Pentagon Tour

Luckily we were able to sleep in on Friday morning b/c our Pentagon tour wasn’t until 1:30 PM. After a yummy, not so filling, cinnamon roll breakfast we were off to the metro. We took the Greenline and somehow made it to the Pentagon... Since I have no sense of direction, I opted to let someone else handle the metro directions… I would have gotten us totally lost.
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After arrival we went through the metal detectors and upon stepping into the entrance saw the sniper man standing at the top of a long stair case... OH! Then went to check in at the guest center where a really rude lady told me check in was at the sign that said CHECK IN!! Good grief! I'm sure she is never asked such a silly question! :)
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We had a good 30ish minute wait until our tour began so we spent that time snapping pictures at the only direction you were allowed to take pictures! :)
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Group and Couples pics at our fake podium... I tried to get one of them to take a pick of me with the Clinton thumb pose but no one would. :(

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Since we weren't allowed to take pics inside here are some pics I got off google.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Pentagon Memorial. I still remember the day of the September 11 attacks like it happened in slow motion over and over. (Down memory lane to my senior year in high school... Since I had SGA first block, I slept in a little on September 11, 2001. On my way to school I heard Rick and Bubba talking about a movie, I thought at the time. I thought they were really getting into the plot. When I got to school Mrs. Caldwell met me in the hallway as I headed to her office. The entire SGA was glued to the TV while Caldwell and I said a prayer in her office.)

The Pentagon Memorial is made up of 184 memorial units (benches) representing each individual who lost their lives during the terrorist attack. “Each sleek bench will have a lighted reflecting pool beneath it and a nameplate of a victim. Benches for the 125 people who died inside the Pentagon will be oriented toward the building, and benches for the 59 passengers and crew aboard hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 face away from the building, toward the sky…” (read more about this memorial at this link, Pentagon Memorial Bench Prototype Unveiled ). Our tour guide also said that the benches are angled in the direction the plane hit the Pentagon.

When the damaged section of the Pentagon was rebuilt, a small indoor memorial and chapel were included, located at the point of impact. In this chapel there is a book that has every victim and their story written by their loved ones.

After our Pentagon tour we were off to the Capitol for our tour with Emily. Once we were out of the metro and hurrying we were blocks from the Capitol when the rain started POURING! We found shelter at a bus stop...Shaun borrowed my umbrella to try and catch us a cab.

Me and Jared under our shelter

Paul and Sarah under our shelter


A sweet man gave us some trash bags so we could make a run for it.

Sarah and Ashley aren't too cool for the trash bags! :)

More to come on our tour of the Capitol.