TravelStream™ news feed for member joallyblue on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/joallyblue en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:38:02 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/2/1245297600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/2/1245297600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/2/1245297600/tpod.html Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:38:02 -0400 Traipsing through Europe with 3 boys and the grandparents

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London, England, United Kingdom

Just two hours in the airport, but it's my first time setting foot in England, so I had to post it!

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Hallein, Austrian Alps, Austria


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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

We were sad to leave NYC Friday morning after such a brief visit. But we looked forward to spending a few hours in Philadelphia to break up our trip to DC. Of course Mapquest was way off since it could not calculate that it took us an hour to go less than one mile getting out of Manhattan and into the Lincoln tunnel. We tried to use my dad's GPS since we didn't have a Philly map, but it led us on a wild goose chase and we barely made it in time for our tour of Independence Hall. I was glad I paid the minimal fee to order tix online because they were all gone by 10:45am, and we got there at 12:15.

The Independence Hall tour was horrible, due to an awful Park Service guide. We could not understand his slurred monotone speech, and Ratko actually fell asleep. The tour consists of only two rooms. The first was a colonial courtroom and the second was the famous room where the the Declaration of Independence was signed. The furniture was not authentic, though. So all that rushing to be on time, heavy security, waiting in line, and listening to the boring guide droan on and on was not really worth it. However, the outside grounds were beautiful, and the boys were thrilled to be at another National Treasure site. Because there are no bathrooms anywhere onsite, we had to leave before touring Congress Hall, so we really don't know what we missed there.

We had originally thought to have bagels for breakfast before leaving New York, but realized that we didn't have time and planned to do drive-thru somewhere in Jersey, but we were so late by that time that we didn't dare. Luckily Ratko, Joey, and Ryan had eaten leftover pizza and cheesecake for breakfast. Alex and I had scavenged the car, with me eating a granola bar and he potato chips. So now by 1:40 we were ravenous and looked to the nearest food cart, which happened to be the famous Mom's Cheesesteaks that were rated best street food in the city by a national magazine. They did not disappoint! Even Ratko, who had previously eschewed street food, went back to order two more!

After that delicious lunch in the park, we headed for the security line at the Liberty Bell. It moved quickly and we were soon inside. Still pretty exhausted from walking all day yesterday in NYC, we didn't have the patience to read everything, and rushed right to the end where the bell was, fought the crowd to take some pictures, and got out of there.

Needing time for our drive to DC, we selected Ben Franklin Court as our last stop in Philly. His house is long gone, but the metal frame and glass covers over the ruins, such as his old privy, were interesting. (Boys always love bathroom talk!) The underground museum was nice, with lots of his inventions, including some musical instruments. We were really tired though, so we didn't do it justice.

Heading out of Philly we needed gas and the GPS took us on another wild goose chase, leading us to a non-existent gas station that is currently a large parking lot. There was some traffic through Wilmington, Delaware since it was now nearing 5pm, but from there on out it was great. Not even a problem in Baltimore. We had decided to stay between Baltimore and DC for the first weekend while we still had the car so that we wouldn't have to deal with DC traffic on a Friday evening.

Our Holiday Inn in Greenbelt, MD was great. With the Entertainment card, we got it for only $49/night. They wanted to charge us an additional $20/night for the rollaway bed, so we chose the free crib instead, offering Ryan $10 to sleep in it. He was happy to accept, but never got the chance. The room had a comfy easy chair and ottoman that Alex graciously volunteered to sleep on in lieu of sharing a double bed with Joey, so Ryan slept with Joey instead (which they had done very well at Aunt Donna's house). Having a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, we were able to shop at the grocery store nearby and fed the family 5 meals for $50. We were all too happy to crawl into bed knowing that all the long drives were now behind us.

