Our final day wasn’t a day to rest. We still had plenty to see, and since our flight didn’t leave until 7, we packed a full day in.

One of the places I wanted to take the girls most was Arlington National Cemetary. Patrick and I went there on our anniversary trip, and I’m not sure there is a place to make you feel more patriotic than this. I honestly had no idea how much it would move me. The girls researched and were very intrigued by the changing of the guard ceremony, so we made sure we factored that into our time there.

There is something to intriguing about this ceremony, and the girls sat attentive to what was happening. I think Regina counted every step because she didn’t believe it is as truly precise as it is.

It started to drizzle, and since it was already a bit chilly, we didn’t spend as much time visiting as we otherwise would have. But, we did take the girls to President Kennedy’s grave so they could see the eternal flame.

After Arlington we Ubered to where Patrick most wanted to take the girls – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I had never been there, but Patrick had been many times on his childhood trips to visit family friend Father Dennis. We started by visiting Catholic University for lunch. The girls were very impressed by the Chick Fil A, while Patrick and I loved that they had fresh sushi!

The Basilica is breathtaking! We spend a lot of time exploring and taking everything in. Regina, Molly and I stumbled upon the Adoration chapel and spent a few minutes in prayer before continuing on.

After the Basilica, we headed back to the city. We had a bit of time before we needed to be at the airport, so we asked the girls what they wanted to do. They all agreed they wanted to go back to the Museum of the American Indian, so we spent our last couple of hours there.

This was such a fantastic trip! I love visiting new places with the girls, and this one was definitely special. Listening to them talk about our country, and hearing their insights and opinions fills me with a lot of hope for our future. I can’t wait to go back to explore everything we couldn’t fit in!