Spring Break in Washington DC

 

 For Spring Break this year we took the kids to Washington DC.  It was the last year that Bryan's parents were going to be living there, so we thought we'd better take advantage of it!  We packed our days full, and slept well each night!  It was a wonderful trip.  Here is a play-by-play of our week in DC:  

Day 1:  We drove to the Metro and headed into town that way (the Metro was the highlight of the trip for the kids, by the way!).  We decided to take the big loop around all the monuments and war memorials on this first day, and we could not have asked for better weather.  It was so gorgeous, and the cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom.  The kids were such troopers!!  We walked the entire downtown area, hitting every single Presidential monument, as well as all of the war memorials.  The kids were so amazing, and since they had been learning about all of the presidents at school, they were extremely interested in it all.  Ella kept saying, "I just can't wait to see Lincoln!!"  And then when we did get to the Lincoln memorial, so was surprised at how much bigger it was in person than she thought it was going to be, after learning about it in school!  We took the kids home that night wiped out!! 

 Day 2:  We started the second day by again riding the Metro into town, and then heading first for Ford's Theater.  The kids were all so interested to see the place where Abraham Lincoln was shot!  We then walked across the street to the house that he actually died in, and they loved it.  Next we went to see the National Archives, where we saw the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  Bryan and I were impressed!  We took the kids to see the Museum of Natural History next, and it was really fun.  It's amazing how long all of this takes!  By this time it was almost time to get back on the Metro and head back!  We made a quick stop into the American History Museum, saw the original American Flag (very cool!), and then walked though the National Mall back to the subway.  We ate dinner at my good friend's in-laws BBQ restaurant that night, and had the most delicious meal.  What great people, and a super fun restaurant (Carolina Brothers BBQ).  If we lived out there we would eat there weekly, I swear!  Another full and exhausting day.

 Day 3:  Today we went to Arlington National Cemetery to begin the day.  It was very neat, and I was glad to be able to show this place to the kids.  There was even a funeral/burial that was taking place that day, so we were able to see the horse drawn carriage and the flag covered coffin as it passed.  Always a good reminder of the sacrifices that others have made for our freedom.  We drove downtown today, where we had a Capital tour in the early afternoon.  The adults loved this tour!!  It was very interesting, and the kids were interested enough to be good.  After the Capital tour, Bryan and Vicki took the girls to the Pentagon City Mall while the boys and I went to the Holocaust Museum.  I am SO GLAD that I was able to take the boys to this amazing museum.  They were wonderful, and really felt the tragedy of it all.  A great lesson to learn young!  We met up with the rest of the family at the mall for the Carlson family favorite - Panda.  Then, as if we hadn't done and seen enough, the boys and I had a White House tour that night.  It was a tour of the West Wing, where we got to see the Oval Office, the Situation Room, and many other cool rooms.  It was so weird to think that the president and his family were just upstairs, across the garden, heading to bed!  The tour was very cool.

 Day 4:  After three long days downtown, we decided to stay a little closer to home for our last day.  We went to the off-shoot of the Air and Space Museum that is right by Dulles airport - 20 minutes from Bryan's parents house.  Since it was a rainy day, this was the perfect activity.  The kids were pretty impressed with the planes and space shuttle, and they were great walking advertisement for Carolina Brothers BBQ, wearing the shirts that they were sent home with.  :)  Many thanks to Bryan's mom and dad for helping us to have such an amazing trip!!  Vicki went everywhere with us, despite just getting home from Australia and despite having seen all the sights a million times!  But she was a great photographer and tour guide.  :)