We felt that we did not do Philly justice, but at least we saw the highlights. It would have been ideal to have a night there, but since we already had scheduled a total of 4 different places throughout the trip, we didn't want to move around any more. Maybe some day we will go back and really see the place.
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New York, New York, United States

We awoke bright and early for our Statue of Liberty appointment. Enjoyed the last of Aunt Donna's cinnamon rolls on the way out. The weather was perfect! Had no trouble using the subway, though we did end up walking the wrong way when we got off. Arrived to security at 8:45 and boarded our ferry right on time. When we arrived at the Statue, we rushed right to security (yes, again!) and were disappointed to see a line already. After 30 minutes waiting and a lovely "puff of air" bomb sniffing, we were in-only to find out that the elevator and air conditioning were broken in the Statue. So we climbed 156 steps to the top of the pedestal, which is the farthest you can go since 9/11. It was a great view of the city, and fortunately it wasn't hot. We spent way too long taking pictures and in the gift shop, so we didn't leave for Ellis Island until 11am. It was interesting, but we missed the orientation film (they had 2 tickets left and we needed 5, of course). So we felt a little lost exploring on our own, and I kept thinking we must be missing the interesting parts because it just wasn't very exciting. It also may have been because fatigue was setting in. We were getting hungry so decided to board the ferry back to downtown.

We had planned to have lunch in the World Financial Center, but their food court was not at all kid friendly. We passed by Trinity church on the way there, so we stopped in to watch the short service, just as it was ending. Oh well, it was pretty inside. Then we toured around all four sides of the World Trade Center, which is just a huge construction site and didn't seem very meaningful to me. By this time we were really hungry and looking for the nearest food-no matter what it was! As luck would have it, we happened upon the Stage Door Deli and had delicious sandwiches. No matter that it cost $42, we were ravenous!

Next we went into St. Paul's Chapel, where George Washington had worshipped, and more recently had been a source of comfort for those working in the rescue and cleanup of 9/11. It was amazing to read all the letters from schoolchildren and the photos & mementos placed by loved-ones of those who perished. The church was staffed by volunteers who fed and comforted the fire fighters and others working at the site. They had massages and podiatrists and clergy on duty. Restaurants sent food and each worker got a cot with a stuffed animal after their shift. The chapel has become the museum/memorial while the site is in transition. Finally we had found the moving 9/11 memorial we had been seeking.

We walked a ways to get to the subway, because our map showed the WTC subway as being open, but it wasn't. We were pretty tired, as it was after 2pm by now, but we pressed on, determined to see Central Park and the top of Rockefeller center before nightfall. Sitting down in the cool subway made it hard to get back on our feet at the Park, so we really did not do it justice, walking only into the southeast corner before deciding to head back to the hotel.

The boys were excited to see The Plaza, since they had just watched Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. We had to go into FAO Schwartz (which Ryan insisted on calling "Duncan's Toy Chest" as it was called in the movie). Apparently their feet magically stopped aching once inside, because no one wanted to leave! After dragging them out, we managed to bump right into World of Disney, and everyone got another burst of energy to explore 3 vast floors. Ryan got a cool Prince Caspian shirt. Finally we made it back to the hotel for some much-needed rest. After only 15 minutes, Ratko decided he would go down to the Sam Ash music store to buy some music books. We were all too happy to let him go alone as we lay on the couch with our feet up, watching TV.

All too soon it was time to go to Top of the Rock. However, we did feel refreshed by the brief respite. There was no line and we enjoyed the vistas from every angle, 70 floors above Manhattan. Quickly we stopped by the hotel to change clothes for dinner and our Broadway show. We were so glad to be staying right in the middle of it all! We had a lovely meal at the Times Square McDonalds, which was very fancy and themed. It had lots of marquee lights, murals of Manhattan, and even a miniature model of the island in the second floor dining area.

Right around the corner was the beautifully restored Lunt-Fontaine Theatre where we had 2nd row tickets for Disney's The Little Mermaid. The boys were not really thrilled to be seeing such a "girlie" show, but this was for our 15th wedding anniversary, since we have never done anything big for our anniversary before. The show was amazing, absolutely beyond fantastic. The quality of the singing, the costumes, makeup, sets, and special effects just blew our minds. It was a thrill to be that close. When the characters were under the sea, they wore Heely skate shoes so that they could just glide around. It was very cool. The boys ended up liking it very much.

Afterward, we got cheesecake at Maxie's to eat in the room before going to bed. It was the most incredible tasting stuff ever. I don't even like plain "New York cheesecake" but this was unbelievably good. We turned off the living room light to watch the lights of Times Square as we bade farewell to NYC and drifted off to sleep.

