This brought tears to my eyes

I spent last week in Washington, DC for some R & R and to attend a wedding.

To our surprise, the weather was perfect all week, low 80s and low humidity.

We spent three full days exploring the National Mall museums and memorials.

We also visited George Washington's Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Our trip made me wonder why I didn't pay attention in history class.

We could've spent a month exploring our nation's history which is more relevant than ever, 248 years later.

Our founding father's were more than war heroes.

Sure they wrote our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

They created the framework of our Democracy.

They were also inventors, writers, leaders and entrepreneurs.

George Washington ran many businesses, including a fishery on the Potomac.

He grew and exported tobacco to England.

The taxes were high and his profit margin was low so he switched to growing wheat, milled it into flour and sold it for a large profit.

He also had a profitable whisky distillery.

Jefferson had his share of inventions and he founded the University of Virginia.

The most touching moment of our trip brought tears to my eyes.

While we were at the Vietnam Memorial, a busload of Vietnam veterans pulled up.

They cried as they approached the memorial wall.

They were overwhelmed as they found names of their family members, friends and fellow soldiers.

We cried as we watched them.

We thanked them for their service and they gave us a nod as they boarded the bus.

If you ever get a chance to visit Washington, DC, take your time and learn about the history of our country.