Now entering…. Washington, DC! Check out our Mid-Eastern States Itinerary.
Can I be honest with you?
This part of our trip made me go AAAACCCCKKKK! It even made me boo-hoo. More than once.
We approached DC already planning to make a return trip when the boys are older, since there are many things they just are not mature enough for yet. But… next time, I really do need to find someone who lives in or near Washington, DC to help us out. This hillbilly family is gonna need some extra help if we are gonna try DC again, if our marriage is gonna thrive, and if we are gonna keep our sanity. It was not enough that we stayed in a hotel right off the Mall. Nor was it enough that we used the big red Open-Top Sightseeing Tour Bus.
Our first mistake: We arrived in Washington, DC on the evening of May 23, 2013. This was not only Memorial Day weekend, but it also happened to be the last days of school.
Try touring the Smithsonian the last days of the school year right before a holiday weekend. Not good.
Of all the Smithsonian museums, I’m sad to say that we only made it through the Air & Space Museum. For some reason, Levi was not enthralled. (HOW could a little boy not be enthralled with aircraft hanging off the ceilings everywhere?!?) And the crowds, oh! the crowds! It’s pretty well-known that I’m already not a McDonald’s fan, but ordering and eating at the McDs in the museum was nuts even for McDonald’s lovers! I was seriously hyperventilating from the experience of getting some ketchup.
Nevertheless, we did see almost all the exhibits (in a very rushed format because the crowds just sort of shoved you along…). We were able to duck out of the crowds to spend some time with the Wright Brothers.
After our tour of the Air & Space Museum, we bought our tickets for the sightseeing tour bus. Only… we had just missed it.
So we waited. And waited.
[Did I mention a cold front blew through and we were freezing?]
And waited.
[And it was raining on us every now and then for a little added excitement?]
And waited. [And I only packed one set of jeans for each child because the weather forecast said it would be bright and sunny and pleasant the whole time.]
And waited. And waited.
The boys absolutely loved the open-top bus. I’d highly recommend it if it weren’t for the fact that we had to wait about 40 minutes each time we tried to catch the bus. [In the cold. Waiting. With three boys who would like to do anything but wait.]
We used the bus as our drive-by tour of some of the memorials & monuments to prevent exhaustion. They were repairing the Washington Monument, so it looked a bit more interesting than usual.
We hopped off at the Lincoln Memorial….
and visited the Korean War Memorial…
the DC Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial…
and the World War memorials.
Really, I can think of no words to justifiably describe them. There are so many feelings that well up – a chaotic mixture of pride and heartache. Mostly, there were prayers running through my mind – prayers for those who have served and those who are currently serving and for our nation and for the future and for those who have been affected by the past. I long for the day the brokenness of this world is no more. [Even so, come, Lord Jesus.]
We decided to end our trip a day or two earlier than originally planned. I could handle only so many of the “Stupid F…. Bird” signs hanging from all the lampposts [an elegantly chosen name for a theatrical performance of some sort – it’s the one time I wish my children did not know how to read!], and the Transgender Awareness 101 meetings that were taking place in our hotel [note: maybe pass on the Hyatt Regency next time]. Regardless of how you may feel about it, I didn’t want to witness all that at this particular point in my life as a mother of three young boys who just wanted to go and see some history of our nation. Besides, I was already in a grumpy mood as is evident through my recounting of this part of our trip.
So… we ended our DC trip with something we all THOROUGHLY ENJOYED: The International Spy Museum. The boys are a bit obsessed with spy stuff, and deep down I think Gary would like to work for the FBI, and of course, I was way into all the educational history connections that were EVERYWHERE in this place – from ancient history connections to the Cold War and Viet Cong and, man, there was just SO MUCH. [Sorry 007 fans, but I could have done without all the James Bond stuff at the end of the tour, but the rest of the museum made up for it.] The museum displayed a huge assortment of international espionage artifacts (and interactive exhibits): cipher machines, concealed cameras, disguises, and even a lipstick pistol! We couldn’t take photos inside (duh, Brandy! it’s a SPY museum!), but I sure wish I could have! I think they may have had the spy cameras on me to make sure I didn’t take any photos….
That wraps up the most stressful part of our Mid-Eastern States Trip.
It’s your turn now. What did we miss? [I know, I know, I know, a whole lot!] Please let us know what all we missed in the comments! We’ll be headed back to DC in about 5 years or so [shudder!]… and, as always, I love to hear about your traveling excursions, even {or especially} if they turn into AAACCCKKKK adventures like ours.
And if you live in DC, please email me or leave a comment. I am SO going to beg for help next time around. I’m serious.
Our family has an exciting goal of experiencing all 50 states together before the boys graduate from high school. To take a look at some of the places we’ve been, visit our Traveling America posts. If you want to offer suggestions for off-the-beaten-path places to visit in the 50 states, we would love your input!
Care to visit 50 states with us? How about visiting just one state? How about just a local field trip? If so, we would love for you to become a part of a network of families traveling the USA, even if you’re just visiting local destinations. [The locals always know what’s best, right?]
Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions for your favorite state(s), or virtually visit the other states we’ve visited to offer your recommendations on those pages! I really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY want to read your ideas!