Sometimes the best vacation memories are the ones that
aren’t planned – in this case, it was an once in a lifetime opportunity! I was out visiting one of my closest friends
(Steph) in Washington D.C. during Memorial
Day weekend 2010. It was the Sunday
before Memorial Day, so we decided to stay away from the Museums and venture
off to the U.S. Capitol
for a photo op. We figured that with the
heat index of 105 degrees, the tourists would stay inside where it’s cool. After arriving at Union Station, we walked through a
beautiful shaded park; and as we were approaching the Capitol I heard one of my
favorite songs, “Water,” by one of my favorite country artists, Brad Paisley. It turns out that the grounds around the
Capitol were preparing for the National
Memorial Day Concert that evening, and the music I heard was his sound
check!
After striking up a friendly conversation with the security
guard, we learned that the televised concert was free and admission was on a first
come, first serve basis. After hearing
about the lineup, Blythe Danner, Lionel Ritchie, Joe Mantegna, and Brad
Paisley, it was a given that we wanted a guaranteed spot. Despite the temperatures – we waited it out
for over three hours (thank goodness for the umbrella we carried for the shade).
Talk about a great memory to start off the
summer: heartfelt military stories, pride in my country, great music, a great
friend, and not to mention, shaking Brad Paisley’s hand as he passed by!
