Washington D.C.

June is here, and that means our annual adults-only vacation to somewhere fun.  This year we went to Washington DC!

We stayed in a WONDERFUL timeshare that Mom and Dad were able to get us through their vacation club.  It was in old town Alexandria (not far from where I was born) and we enjoyed it very much.  We had a top floor corner room with a view of a very full moon all week, and we were only a few minutes walk from the metro.  We also made use of the free trolley that ran up and down the street every day.  We went to the waterfront several times, out to eat, and even took a nice boat ride one evening.

We visited so many places, it will be impossible to go into lengthy detail here.  But we visited Arlington Cemetary, for starters.  It was a beautiful place but of course, very sobering.  I have a grandfather and an Uncle buried here. 

The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier was a must-see, for many reasons.  We wanted to see if, of course, but also I wanted to see it so I could talk to Benny about it.  Two years ago when Mom and Dad brought him here, this spot made a huge impression on him.  It IS pretty amazing to witness the dedication of the Tomb Guards, who guard the Tomb with great ceremony 24/7...despite cold, rain, storms, heat, night, or day.

Arlington House.

In fact, we were so awed by Arlington that we watched a couple of documentaries about it afterwards.  What an amazing place...one that will really make you stop and think.

From there we went on to all the touristy sites one needs to hit while in DC.  We took a boat ride one night and were treated to a magnificent sunset while cruising past the Washinton Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

We got very comfortable zipping around on the Metro and went to the city every day.  We saw the monuments......

And toured the Capitol.  What a gorgeous building, and so impressive inside, too!

But as amazing as the Capitol was, the Library of Congress was even more stunning inside.  What a gorgeous place!

Over the next several days, we explored many museums....National History, the Art Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of Portraiture.  We saw so many amazing things.  I was most awed and captivated by Linclon's Top Hat, as well as items from the Civil War, such as the chairs that Lee and Grant sat in when they signed the treaty ending the war.  WOW.

But the real Kermit the Frog is fun, too!

The Spirit of St. Louis!

 Museum of Portaitrue.

And lastly, a stop at the Museum of Natural History.  We toured the Butterfly Pavillion and took lots of photos.  We also caught a special exhibit of Nature Photography.  Spectacular!

All in all, a wonderful trip.  The boys spent the week with Mom and Dad and had a good time too.  They were taken to Virginia and spent lots of time at the water park and at the pool.  But even though it was lots of fun, we were all glad to come back home and be together again.  And now we are in the thick of summer.   Let the good times roll!