Invitational 5: I Know What You Did Last Summer
I know they're not technically in the glee club, but I felt they needed some love!
Zoomed in portion on Washington, D.C.:
It was finally happening…after two years of being married, Burt and Carole were finally going on their honeymoon.
The honeymoon first got pushed back when they used their travel funding to send Kurt to Dalton Academy. Plus, for a while, Burt was reluctant to travel because of his heart attack, so staying close to home was one that he liked.
Then, Burt had decided to run for Congress. That sapped up a lot of their time, causing another delay in their departure.
However, they finally got both of their children graduated from college. It was time. They had money saved up and frankly, Carole was tired of waiting.
“If we don’t go now, we’ll never go,” she said.
After a lot of hemming and hawing on Burt’s part (“But who will watch the shop for that long?”) Carole finally put her foot down and announced that the had book their hotel rooms and if he didn’t join her, she would just go alone. That finally convinced Burt to stop complaining and just go along for the ride.
From the moment they left, Burt stopped complaining and allowed himself to be in the moment. Carole had highlighted a few unique stops on their first day’s trip, including a stop at an S-bridge and one of the gate houses on the Cumberland Road. However, she specifically chose taking a vacation to Washington D.C. so Burt could see what could happen if he continued to further his political career. (She also knew that even though he complained, he would give in to going on vacation in the end.)
Once they were in Washington D.C., she chose most of the usual places for them to visit: the National Mall, the White House, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. In a subtle nod to Burt’s fascination with warfare, they also went to the Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
But the place that both of them were looking most forward to going to was the Smithsonian Institute, where they spent two entire days in the National History Museum, viewing things like Julia Child’s kitchen and Archie Bunker’s chair and Dorothy Gale’s shoes.
Their final stop was the National Arboretum, which was a bit out of the way, but Burt insisted that he wanted to visit there. Since the entire trip was her idea and they had seen a lot of things that she wanted to, she consented, even though she was confused about why he was pushing it so hard.
As they walked through the beautiful arboretum, Carole couldn’t help but feel swept off her feet. This was exactly what both of them needed after two long (and yet, so short) years together. Her mind swam as Burt led her to an intimate bench and they sat down together. After sharing a kiss, Burt began to speak.
“When Kurt’s mother died, I never thought I’d remarry. I don’t know how I ever got so lucky to find a second person to share my life with. And I’m so glad that you’re willing to put up with all of the craziness of my life. I really do want to try to make more time for us and to make you happy.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. “I have no idea what the traditional second anniversary gift is, so I’m just going to wing it.”
Inside the box was a beautiful bracelet that had several emeralds in it. “Since both of our sons were born in May, it seems like an appropriate gift for you.” Carole’s eyes shone with tears as she clipped it on. She really did feel like she had two sons now and somehow, she knew she would always have Burt in her life.
L-R, from top:
Peters Creek S-Bridge
S-bridges, a feature unique to the National Road (US Route 40), were developed to enable the road to enter and leave a river crossing at structurally-sound 90 degrees, while maintaining the direction of the road. Peters Creek S-Bridge in Guernsey County, Ohio 'constructed in 1828 and restored after damage caused by floods in 2005' is a fine example.
LaVale Toll Gate House
This historic and distinctive seven-sided building in LaVale, Allegany County was the first toll gate house to be constructed on the old National (Cumberland) Road. Erected in about 1833, it is one of two toll gates on the Maryland section of the old turnpike (so called because a pole "or pike" placed over the road would be turned to the side once a traveler had paid the required toll).
US National Arboretum
The National Arboretum, situated on the northeast side of Washington, DC, comprises 446 acres of trees, shrubs, flowers trees and other plants, from perennials to herbs to bamboo to ferns to bonsai.
US Capitol Building
Smithsonian Institute
White House
National Mall
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Lincoln/Jefferson Memorials
Arlington House/Robert E. Lee memorial
Map - 50 points
Picspam - 10 pictures x 2 = 20 points
Fic - 631 words = 30 points
