The Hotel
We stayed at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. This was great because it was very close to all of the museums and had a subway station underneath, only two stations away from Mike's conference. We had an awesome view from our balcony.
The Museums
We may not have seen them all but we sure saw a good chunk. (as Geoff would say) I think the kids favorite was the American History Museum. They've remodeled since the last time we went--HUGE improvement. We really relaxed and enjoyed our time.
Julia Child's Cambridge kitchen was my favorite room in the museum. Too bad there weren't any food samples.
We also enjoyed the Natural History Museum, Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Archives, the National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art (my favorite), the Hirshhorn Museum, and the National Building Museum (cool building, weird museum).
The Monuments
The Monuments
We walked a lot and we certainly saw all of the major monuments and buildings. Here are a couple with us in them. If you really want to just see monuments without our cute faces--look online!
The Botanical Garden
The Zoo
This peacock and several more were strutting their stuff right in front of us. They just ignored us and minded their own business--getting the peahens to notice them.
We got to the elephants just in time to see them work with the trainer and do a few tricks for us.
We thought the panda bear was cute but were really won over by the red panda pictured below.
Presidential Homes
The Botanical Garden
The Zoo
This peacock and several more were strutting their stuff right in front of us. They just ignored us and minded their own business--getting the peahens to notice them.
We got to the elephants just in time to see them work with the trainer and do a few tricks for us.
We thought the panda bear was cute but were really won over by the red panda pictured below.
Presidential HomesWe've seen John Adams home in Quincy, MA but on this trip we got to add George Washington's, Mt. Vernon and Thomas Jefferson's, Monticello. We really enjoyed visiting these homes.
Monticello had the most beautiful grounds. Tulips and other flowers as well as an amazing vegetable and herb garden. By the end of our visit I was feeling sad that I couldn't have a garden at home since we just don't have the space or the sun. Now that I've been home for a while and real life has returned I have decided to be grateful that I can't plant a garden. I have had four herb pots sitting on the porch for three weeks, just waiting for me to get around to planting them.
Mike's Favorite Places
Mike's first favorite place was the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum. This is basically a giant hangar filled with famous airplanes and space crafts. It's not far from the airport. Look at the grin on his face.
Mike also really enjoyed Gettysburg. I will have to say it was actually a remarkable site. It really caused me to reflect on the price of freedom as well as the important role that each regiment played in that battle. 
We also enjoyed driving through the Shenendoah National Park. Breathtaking. We will remember this trip for a long time. So, what does Reagan remember most from this trip? The Hershey Chocolate Factory with the Singing Cows. I guess she has her priorities straight--Chocolate!
We also enjoyed driving through the Shenendoah National Park. Breathtaking. We will remember this trip for a long time. So, what does Reagan remember most from this trip? The Hershey Chocolate Factory with the Singing Cows. I guess she has her priorities straight--Chocolate!
Mike and I got to cater the dinner. We had a lot of fun with it. (Except for the part where I sliced off half of my nail and a small portion of my finger--1 1/2 months later and it is almost healed.) We got to stay with my sister and my dad and really enjoyed our extended weekend without the kids. Congratulations Stacy and Tom.
