, the view from atop this hill is breathtaking. It’s said that JFK gave a speech from there and remarked that it was so beautiful he could stay there forever. He was assassinated 6 months later and was buried just below, where he lies in eternal rest. If you look at the pictures of Washington DC from the house, you can see several major memorials and monuments, including The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial. And yes, that’s Ben climbing a tree in between Arlington House and the Kennedy gravesite. It broke his heart when a guard made him climb down.