Adventures in DC

I had a blast visiting my sister Danielle in Washington DC. I still can't believe all the places we were able to go in a short time.

• Washington monument-got to go all the way to the top
• United States Capitol building-watched a little bit of Congress-that day there were more bored interns there than congressmen
• Smithsonian Air and Space
• Natural History Museum-very cool place
• Fine Art Museum
• Some ancient Chinese art museum (you can tell this one wasn't my fav)
• Holocaust museum-a moving and somber experience
• American History Museum
• Native American Museum-Great fry bread...I think I may have to fly back for more
• Georgetown-had to try a Georgetown cupcake-Yummy and worth the wait
• The whitehouse-didn't go inside but got to see from the outside
• Botanic Gardens
• Arlington cemetery
  

DC is an interesting city. It is dotted with huge granite monuments honoring many of great American events and people. The architecture is amazing, thank you Masons. Even the curbs are made out of granite (which can't be spray painted yellow to let you know you are parking illegally, this is a problem) Most of the museums are FREE, which I LOVED! I loved looking through some of our nations historical relics, seeing masterpieces of art and architecture, and reflecting on events of history that have shaped America.

There is huge distinction of the have a have-nots. High price DC homes on Capital hill just minutes away from the projects and people living out of shopping carts parked under overpasses. In general there is a rushed feeling to the city, probably like most big cities. The taxi drivers are VERY liberal with their horns and it seems everyone is in a hurry to go.

I had a great time just visiting with my sister. She is such an amazing woman and mom. DC is NOT a kid friendly city but despite this she manages to go do all the neat things the city has to offer with a baby and energetic 3 year old in tow. She hops on and off the metro like a seasoned commuter, undeterred by the fact she is pushing a stroller and wearing baby pack. She is much braver than I am with the places that she takes her kids and as a result they behave really well. I cannot believe how good Liam was considering all the places he was dragged to. Liam really liked the Air and Space museum. He showed me the "space monkey" and when questioned by his mom what astronauts eat he replied "JUNK!". Yup, on display was freeze dried ice cream, and candies, what well trained and observant 3 year old. Elsie was also a trooper, she had bronchiolitis but still managed to go along with a cute little smile on her face most of the time. I love the first picture of her crawling and smiling in front of the capitol building and is my favorite from my trip.

Overall I had a great time and feel more American.