We woke up to more disappointing news – our dog nanny cancelled our reservation at the last minute. We had planned to put the dogs in day care so we could have a long day touring the sites in DC. We could not find a last-minute replacement, so we decided to leave the dogs in the air conditioned trailer while we enjoyed a shorter half-day of attractions in the National Mall.

Because parking is expensive in the city, we parked at a Metro station and rode the train downtown. We walked about six miles to visit several monuments, including:
– The World War II Memorial
– Vietnam War Memorial
– Lincoln Memorial
 – Korean War Memorial
– Martin Luther King Memorial
– Jefferson Monument
We had lunch at an Indian restaurant near the Navy Yard on the way home.

The war memorials were a stark reminder that “Freedom isn’t free.” Hank found the name of one Wysong who died in March 1969 – Joseph Walter Wysong from Indiana. He was only 20. Angie found the name of her uncle’s best friend who was killed while they were serving together in Vietnam.

The Martin Luther King Memorial featured several quotes. Hank’s favorite was:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
These are important words to remember in our divided, angry culture.