Day in DC

Washington DC has got to be one of the coolest cities in the US. It is filled with museums, historical monuments, constant events, and so much more. The best part is that it is all FREE! Unfortunately, with little children who need to rest and nap, we rarely get time to explore these places anymore.

So, last year my husband and I decided we would start sending our kids AWAY from the house for a weekend, while we stuck around to explore DC and various other close by cities.

Our time in DC this year did NOT disappoint!

We made a stop at the National Cathedral on our way to DC. We had never been (yes, only 30 mins away and we have never been...sad, I know). It was so awesome. We loved it and can't wait to go back. We took the 45 min tour and then relaxed on a bench in the gardens. Of course, we can't wait to bring the kids to their family day. (funny how much you miss them even though you love the weekend without them...)

Then we headed to downtown DC to the National Mall (no, sadly, it is not shopping). We walked toward the Mall and decided to just stumble upon a place. That place ended up being the United States Botanic Garden. (had no clue one existed...did you?) The outdoor area was a bit dry...we haven't gotten much rain. The indoor gardens were great. They had various rooms with different vegetation and even a children's garden, which of course, we checked out!

Then we left and walked up to the Capitol Building. I had never done this. These days, you can't walk all the way up. They have changed a lot of security rules, but we did get half way and the view of the Mall and the monuments was well worth the hike up the stairs.

Next, we decided we would wander over to the Air and Space Museum. There was an exhibit on display, Ttreasures of American History. It was supposed to be at the American History museum, but that one is closed for renovation, so it was moved.

Boy, am I glad it was here. We waited in a short line to get into the exhibit. Wanna guess the first thing I laid my eyes on???

Abraham Lincoln's Hat. Yes, the very one that was on his head. It was sitting in a case right next to Thomas Edison's lightbulb. WOW! We really still have this stuff!

Next thing I knew, I was staring into the eyes of the original, the one and only Kermit the Frog! "Somewhere you'll find it, a rainbow connection...the lovers, the dreamers, and me" (anyone else singing along?)

This collection also had Dorothy's ruby slippers, R2D2, C3PO, Ray Charles' glasses, Albert Einstein's pipe, The 60 minutes stop watch, ... the list goes on. It was truly a collection of national treasures. (hence the name...)

Of course, I couldn't help but wonder, "Does Carrie Bradshaw's laptop count as a National Treasure?"

After a nice dinner downtown, we headed to Georgetown for dessert. I had a HUGE deep chocolate peanut butter ice cream in a waffle bowl...yum! Perfect ending to our time in DC.