Centerton pair see U.S. capital sights

Jonathan and Samantha Beshears celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on June 29 by traveling to Washington.

It was their first trip to the District of Columbia.

They stayed all week, visiting historic sites and sampling food at some of the city’s hottest restaurants.

The Centerton couple also had prime seats for The Capitol Fourth concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, enabling them to hear the U.S Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” and a long list of performers, including Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Carole King and Grammy-nominated singer Vanessa Williams.

As a patrolman first class for the Arkansas Highway Police, Jonathan Beshears was determined to visit the National Law Enforcement Museum and Memorial.

It was “a solemn experience for sure seeing all the names of the officers that have fallen in the line of duty,” he said in an email.

There were plenty of other interesting stops, as well.

“My favorite was the FBI [headquarters building]: great to get a behind the scenes look at what the FBI does on a daily basis to protect our nation,” he said.

For Samantha Beshears, the U.S. Archives made the biggest impression.

“Seeing the constitution of the United States was surreal. It was awesome to actually be looking at the signatures of our founding fathers,” she said in an email.

When it comes to cuisine, Jonathan Beshears raved about Founding Farmers, which Travel + Leisure magazine has named the top Farmto-Table restaurant in the District. Samantha Beshears favored Ted’s Bulletin. (The Washington Post says it’s a spot where “American comfort food reigns supreme.”)