A ZIP TRIP...

Louis and Georgia
 at the Washington DC Temple

 

 Louis and I recently went to Washington DC to attend an open house for the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Kensington, Maryland, near the Capital Beltway (495) around Washington DC.  Since the temple was completed in the early 70's, this is the first time it has been open to the public in nearly 50 years.  But it has long been an integral part of the Washington DC landscape and is a beloved landmark for residents in the area.  Many people are excited they will finally be able to get a glimpse of this building which has dominated the beltway skyline for so long.

This temple has special significance for Louis, as it was the first temple he attended after he was baptized in his West Virginia hometown.  Then during the years he was stationed in Washington DC with the Army (attached to the Pentagon because of his assignment with the Special Forces), he had many opportunities to go there and serve.

The temple has undergone some renovation and modernization since the project began in 2018.  The first couple of weeks for the open house were limited to the media, influencers, government officials, and other dignitaries of church and state.  Then the open house was expanded to include everyone.  It is free, but tickets have to be reserved for the parking areas.  The open house ends June 11th.

Our slotted time was Monday, May 9th at 2:30 p.m.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.  It had rained the entire previous week with cool temperatures.  However, when we got up on Monday morning, the sky was bright blue and it was a pleasant 70 degrees.  What luck!

After an inspiring tour through the temple with streams of other visitors--all aspects of the tour were well-managed and not over-crowded--we took a minute to take some pictures of ourselves in front of the temple and sit on one of the many stone benches just contemplating the magnitude and majesty of this beautiful edifice dedicated to Jesus Christ who is the symbol of our faith.  We also talked about some of the conversations we had with other visitors during the tour and their sincerity in coming to see the temple and learn of the significance the temple has for the eternal status of families.  

In all, the tour was a really uplifting experience.

The next day, I told Louis I wanted the "Short Tour" of Washington DC.  He has told me over the years that when his friends and family came to visit while he lived there, he would give them two choices.  The  Long Tour was when they picked some of the places they wanted to visit and then actually went into them.  The Short Tour was just drive around and see the landmarks from the comfort of their car.

I have been to Washington DC many times over the years.  First when we lived in Newport News on the Virginia Peninsula, next when I worked in corporate America, and then when I had DC layovers with United Airlines.  I've been there and seen most of that.  But I did ask if we could go to Mount Vernon.  It has been over 40 years since I was there. That was a good choice for me.  And I also went to a new addition to the Smithsonian Museum Group--the Native American Museum.  The rest of the landmarks I enjoyed looking at as we drove by.  The Capitol Building (has scaffolding on the front of it, to restore stone and other surfaces), the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, the rest of the Smithsonian, and most of the other Memorials.

It was a packed 60 hours, but well worth the long wait at airports and cramped seats on the planes, plus arriving there and home in the wee hours of the morning.  However, we did enjoy travel perks in the United Club at Dulles International Airport.  I ate more than my fair share of the tasty buffet of salad, soup, sandwiches, desserts, and other snack foods.  That segment wasn't so bad. Over all, a positive experience for sure.

This was a ZIP TRIP extraordinaire!