Today, we continued the use of our Tourmobile 2-day pass to visit Arlington National Cemetery. Once we arrived at the Cemetery, we took the tram tour around to the Kennedy Gravesite, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Arlington House, home of Robert E. Lee.
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…
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.
And finally…here are some random pictures taken while we explored the cemetery….