For Spring Break this year we took a little trip to Washington D.C. Here are some of the highlights.
First stop: Hershey Park. Our route took us by a very happy place on earth, Hershey World. We took the little 7 minute ride through the factory to see how chocolate is made.
After the ride we decided to indulge in Hershey treat. We were on vacation so why not eat dessert before lunch.
I think the sugar had just reached Bryce's blood stream.
Next stop was the Washington D.C. temple, a gorgeous one at that. I went to a session first and then we switched and John-David went next. While John-David was in a session. I went in checked into our hotel which I got on Priceline for $45 a night and it was a Hilton located next to the Metro line. I was pretty pleased with my find. It even had a pool and hot tub which we enjoyed each night.
We find that it's much easier to take the metro into the city than to try to deal with driving and parking so we took the Metro in each day. If you haven't had the opportunity to take your kids on the subway, you are really missing out. Our kids have been on it a few times but it never loses it's novelty. They have to touch every banister on the stairs, finger every window and railing in the subway, ask questions loudly about why people are wearing or doing certain things and my personal favorite, pole dance on the poles positioned in the middle of the subway to hang on to. It's a priceless experience that every family needs to have.
Our first stop in the city was the Tidal Basin. one of the main reasons I wanted to go to D.C. was for the Cherry Blossom festival. Due to the warm March we had the blossoms bloomed early making what was suppose to be the peak season not so peak. In fact all the blossoms were off the tree. It was very sad.
Jefferson Memorial
John-David was certain that this was the Presidential helicopter. It sounded good so we went along with it.
A lone Cherry tree in bloom...or at least everyone told me it was so I could say I saw one.
The Washington Monument
This was part of Roosevelt's memorial.
Bryce preferred taking his picture with Roosevelt's dog than the family.
Martin Luther King JR memorial which is fairly new.
Lincoln Memorial
We decided to take everyone's picture under their birth state at the WW II memorial.
Here is out PA boy.
Our Texan
Our Utahans
Our Ohioans
This was about as close as we got to the White House. Although Jackson thought we could get in because "doesn't dad know Obama?" (John-David once gave Obama a tour of OSU medical center when he was running for president.) Sorry Jackson they aren't as tight as you thought.
In my research of what to do in D.C., I read that the Old Post Office tour was the best kept secret and it was. The view of the city was pretty cool. It was well worth the scary elevator ride.
Our second day in the city we headed to the capitol building first.
Pretty amazing buildings and they are so huge. What is more amazing is everything that is taking place below the capitol building. We got in line for a tour but it was king of taking long so we just went to the visitor center museum instead. We ended up getting on a kid friendly tour which was probably better than us going on an actual capitol tour because it was all geared towards them.
After we left the capitol building we walked around the front to meet Bryce and dad. Jocelyn walked up the steps and the thought occurred to me that I should take her picture so that is someday if she ever comes back here to work as maybe as an intern or something we could take another one on these same steps to compare. I shared this little sentiment I was having about her with her and she replied, "Well I'll come back here to work but I just want to sell flowers on the corner". Aim high, Joce, aim high!
Next to the capitol building in the National Arboretum. We admired all the different flowers and landscapes found there.
Unfortunately not a lot of photos were taken at the National Aerospace Museum but we did get a snap shot of Bryce with a plane. We were all getting weary from all the walking and our smiles were just worn out.
We had time for only one more museum so we went to the Museum of American History. It was a neat place but going to D.C. during Spring Break is not the best time. It was very crowded.
Kelsey's main request was to go the zoo so for our final day we were going to hit the National Zoo. Unfortunately, it was also Good Friday which everyone is out of school for and people are off work. Everyone else had the same idea to go to the zoo to. After seeing the line to just get in the place, we abandoned that idea and decided to just head home and stop off at Gettysburg.
This was a good Friday for Jocelyn because she lost her first tooth right before we had a picnic lunch at Gettysburg.
Since the last time we had been to Gettysburg that had completely changed things and built a whole new building. With these changes also brought admission prices that we weren't willing to pay with our small, tired children so we took a few photos and called it good.
We drove around to a few of the battle sites but Jackson was about the only one interested. After a few sites we called it good and ended another fun trip to D.C.