This day reminded me of that credit card commercial:

Two nights hotel...... .......... $515
Parking..............................$50
Lunch ...............................$42
Observation Deck ................$51
Theatre tickets ...................$615
Perfect day in the Big Apple.....PRICELESS!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214784060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214784060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214784060/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:25:57 -0400 East Coast 2008

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Be sure to view all 15 photo albums, as I have added more photos recently. The slideshow option is best.

When we woke up on Sunday, we enjoyed our last delicious breakfast upstairs and thanked the wonderful wait staff who had served us all week. Ryan dilly-dallied more than usual, and when asked, he said, "I'm eating slow because I don't want to go home." We were glad to hear he had enjoyed the vacation.

We had planned to take MetroBus to Dulles Airport, 45 minutes away. It was only $3.10 per person, so it was a great deal over other transportation options. Not sure how reliable it was, we chose to go very early, hoping to be able to walk to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum if we had extra time. The bus was on time, and we were pleased to find out that though it is too far to walk to the museum, there is a shuttle bus for only 50 cents. Unfortunately, on Sundays it does not leave until 11am, which was too close to our flight. We inquired about a cab but it would be over $15, which seemed a little ridiculous.

So the boys found another way to entertain themselves.... They collected baggage carts, which provide 25 cents each when returned to the machine. Over an hour and a half they got $8 and had such fun! It made the waiting go very quickly. The boys also enjoyed the tall tank-like bus vehicles that transported us from the main terminal to gate terminal.

The flights were smooth, though Ratko had to sit next to a sick man, which gave him a cold 2 days later, but we were home so we didn't really matter. Also, 3 of our 4 bags didn't make our connecting flight in Denver, so we didn't get them until the next day. In retrospect, these were very minor issues and we were glad to have them happen after our trip, rather than during.

We're very glad to have a month off to rest up and recuperate before school starts. Our trip was incredibly fun, but also quite exhausting! When asked a few days later, the boys (and Ratko) all still say that Canada was the best part. They still can't stop talking about Aunt Donna's cooking!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214665680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214665680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214665680/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:11:09 -0400 East Coast 2008

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Our last day in DC we went to the Museum of Natural History. This was much bigger than the Air and Space Museum, and the kids liked it a lot better. They enjoyed the dinosaur bones and the wooly mammoth. We gazed at the Hope Diamond, the biggest blue diamond in the world. The kids had fun in the Discovery Center, where they got to look through microscopes and touch animal skins and teeth. We also visited the beautiful new Mammal Hall.

Back to the hotel room for sandwiches. We were so grateful for the free mini-fridge that allowed us to have either lunch or dinner in the room every day. In combination with the fabulous free hot buffet breakfast, we really saved on food once we got to this hotel. We were glad we stayed there 7 days, and that I had booked the weekend separately so we could get the free weekday breakfast for Priority Club members, and the weekend breakfast on the "Best for Breakfast" rate (much cheaper than booking it together with the weekdays, too).

After our late lunch, we went to the Anderson House, which is the home of the Society of the Cincinnati-a club for descendents of French and American officers from the Revolutionary War. The home was built in the early 1900s by a former ambassador to Japan. It has 50 rooms and took only 3 years to build. It is very opulent and extravagant. We enjoyed seeing the tapestries, the piano, and the bedroom used today as lodging for members of the Society.

Next we went to the Museum of the American Indian. It was just okay inside, but the outside was very interesting, architecturally. It faces east to greet the sun in the mornings and the building curves like weathered rock. There are some great waterfalls outside, also.

Knowing it was our last chance to ride the Metro, we decided to take it to the end of the line, past Alexandria, on the way back. Once it goes by the Pentagon it is above ground and the lush green scenery is gorgeous. We enjoyed looking at the brick row homes and mansions, and of course another glimpse at Alexandria was a highlight as well.

Sadly, it was time to go back to the hotel and start packing for our flight in the morning.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214615940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214615940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214615940/tpod.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:21:48 -0400 East Coast 2008

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Friday was our first truly hot day. The forecast was for 97 degrees, and it felt like it. The humidity made it pretty sticky, even at 9 am. We decided to walk to the Jefferson Memorial before our 9:30 tickets for the top of the Washington Monument. It was farther than we thought to walk around the Tidal Basin. We enjoyed the cherry trees, even though they weren't in bloom. We had hoped to visit the FDR memorial as well, but after Jefferson we didn't have time. We hurried back to the Washington Monument and Ryan could barely keep up-for the first time of the whole trip. He usually led the group, wanting to walk up the escalator all the time. But this heat and humidity seemed to cause him to wilt.

