Elaine Matthews

Sing my post title to the tune of Gene Autry’s “Back in the Saddle Again.” Back into travel again is an understatement. It’s official, I’m tour directing once again, and my first tours begin in a couple weeks.

Yesterday was the last day of my eight to five marketing job. This day marks a turn in my career. A turn that affords me to do what I love, write more about travel and travel more with John. I absolutely love new life adventures!

The long awaited Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. delivers. Words can’t clearly describe the magnitude of the memorial, however the memorial is filled with words. The quotes from a number of Dr. King’s sermons and speeches line the memorial. Throughout the memorial you further realize the magnitude of Dr. King’s impact on our nation.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial sits on the Tidal Basin between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials as part of the "line of leadership." The Lincoln Memorial is where Dr. King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.

The entrance into the memorial seems stark. You pass through the "Mountain of Despair" to see the relief of Dr. King. It seems that Dr. King is carved out of the mountain you pass through. On the side of King's relief it says, "Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope." A moving depiction of the Civil Rights Movement.

The relief of Dr. King stand 30-feet high. The "Stone of Hope."

John and I started the Christmas season out with a bang. Shortly after Thanksgiving we headed to Washington, D.C. for a nice vacation.

Before heading to D.C., I applied to be a part of the White House’s Holiday Tweetup. Much to my amazement, we were chosen to attend. Off to the White House we did go to Tweet information from White House officials and through our tour of the elaborately decorated White House.

We arrived at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for the morning presentations from White House administration officials. The unfortunate part was there wasn’t phone service or wifi. We couldn’t tweet during the tweetup. As soon as we got out of the morning session, tweets were flying for @ElaineMatt and the other #whtweetup attendees. (Search my handle and the Tweetup hashtag if you’d like the play-by-play of the holiday tweetup.)

During the morning session we learned what a typical day is like for First Lady Michelle Obama and her staff, which is anything but monotonous. We also heard plenty of political speeches, but the highlight for me was hearing from the White House Pastry Chef and Florist. I loved learning how they manage to pull off State Dinners and all the Christmas festivities.  The most shocking news from the pastry chef was the gingerbread is made in September for the gingerbread house so that it’s dry enough to build in November. I’m guessing it’s not eaten! As for the florist, planning for the Christmas decor never ends. When one year’s theme and decorations are going up, the next year theme is being discussed.

Merry Christmas!

Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and Florist Laura Dowling were the highlight of White House speakers.

The Gold Star Families Tree pays tribute those who have given their lives in service. Photos of these heroes with messages from their loved ones adorn the tree.

Bo was everywhere! Here he is made out of trash bags and surrounded by paper trees in the White House's Bookseller's Area.

Christmas tree in the Bookseller's Area was one of my favorites with its bright glass and recycled paper ornaments.

The East Room's nativity was incredibly intricate from afar. I wish I could've closely examined it. Absolutely gorgeous!

Another Bo! Here he is made out of licorice and marshmallows in the Green Room.

The Blue Room holds the official White House Christmas tree. The First Lady's theme of "Shine, Give, Share" is proudly displayed with it's decor. Children of military men and women decorated cards for the tree and it's adorned by military medals. Quite moving.

This year's White House Gingerbread House was incredibly intricate. Unfortunately, I couldn't get too close to truly examine it. The 400 pound behemoth is even decorated on the inside. At the left you catch a glimpse of the Red Room.

I can't help but share a shot of me and John in the White House Cross Hall. When seeing these pictures, the trees don't seem so big, however, I'm six feet tall. There's plenty of tree above my head!

It’s been weeks since I’ve blogged. That’s a big shame on me. However, I’ve been gathering great content! I’ve been to great lodge near Moab, Utah, and I took a week’s vacation with John out to Washington, D.C. Stay tuned. Great posts are soon to come. I know you’ll be waiting in anticipation …

If you’re anything like me, you cringe when campaign season starts. Wait a second, did campaign season end?

Whether campaign season ended or not, now is the time for you to prepare if you’d like to attend the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Preparation needs to start if you’re traveling independently or if you’re a school sending a group of kids.

Watching President Obama's 2009 Inaugural speech with three million of my closest friends.

If you’re traveling independently, there are a few things you need to think about:

• Hotels: Do you want to stay in the midst of it all or have a car available? Washington D.C.’s Metro is outstanding. It will be crowded, but I doubt the multitudes will be in attendance as they were in 2009. If you do decide to stay near the city center, book your hotel now and be prepared to pay higher rates.
• Transportation: Is it important that you have a car? If so, reserve it ASAP. My preference is to leave transportation to the people that know how to get around the city, especially during an event like the Inauguration. Streets will be closed, you’ll have to use alternate routes and the chances of getting lost are high.
• Weather: Inauguration is January 20, 2013. It will be cold. Do you want to brave the elements? If you’re up for it, start praying now for snow to be out of the forecast.
• Crowds: If this will be your first time traveling to Washington, D.C., and you want to see everything that it has to offer, extend your trip. With the influx of people, it’s nearly impossible to see everything because there are lines that go on for hours. I stood in line for an hour and a half to use the restroom at a museum. Think about it. An extra million people anywhere are bound to cause a few lines. Extending your stay allows for the crowds to thin out. Leave all the sites that are around the National Mall for a few days after Inauguration. Check out the video to see the magnitude of the 2009 Inauguration crowd.

If you’re wanting to take a group of kids to the Inauguration on a school trip, start planning now. There are a number of tour companies that have great programs. I worked for Smithsonian Student Travel during the 2009 Inauguration, and they have great tours and tour managers that can help you through the planning process. Touching base with them now will allow you to thoroughly plan, lock in hotels and approach 2013 with peace of mind. Inauguration years are the biggest years for student travel.

To help us stand out from the crowd, we EF Smithsonian tour directors wore very stylish, hunter orange hats.

Disclaimer: During President Obama’s Inauguration, I was glad I had a motor coach to get out of the city. The Metro shut down due to the sheer number of people. It couldn’t handle it. I doubt we see three-plus million people at another inauguration for some time, but be prepared. Crowds, lines and attitudes happen. Patience and hand warmers are musts!

What a difference a week makes. As snow blows through the High Country of Colorado and my heater is running, I’m writing about a perfect 65-degree fall weekend. Last weekend John and I took a flight to Montrose, Colorado, just because it was such a perfect day.

What I love about flying through western Colorado is following the river. No matter the time of year, the river, in this case the Gunnison River, is beautiful with its green strip of land and the contrasting desert buttes and mesas surrounding it.

There's nothing like see the fall foliage along the Gunnison River amidst the contrasting desert.

Arriving in Montrose, we are greeted at the Black Canyon Jet Center, which is the fixed base operator (FBO). I love seeing all the different FBOs. In Colorado, many of these have a lodge-like feel, and here is no different.

Montrose's Black Canyon Jet Center welcomes you to the area with its lodge-like reception, aviation paintings and, what I really enjoy, iced tea.

And what is it that John and I do when we take a lazy fall afternoon flight? Eat like royalty at the A&W fast food restaurant that’s within walking distance of the FBO. How’s that for restaurant recommendations? Delicious!

What do you do when you take a fall flight and land in Montrose? Walk across the street for a burger and root beer at A&W. You know you'd do the same!