Friday, June 12

On Friday we loaded the bus at 8:45 to depart for our adventures of the day. The first stop we made was the White House. As we stood in front of the building there was a feeling of disappointment in the air because it was not as big and grand as we were expecting. As we continued walking and rounded the corner to the other side we realized that we were looking at the back, and the front was as splendid as we had seen in postcards.
We walked to our next point of destination, the Holocaust museum. There had been a shooting 2 days prior (Wednesday). The museum had just reopened to the public, so the line to get in was very long and hot! The Washington Times interviewed multiple delegates on whether or not the shootings had changed their feelings on their desire to visit the museum and their overall feelings. . The museum was depressing as we all expected but a very good educational opportunity.
After the Holocaust museum we were allowed to roam the Smithsonians. With the limited amount of time most people ate lunch and explored for a little bit. The food prices were outrageous in the Smithsonian Food Courts with meal prices ranging from $10 for macaroni to $22 for a burger meal. –For future Smithsonian goers I suggest packing a lunch for the day- At 2 pm we took a trip to the top of the Washington Monument. The 360° view of Washington D.C .was impressive, but the lack of air-conditioning in the elevators was not. After the Washington Monument everyone had a choice of either revisiting the memorials we had seen on the Night view tour in the daylight or exploring the Smithsonians more. Laura and Josha met Rob Pattenson’s stand in from the movie Twilight. Meeting someone almost famous of course made their day and everyone on the bus got to hear their tale.
At 3:30 we were all scheduled to meet back up at the metro station in the middle of the National Mall, but the group that went with Norma to revisit the memorials was nowhere to be found. After finally getting one of the party’s phone numbers we realized they had been dropped off at the wrong metro station. The rest of us boarded at the right metro and Brent went to save Norma’s group. We all ended up at the 4-H Center safe and sound.
Back at the Center we were treated to the many talents of our fellow CWF participants. Tori got the night started off beautifully by singing “So Small” by Carrie Underwood. Candace, Brooke, and Debbie performed an exciting 4-H cheer. Other talents included a humorous prose duet, a guy that solved a Rubik’s cube, a flute solo, crazy gymnastics, and the naming of all the presidents at a rapid speed. After our closing ceremonies it was time to get our dance on. The dance was a blast. By the end of the night everyone was a little on the sweaty side from bringing their mad skills to the dance floor. Overall the day was fast paced and full of excitement.