My Favorite Summer Vacation Wasn't in Jamaica, Aruba or Germany but Rather In --

Washington, D.C.

In July of 2008, through certain circumstances, my family received an invitation from our Florida Senator Mel Martinez to tour the White House and, if time permitted, to meet President George W. Bush.

After a background check and protocol review, plane tickets were purchased and we were off. We met with an aide to Senator Martinez at his office and the preliminary tour began.

The trip through the underground tunnel to the Capital was exciting. Passing by the offices of our nation's lawmakers was inspiring. Sitting in the gallery during an actual Senate session made vividly real what I had only before seen on Television.

On the appointed day for our White House tour, our excitement of meeting the president was crushed. Due to heightened security concerns, the president was not there. The tour, however, went on.

It was surreal walking the same floors where so many of our nations' presidents had walked. Standing before the painting of Kennedy brought tears of humble pride to my eyes.

But it was the day after, as we toured the national monuments that the most memorable moment came. As we stood on the step at the Lincoln Memorial explaining to our girls that this was where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "Dream" speech, our youngest daughter tilted her head in thought.

"Lincoln was white," she pondered out loud. "And, Mr. King was black."

Then she said something quite profound for an 8-year old.

"They both died for the same reason."