Once we got to the monument, we realized we could have showed up 20 minutes late and would have walked right onto the elevator rather than sitting in the sun in line. Anyway, we enjoyed the view from the top even though it was a little hazy. It was fun to see the stones from different states on the elevator ride down. New York's was really big. We didn't get to see the one from Alaska, but it is pure jade and worth over a million dollars.
We then made a quick detour to the gift shop (for the second time) at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where Ratko bought some uncut bills and Alex bought a cup that shows bills or coins depending on the angle you hold it at.

Getting onto the Metro we left one water bottle (and it's insulating "jacket" behind on a bench, so we got off at the next stop and went back for it. Fortunately the people sitting on the bench had put it underneath, and were kind enough to give it back to us. Arriving at Dupont Circle we had a delicious lunch at Fuddruckers where the boys enjoyed dressing their burgers.

Getting the right bus to the National Cathedral seemed tricky, but a kindly driver helped us out. He pointed out all the foreign embassies as we drove through Embassy Row. He also showed us which bus stop to go to after our Cathedral visit and offered transfers so we could ride for free on the return trip.

The National Cathedral was HUGE! It was built in 1907 and finished in 1990. It is designed like cathedrals from the 14th century, and all the stone, iron and woodwork was done by hand in the old methods. The gargoyles were 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 the Metro. Alex asked for a second visit to the souvenir shop by the zoo, and with Metro it was so easy to pop off and on, that it was easy to say yes. He bought the crystal Capitol that he and Joey had admired previously. It was also a great excuse to get some more delicious Mickey D's Sweet Tea, which I am really going to miss because California McDonalds don't have it.

Though it was 4 pm by this time, we wanted to squeeze in one more museum. We chose the National Postal Museum because it was near Union Station, so not much walking in the heat would be necessary. This museum was excellent! Second only to the one at Mount Vernon. Lots of interactive activities and colorful three-dimensional exhibits. We were sad to be informed that they were closing at 5:30 when we would have preferred another hour. The kids climbed into a stagecoach and mail truck, and even mailed themselves postcards.

Coming out of our home Metro station it was suddenly cool, windy, and cloudy. By now we knew that meant rain was afoot. We dashed into McDonalds for some dinner, cherry pies, and raspberry mango milkshake (yummy!). We didn't have rain ponchos or an umbrella, and we got soaked--finally understanding what they meant when they say it rains sideways here. One food bag got so wet that it broke, but fortunately we didn't lose any food. Quite an adventure to end the day!
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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Thursday was supposed to be "sweltering" but it turned out only slightly muggy and overcast-which helped keep it from getting too hot. We were glad we were slightly early for our White House tour because the line for security was long. This was the most strict we had been to, no handbags or purses allowed at all. Of course Ratko and the boys were disappointed that they could not bring cameras either. The line was about the same as it had been at the Capitol yesterday, so we didn't think much of it. It is high tourist season, so we expected it. But once we got inside, we noticed that there were cameras and cables strung all over the library room. Then we overheard someone say that President Bush had just been filming a message in that room; the tours had been delayed, which accounted for the backlog in the line by the time we got there. It was exciting to think that we were there just shortly after the President!

The tour was pretty short, just 6 rooms: the library, the vermeil room, the red room, the blue room, the green room and the state dining room (which looked pretty small to seat 140 people). I asked an employee when was the last time they had used the green room, thinking he would say 1954 or something, but to our surprise he said, "Monday, for the NCAA college basketball champions. If we have time, we'd like to go back to take pictures of the outside, but who knows.... The White House tour was Ratko's favorite thing in DC, but the boys were disappointed they didn't get to see the oval office. I liked Mount Vernon better.

Afterward we started to walk toward a music store we had found online, but the blocks were so large and we were getting tired, so the kids and I stopped at the National Geographic Society's Explorers' Hall museum. It is very small and the current exhibit wasn't too interesting.

