Last weekend (Oct. 19-23) SDIA descended upon Washington DC with more than 60 Sheep Dogs, SDIA members and family members converging in our nation’s epicenter for an incredible Outdoor Adventure to experience our nation’s history and beauty, and to run in the Marine Corps Marathon or 10K.
The weather was gorgeous all weekend, providing the perfect backdrop for all the tours, activities and the MCM in which the group participated! Jim Mulvihill Tours, guide Jace, and bus drivers Sam & Darwin, were phenomenal at navigating to the various landmarks, monuments and memorials that the DC and Arlington areas have to offer.
The group’s first tour was on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Pentagon Memorial, a truly beautiful and moving tribute to the 184 lives lost on 9/11, followed by a leisurely walk around the US Capitol and the Supreme Court building.
On Friday, the group spent the morning at the incomparable National Museum of the Marine Corps, and the afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery, where they witnessed the Changing of the Guard and Wreath Laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A Sentinel then spoke with the group, telling of their rigid training for perfection in all standards to properly honor those who gave their lives for our country. That evening, after a delicious group dinner at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, the tours continued at the National Mall, where they saw the Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial and more.
Saturday began with a tour of Mount Vernon – the home of our first President, George Washington, followed by the group going to the MCM Expo to pick up race packets and browse the vendor booths. The afternoon was free for attendees to explore and do as they saw fit; that evening SDIA Leadership conducted their Leadership meeting.
Sunday morning – RACE DAY! Runners departed the hotel at a very early 5am to prepare for the start of the Marathon and 10K. Both races started with the blast of an M2A1 Howitzer at 7:55 a.m.; SDIA had 12 people running the Marathon and 24 running the 10K, all of whom completed their races – including four amputee and one wheelchair-bound veterans. SDIA was also honored to have US Military Endurance Sports team member, Scott Wells, participating in the Hand Cycle marathon. The group spent time at the post-MCM festival, and later headed back to the hotel to recuperate and depart for home.
It was an incredible weekend we can’t wait to share in more detail with you. We have thousands of photos to cull through and are working diligently to get them posted for you in this 2017 National Outdoor Adventure: DC-MCM album – in the meantime, here are a few to highlight this incredible Outdoor Adventure!