Now that the trip is over and the kids are all nestled back home with their parents, it is ok to say that some of our journey was caught up in the drama of several terrorist acts of the week. We were in Arlington Cemetery at JFK's tomb when we received a text about the Boston Marathon bombing. The next day we were going up to the Lincoln Memorial when it was suddenly shut down by the National Park Police. Ricin was delivered to the President and a Senator on the second day in DC. We were eating on the banks of the tidal pool when suspicious packages were delivered to the Hart and Russel buildings of our representatives and low flying helicopters kept passing over us and some spotted Haz Mat trucks passing by. And on Day Six the town of West, TX was leveled by a fertilizer explosion.
The kids were very good throughout this heightened tension and comforted each other when they were sad. There was a sense of relief with some adults when we finally boarded the bus in NYC to go home....and a stronger sense of relief that we were home on Friday when Boston was shut down to find the Marathon bombers. Through it all, we stressed that safety was our primary concern and although unnerving, I felt very safe with the amount of security each city provided.
National Park Police leave the Lincoln Memorial after clearing it for half and hour.
Washington Monument flags fly at half mast the day after the Boston Marathon bombing.
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