Jason, Grant and I were able to travel to Washington, DC for a 13th birthday trip for Grant. We decided we would let each of the boys pick a destination (within reason) and have a special time just us three. He chose our capitol! This was our first time to use the commercial side of our local airport - so easy!
some of us travel easier than others....
This was a trip of many firsts for us. Our first AirBnb and uber experiences. We succeeded! :) Our apartment was in the residences attached to the Newseum. Our location couldn't have been more perfect for getting around on foot.
We arrived a few hours before check-in, so we dropped our bags at the front desk and headed out. First stop - find a place to eat! We didn't eat here this time, but later took Jace with us for an amazing dinner. We ended up at Orayla mexican a few blocks away. Very good!
We arrived on Thursday. On Wednesday, DC received 5" of snow but we were thankful it had mostly melted a day later! Some of the famous cherry blossoms were still in bloom around the streets and later in Arlington. Many of the ones around the National Mall had not yet bloomed.
Within a few hours, we had stumbled upon the National Portrait Gallery at a Smithsonian and were able to see all of the official presidential portraits.
The newest...
the coolest...
the friendliest...
my favorite...
the first...
Around the corner was Ford's Theater where we lucked in to the last tour of the day!
Continuing down the block, we came to this tribute
and the naval memorial
and entered the National Archives with NO WAIT! It was amazing timing for all three locations!
We officially checked in to the room and headed to Union Station for our night tour of the monuments. The boys grabbed a shake from Shake Shack and we later had Chipotle for dinner.
outside Union station. Capitol in distance.
Our tour was on a double decker bus. This ended up being miserably cold, but otherwise, we had decent temperatures and sunshine.
site of MLK's I have a dream speech in front of Lincoln memorial
World War II
The light is on at the very top which means the House was still in session.
Vietnam
Friday - I stood in line to get our timed Holocaust Museum tickets and the boys went next door to take the tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I was able to grab our tickets and then catch them just as their tour was starting (next door). I have been to the Holocaust Museum before and it is just as powerful this time. Jason loved reading the history leading up and I ended up needing to speed him along so we could get moving as we had a 1:00 with Jace at the Capitol.
new African American museum and we did not make it inside this trip
We met Jace at his office - which is pretty much a gorgeous restored row house across the street from the House's 3 office buildings which is next to the Capitol. Not shabby.
He had a friend from Representative Yoder's office "use her badge" and give us a tour. It was excellent - best he has ever been on with lots of "extras" from the public tour.
Including this... wow. The Speaker's Balcony.
We also walked on the House floor, saw the bullet holes in the desk (Jace hadn't heard this story before), and sat in the Republican Cloak room off to the side of the main room. Wowzers.
so much history at this site.
this is the old Senate room. It is rarely used for official business but this is where all Senators met after 9-11 due to the lack of cameras, etc - it was secret business and no tours allowed.
We just presumed the House members officed in the Capitol. They do not. There are three buildings to the ?south? they are in. Haley, Jace's friend, took us on the "subway" the House members use to travel back and forth between their offices and the Capitol. The night before is when they were meeting late, and due to the upcoming March for Our Lives rally, most had left town by our tour time (Haley was in jeans and casual shirt). It was playtime!
Inside their private elevators.
the special subway
On our way leaving, we happened across this office. Grant stopped and talked to the four men for about five minutes. Neat experience!
We left the Capitol and went west. We took a break...
We went to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum where the boys did a virtual reality airplane flight, and we went to the Natural History.
Hope Diamond
scary dinosaurs!
We went home as the museums were closing. This is our lobby while we waited on Jace for dinner.
Saturday - The next day was the national March For Our Lives rally - we were told 800,000 people came to it, just in DC! The Trump Hotel was blocked off and had protestors outside such as this guy. We had a few plans change due to the masses but the rally didn't really affect our trip.
Korean Memorial
We ate at π Pizza - it was fantastic!
the pizza was made upside down (cheese on bottom)
Random information - we met a family from Sandy Hook at this restaurant who has a 7th grader (2nd at the time) and they lived on the same street as the killer AND our next door neighbor in our apartment was in town from Stoneman Douglas HS. Wow.
view from our apartment roof - the rally was over at this point, but it was directly outside. Had we not left, we would have seen Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus up close!
These are from the Newseum, which was my favorite. I could have easily spent half a day here.
Berlin wall and the concrete tower behind it was a real Death Tower from the east side
There is a special FBI exhibit with artifacts from 9-11 (terrorists, buildings and airport) and from many other famous cases, including the Okc bombing from 1995.
We appreciated the opportunity to share with Grant the facts about 9/11.
So many disturbing pictures; however, the one I didn't know or see before was the top center. The text below it says "he took only one photograph at ground zero before the debris got him." His camera was recovered under the rubble.
Top of the World Trade Center - antennae shown below.
Another stop, later that evening, was the Spy Museum.
There was a lot of spy stuff (duh!) and a big James Bond exhibit. We did an escape room sort of thing also.
cars from the movies
I am a spy... or not...
Sunday started with a walk to Trump International hotel down the street and it was open to the public with no protestors!
The view of the tower, which we went up, and it is the second highest spot in DC, only behind the Washington Monument.
on a tour out to Arlington - the Jefferson Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and changing of the guard
I was amazed at how huge this site is, just goes and goes and goes. It was also much hillier than we expected.
Looking down at JFK's memorial from the Lee Memorial. It is a house that was once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee
looking up at the house from JFK
Bobby Flay's restaurant near George Washington University
Our apartment on the left, Newseum on the right. The photo is taken on Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the White House
Iwo Jima
The Pentagon - it has 6 zip codes and offices 22,000 people. We did not stop at this Memorial.
Lastly, the Air Force Memorial taken from the tour bus.
This was a trip of a lifetime with two of my favorite people. Happy 13th, Grant, and thank you for being the person you choose to be everyday! You make parenting (usually) easy. :)
