After the Retreat…

I never showed you the photos of what we did after the retreat was over!

Pat and Ann, Norma and Sybil, and Jeanette and I headed into Washington, D.C., and despite the government closings of many of the places we were hoping to see, we had a fantastic time. (Except for the part where I desperately needed to find a public restroom, and after what seemed like hours of searching, finally found one… only to be greeted with the same sign we'd encountered too many times that day: Due to Government Shutdown, this facility is closed." Bah!)

The first place we visited was the National Cathedral. What a breathtaking structure it is!

One can't fathom all of the details; even the spires are covered in acorns. Hundreds of them!

And the downspouts were fish…

Even the street signs in front of the building have gorgeous accents…

There are over 200 stained glass windows…

The needlepoint kneelers were so beautiful, each one different…

I love this picture; everyone would become mesmerized when they caught sight of the incredible detailing over this particular entryway….

My camera settings were way off, but at least you can see one of the little bird creatures that everyone was staring at in the photo above…

On our way out, I noticed that every single column had a different animal etched into it. And of course, this one was my favorite:

If you'd like to learn more about the Washington National Cathedral (officially called the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul), visit here: Washington National Cathedral.

I'll be back with more photos soon, so if you'd like to see what else we did, come back! Jeanette Douglas also has a fun synopsis of our week after the retreat, so check out her blog too!