At Gabriel Homes, community means sharing experiences and creating memories together.
Holidays often spark ideas for exploring and enjoying life beyond home.
A Day in the District
In celebration of Veterans Day, several Gabriel Homes residents visited Washington, DC. Rich, Sam, Stephen, and Sean, (left to second-to-right) were in awe of some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Since they had the day off work on November 11, the group felt getting some fresh air at the nation’s capital was far better than lounging around at home.
Gabriel Homes program coordinator Daniel Borges (left), who led the trip, said some residents hadn’t been to the district in years. Unlike recent trips to Harper’s Ferry and Shenandoah National Park, the capital is much closer to Reston. Many of our residents’ neighbors work in DC, so the Veterans Day visit helped them connect where their community is shaped.
“D.C. is much bigger than Reston, so we went through and saw lots of landmarks quickly. You can’t find another place in the world like our nation’s capital!”
The group first stopped at the United States Capitol and found the perfect central spot for a photo in front of it. Everyone then made their way to the Washington Monument, followed by the Lincoln Memorial and its reflecting pool, and lastly to the World War II Memorial.
Wrapping up Veterans Day in D.C.
While the residents would’ve loved to keep visiting sites, the weather got colder during one of the windiest days of the year. The group is already looking forward to a future trip where the weather’s warmer and they can see even more sights.
“D.C. was so cold, and I forgot my gloves and hat!” said Sam. “But the car ride was easy, and I was happy to be out with my friends. Daniel did a great job taking us out.”