DC Trip: Part 3

Day 6: Final Sights

We came to DC with a large list of things to see. Day 6 was our last day in the city, so we knew we had to pack it in if we were going to see them all. Newseum was surprisingly near the top of my list. I hadn't heard about it before planning our trip, but after talking to friends that had been there, I felt like I couldn't miss it. We'd planned to stop by on two different days, but it just never worked out. No one else was very interested in seeing it, and, by day 6, the kids were not going to make it through another museum. Luckily, I have a selfless father who loves his daughter and history. So Dad and I left the house earlier than everyone else that morning to check it out.

 The metro stop was close, but thanks to this food festival, we walked blocks and blocks before we finally found a way in. The pass you buy is good for two days, which makes sense because there is lots to see. Unfortunately, we didn't have that kind of time, so we started at the top and worked our way down as quickly as possible. 

The view from the balcony was beautiful.

 We passed a piece of the Berlin Wall. 

 And got to see this breathtaking 9-11 exhibit. All of the headlines and the minute-by-minute timeline, brought back lots of memories from that surreal day and the uncertain months that followed.

 Aside from the 9-11 exhibit, I think my favorite part was this timeline, showing how news has changed over the decades. It was cool to look back at things from before I was born and think about what life must have been like before TV and the Internet.

 The Pulitzer Prize gallery was pretty great, too.

We met back up with the others to head to Arlington Cemetery before making a trip to Georgetown for dinner and seeing the monuments at night. Each one of these stops seemed brief because each had so much to see and do.

The gates at Arlington. 

 We had planned to take a trolley around the cemetery to save our feet (especially Josh's), but we got there just as the last one was leaving. 

 There were so many grave markers as far as the eye could see. It was sobering to think of all the brave men and women who have fought for our freedom. 

 We didn't make it to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but we did stop by JFK's grave site. 

 Stacy read the rules to Asher and Quinn before we went in. It's hard to be respectful and quiet when you have ENDLESS energy, but both of them did really well. Sometimes I look at Asher, and I can't believe how grown up he is. Where did my precious little baby nephew go?

 We finished up and waited at the entrance for Dad to bring the car around. 

 That's when the kids felt like they could let loose a little. 

The drive to Georgetown wasn't bad, but the town was crowded. We found this park to play in while we waited for Maegan and her family to join us for dinner. 

Then it was monument time, yet again!

We saw two new ones at night: Thomas Jefferson and FDR. 

And, surprise, surprise, part of the Jefferson monument was under construction. 

We could still enjoy it, though. 

Because of where we were, we ended up going through FDR's backwards. It was a little harder to enjoy at night. Next time, I'll have to catch that one during the daytime. 

Quinn was very interested in his dog. She wasn't sure about it, but couldn't take her eyes off it. 

For once, their roles flipped. Asher had no qualms about touching a dog and Quinn did NOT want to be so close to it. 

Asher practiced his ninja moves in preparation for Halloween. 

Day 7: Baltimore or Bust 

Mom had planned for us to go to Baltimore by train on the final day of the trip. We met Zach at Inner Harbor to soak up some sun and our last few hours with him. We did a little paddle boating, ate some seafood and gave Mom her first Uber experience. All in all, it was a great way to end the trip. 

I thought Asher and Quinn would be fascinated by the train. They thought it was cool for a few minutes, but that wore off quickly. Out came the iPhone to save the day! 

 

We enjoyed strolling along the dock and looking at the birds. 

Then, we ventured into a bookstore. We spent a while there, looking a fish, reading and lining up ALL of the stuffed animals in the kid's section. 

After begging and pleading, I finally got Stacy, Asher and Zach to paddle boat with me. They were dragon paddle boats for goodness sake! How could we not take advantage of this?!

They patronized me for a bit, but Asher was more than ready when we decided to call it a day and head back to dry land.

Then we met up with Maegan and her sister for some seafood. 

Mom gave Quinn her Dr. Pepper while they watched us in the paddle boat, so she had all kinds of energy! Luckily, there was a park just across the street from the restaurant, so we played before and after the meal. 

After that, we said goodbye to the girls and used Uber to get back to the train station. Mom wasn't too sure about it at first, but after one ride, she's a believer. We all agreed it was a better experience than riding in a cab. 

Zach rode the train halfway back with us and then we reluctantly said our goodbyes.

On the metro ride home, Quinn's phone died. I thought her reaction was a perfect reflection of how we all felt. Now, the fun was over and we were headed back to the real world. So long, DC. I'm sure we'll meet again some day.