The gift shop was a big hit with the boys, though. Finally Ratko joined us and we headed back to the hotel to collect cameras, water, and my purse. Then we walked across the Francis Scott Key Bridge to Georgetown. A sudden wind came up and Ratko's hat blew off just after he said, "Hold onto your hats!" It blew over the barrier between the sidewalk and the fast moving traffic. Three cars ran over it and then it blew back towards us, but on the other side of the 3 foot high concrete barrier. Ratko waited for a break in the traffic and jumped over and got it. No sooner did he jump back onto the sidewalk than Alex's hat blew into the traffic. Fortunately traffic was light so Ratko was able to retrieve it easily. From then on, we carried our hats in our hands! Surprisingly, once we got off the bridge there was no more wind.

We had a late lunch at Pizzaria Paradisio, which is a famous hole-in-the-wall Georgetown wood-fired pizza place that has been named "Best Pizza in DC" for several years. We had a four cheese and a potato pesto pizza. The boys loved it, but I thought it was not as good as California Pizza Kitchen at home. We walked around a mall called The Shops at Georgetown until 3:30, then realized that we needed to get moving if we were to finish our planned itinerary for the day. We knew we had a very long walk to the metro station. It was hot and as soon as we got outside the boys started complaining. We saw a plain white bus that a man got onto and wondered if we could take it, but it was pulling away. Fortunately the driver saw us and stopped. We were pleasantly surprised when he informed us it was free until 7 (7:00 or 7th street, we didn't know). It took us to the metro station and that was all we needed!

Next up was the Peterson House, which is the house where Lincoln died. The Ford's Theater was closed for renovation, but we enjoyed this quick museum which was the first designated federal historic site. We were thrilled to see several large, inexpensive souvenir shops next door. We had been wondering where they were. Previously souvenirs were only seen in expensive museum gift shops or a small selection sold on street carts. These stores had it all, so the boys and Ratko got T-shirts, commemorative White House coins, and Joey got his crystal Capitol building that he had been wanting.
Ryan, Joey and I decided to go back to the hotel while Ratko and Alex went to the International Spy Museum. It was kind of scary for me to take the two kids in the Metro at peak rush hour, but it went fine and we discovered the Rosslyn Metro Mall on the way back while looking for ice cream bars.
Ratko and Alex loved the Spy Museum. It started with a movie about different spy agencies, such as the CIA, KGB, etc. In the elevator they were told, "Watch your step, because we'll be watching you!" Alex enjoyed viewing the spy gadgets, magnifying glass ring, telephone in a shoe, 007 car with flip down blinkers that reveal machine guns, rotating license plate that changes to JB007, and spike tires. Got to crawl through a vent and watch other people below you. Learned about spies in history, such as ninjas. Ben Franklin and George Washington were spies. Saw some WWII spy equipment. At the end they saw another movie about intelligence which stops thousands of terrorist attacks. Alex got some cool souvenirs like a pen that lights up blue and an alarm clock/calculator that folds open with the push of a button.

We had Doner Kebab delivered for dinner from a Turkish restaurant in Georgetown. It wasn't as good as when we had it in Germany, but it was still pretty delicious. After dinner the boys finally had a chance to use the hotel's indoor pool. Unbelievably, they still had plenty of energy to spare!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214353620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214353620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214353620/tpod.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:56:59 -0400 East Coast 2008

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

This time we inquired about pancakes at breakfast and they made them fresh for us! And we had a crystal clear view of Georgetown and the river today, with sunny blue skies. We have been so lucky this entire trip because we have not had one single hot day!

Originally we had planned to go to the Natural History Museum, but the weather is supposed to heat up on Thursday, so we decided that if we were ever going to the zoo, it should be today. Blue sky with 82 degrees and breezy is better than we had even hoped for, in this place known for muggy summers. We headed out to the zoo, which is a 1/3 mile walk from the metro, then 2 miles walking inside, and 1/3 mile back to the metro. The boys had a great time. It was worth the trip, even though the World-Famous San Diego Zoo is in our own backyard. National Zoo has some different stuff, like Amazonia-a walk through exhibit with monkeys and parrots roaming freely with the humans. We also enjoyed sloth bears, ring-tailed lemurs, and of course all the reptiles and amphibians! Since each kid brought his own camera we probably have over 200 photos of animals!

