John and Kylee: July 2026

Saturday was a bit of a fiasco. It was one of the days where Plan A and Plan B didn't work out. Plan A was the Smithsonians. Plan B was to rent a car and drive to Longwood Botanical Gardens in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately our car rental was cancelled due to the owner needing his van. We tried getting another one, but owners were charging somewhere like $1000 for a day rental. It was absurd and cost prohibitive to that activity. So we threw together a last minute itinerary for the day.

We started in Arlington to see the historic cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is a 639-acre military cemetery holding over 400,000 veterans and their families, established in 1864. It is famous for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, John F. Kennedy's eternal flame, and its location on the former plantation of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Something that surprised me about Arlington is that there are still 25-30 funerals daily. The cemetery has approximately 8,500 trees from 300 different species. Three of the trees are the largest of their kind in Virginia. It is a level III arboretum, which groups with just a few places worldwide. Some of the trees are more than 250 years old.

We paid for the trolley with the docent led tours. It was fascinating to ride along and here about the history of the cemetery. There were several stops where no one got off, but there were a few that were big hits for everyone. John F. Kennedy's grave, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Custer Mansion were definitely popular sites.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers is guarded 24-hours a day by soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is known as the Old Guard. Made from Yule marble from Colorado, the tomb contains the remains of service members from both World Wars and the conflict in Korea. The unknown remains from the Vietnam War were exhumed and later identified using DNA. The Vietnam crypt remains empty. Advancements in DNA testing may mean that all future remains will be positively identified so there likely will be no further interments in the tomb.

We had to rush to see the tomb of the Unknown Soldier changing of the guards. There were also several wreath presentations. To be honest it was kind of hot and sunny, but still interesting. We watched for a while with the crowds, but pretty soon they dispersed and we were able to get a photo without a ton of people. We explored the amphitheater on the back of the tomb building, which felt like something that should be in Italy. Then we went up to the Custer house, where of course the museum was closed, but we were able to explore the grounds a bit. We ate a lovely lunch on a bench near there. I am not sure we were supposed to eat in the cemetery to be honest.

The whole cemetery visit was longer than we anticipated, so we rushed to a private art museum that wasn't allowing any more visitors for the day. That was disappointing, but we moved on. The next art museum was called the Phillips Collection. I loved the architecture of the home turned museum. They have some pretty famous pieces including some from Monet, Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe and others.

Up next was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America. We kinda laughed at the long name and tried to use it as much as possible. It was interesting to see, but not really amazing. It is relatively new. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was largely completed and dedicated on November 20, 1959. While construction began in 1920, the final, significant architectural addition, the Trinity Dome mosaic, was completed later, with the entire structure considered finished around 2017.

Honestly the most noteworthy bit of the stop was that Ellie forgot her phone in the basilica. We had gotten on the bus and were heading down the road when she realized. We had to hop off and walk back. Even though the basilica was closed someone answered the door and was able to locate her phone. Phew! The worst bit was getting home. We had to take a different route because it was now later, and it was pretty sketchy. There were other riders that were loud and playing loud music. We had to wait for a bus transfer on a dark corner, and we just felt uneasy the whole time. In retrospect we really should have taken and Uber or something to get home. Live and learn.

With their immaculate uniforms and precise rituals, the Tomb Guards are iconic figures at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. However, the Tomb was not always guarded. The story behind the guards' presence shows how this sacred space has evolved during the past 100 years.
Originally, the Tomb sat unguarded. As it became popular with tourists as well as mourners, instances of disrespectful public behavior led the Army to employ civilian guards at the site. In 1926, the Army assigned soldiers as guards, and in 1937, they began to guard the Tomb 24 hours a day. In 1948, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard") assumed this prestigious duty, which they continue to hold today. Known as Sentinels, these soldiers provide security for the Tomb, lead ceremonies, and maintain the sanctity of the space. Most importantly, they honor the Unknowns through the precision and perfection of their rituals.