Holiday Inn Washington-Meadow Lands, Pa

... my mom and grandma came to visit. But, of course, with visiting the Kildows, we didn't do much there beside sleeping. This weekend, however, we bought a bunch of groceries to fill our full-size refrigerator, and with which to prepare dinners each night. We also look forward to doing our FREE laundry.<br><br>So today has been very homey. We woke up and made some eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast. We rented a free ...

... and warehouses have been converted into a bustling<br>marketplace by day and trendy nightclubs, microbreweries and restaurants for<br>night life enthusiasts.<br><br>· <br>PPG Place &#8211; With its 231 glass &amp; steel<br>spires, this skyscraper is THE landmark of downtown Pittsburgh. It covers 6 city blocks.<br><br> <br><br>Things we Observed:<br><br>· <br>Due to ...

... br>· Heinz Field &#8211; The football stadium where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.<br><br>· Strip District &#8211; A famous destination for dining and entertainment where by-gone era industrial buildings and warehouses have been converted into a bustling marketplace by day and trendy nightclubs, microbreweries and restaurants for night life enthusiasts.<br><br>· PPG Place &#8211; With ...

... br><br>· Heinz Field &#8211; The football stadium where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.<br><br>· Strip District &#8211; A famous destination for dining and entertainment where by-gone era industrial buildings and warehouses have been converted into a bustling marketplace by day and trendy nightclubs, microbreweries and restaurants for night life enthusiasts.<br><br>· PPG Place &#8211 ...

... It was like heaven on earth. My favourite art, all in one place. All from Mr. Warhol, but to top it off, the temporary exhibit was Shepard Fairey, the guy who made that famous Obama stencil, and also the guy who did the Obey Andre the Giant stencil and designed some White Stripes album covers and Smashing Pumpkin's Zeitgeist. Awwwwesome. I could've easily spent a few hours just there. <br><br>However, it was not to be.<br><br>Steph, Lee and I left the exhibit at exactly at the time we were ...

... keenly interested in the Native American cultures of past and current day. Some of Jefferson's prized memorabilia were Native American articles brought back by Lewis and Clark. There were two main exhibits in the Library of Congress. The first was a reconstructed version of Jefferson's original library as he had organized it in his office at Monticello. Computers allowed you to peruse many of Jefferson's books in a virtual format. Very ...

... at a most interesting time in DC. I have learnt a great deal about American culture, academics and business. I have been challenged by the scholastic issues debated at GU and tested on the topics that cloud the day-to-day business of the IRS. But most importantly I have been educated by Americans. I feel I have been tutored by many - on the street, in the classroom or waiting in a queue. Americans always seem ...

... so interesting. We wished we had binoculars. Took a tour of the inside that was interesting to me, but the boys did a great job staying quiet and cooperative as our somewhat rude (and admittedly unknowledgeable) guide blathered on and on, mistaking one saint for another and apologizing for her forgetfulness. After another successful bus ride and short side trip to a music store where Ratko was happy to find some patriotic music, we headed back to ...

... me with its eyes staring right into mine. I guess I probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist the urge to stick my chopsticks in its mouth and move its lips apart saying, "Hellllooooo!!!" They just looked at me. I guess that joke doesn't translate. Next up was the obligatory afternoon nap for them. The night before, they had refused to sleep on our bed, saying it was too soft, so we put them up on the air mattress (incidentally much softer than the bed ...

... company of murderers and rapists (probably), we knew how to behave to maximise our chances of survival, and once again got back unscathed. We popped back to the hotel for half an hour before getting something to eat at the nearby KFC, then returning to the room to pack our things for our departure in the morning. Washington had involved a lot of walking, and we were both pretty tired, which was good news again, bearing in mind the bed situation.