After a familiar lunch of McDonalds and Chipotle burritos (thank goodness for vegetables, finally!) we headed for our 3:45 tour at the Library of Congress. Because we had a reserved tour from our congressman, we got to skip the line and had a smaller tour group than the general public. Ratko was thrilled that there was no tax paid in the gift shop! The tour was excellent--very informative. That building is beyond belief. I never dreamed that something so elaborate existed in the USA. It was done in the Italian Renaissance style. Of course the boys wanted to know where all the books were! Turns out that if you want to research there (no checking-out) the books arrive on conveyer belt within 45 minutes and you can look at them as long as you want-- for free. But the real star of the show is the building itself. Apparently it was designed to show off American wealth and power at a time that the US was slowly becoming a player on the world stage. The library was the first building in DC to have electricity, so light bulbs were emphasized. They chased us out at 5 pm when they closed, so we headed back to the hotel for a short rest.

We went to Arlington Cemetery on the Metro to catch the shuttle bus to the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial for their big Tuesday night concert. After waiting in line for 5 minutes, the Marines told everyone that no more shuttles were coming and we would have to walk 15 minutes to get there. We arrived, out of breath, just as it was starting. We never dreamed there would be about a thousand people-literally. We only stayed for a few songs because there were no good places left to sit. From the west end, the walk to our hotel was shorter than the walk from the cemetery entrance. If only we had known there would be no shuttle, we would've walked both ways from the hotel. I think we walked more today than any other day. We are getting used to it though, and the boys are real troopers.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214446320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214446320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joallyblue/1/1214446320/tpod.html Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:13:40 -0400 East Coast 2008

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Wednesday we had our Capitol tour scheduled. We opted to eat our free breakfast in the hotel rather than what Senator Diane Feinstein provided because we loved the breakfast at the hotel so much, and hers was just a continental breakfast. Arrived at Congressman Brian Bilbray's office at 9:15 and waited a while for other tourists. Then two interns took us down to the basement tunnel for security. The line was horrendous, and this was just for people who had tours through their congressman's office. Finally we entered the Capitol rotunda, which was spectacular. It was hard to hear our tour guides because it was so packed with other tour groups and it was very echo-y. The House gallery visit meant even more waiting. There were only a few people actually on the Floor, and they were reading newspapers, chatting together, and otherwise ignoring the two guys who were speaking. They were debating new taxes, something to do with high gas prices, etc. Alex thought it was interesting. The highlight of the entire morning was congress's own personal hanging open-air tramway that went very fast.

It was after 12 noon by the time we left and headed for Alexandria. The Metro ride was above ground for a change, so we enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Alexandria was charming and we rode down King Street to the waterfront in a free trolley. After a delicious lunch at the famous Chadwick's, we visited the Torpedo Factory art studios, which was not at all interesting for us. We walked up King Street and enjoyed homemade ice cream from Scoops grill. They had very unique flavors. Ratko got passion fruit, Joey had maple nut, Alex had pink peppermint, I had orange chocolate chocolate-chip, and Ryan had good old vanilla. The single scoop cones were gigantic, which made them a bargain at $3.50. Alex helped Ryan finish his.

We enjoyed some souvenir shopping at a store called America, where I got a necklace of the American flag in a heart shape. From there we hopped back on the trolley and before getting onto the Metro again we visited the George Washington Masonic memorial. It was beautiful and tall. Unfortunately we couldn't go up to the top because it was 4 pm by this time and they were closing.

Our itinerary had us visiting Arlington Cemetery next, but we knew we needed a rest before our 6pm walking tour of the monuments, and we decided that even though it was a popular tourist destination, we wouldn't die if we missed it.

Met up with tour guide Ben from DC by Foot tours just as they were heading toward the Washington Monument. Their brilliant marketing strategy offers free tours, tips only. Naturally Ben worked hard for those tips! It was very informative and funny. The tour ended up being the highlight of our time in DC for Alex and Ryan. The WWII memorial was impressive. The Vietnam Memorial was very moving with all the letters, flowers, and mementos left by family members. A child wrote one that I saw. It said "Dear Uncle James, I never knew you, but thank you for your service." After the tour ended, we went inside the Lincoln Memorial, which Ryan really enjoyed due to an audio CD story from Adventures in Odyssey that he listens to over and over before bedtime at home. We stopped by the Korean War memorial before deciding that we were too tired to walk all the way around the Tidal Basin for the Jefferson and FDR memorials. A pleasant surprise on our way home was the sight of fireflies on the grass of the National Mall, which, being from California, we had never seen in our lives. It was magical!
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