DC Day 6 (Charlottesville)

Today we woke up in DC and took the Metro to Union Station (Orange Line from Federal to Metro Center where we transferred to Red line to Union Station) to get our rental car.

At Union Station there was a store called "My Obama Shop". We HAD to take a few pictures.

Once we picked it up, we drove to Dupont Circle... we just wanted to SEE it... we didn't even get out and walk around. Then we continued West on Massachusetts and drove down Embassy Row and tried to see how many of the Embassies we could identify. We saw Zambia, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire, Britain, Indonesia, Philippines, Niger, Brazil, Haiti, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, to name most of the ones we can remember.

Then we headed back to the hotel, packed up, and headed South to Charlottesville.

We all grew CRABBY on the road and had to stop and get LUNCH immediately!!! We arrived and found a hotel near Monticello for which we have tickets tomorrow at 9AM.

Then - at Jade's request - we headed out to look for a barber to clean up his beard (woo hoo!!!!)... but they were all closed (boo hoo :o(

We went to a 6:10 showing of TRANFORMERS and then had CHIPOTLE for dinner (this is like a Taffy Memorial day!!!). Landon wanted Cracker Barrel (still Taffy), but we couldn't find one near enough... maybe tomorrow.

After Monticello, we will pack up again and move to Williamsburg for 2 nights then on to NYC!

Well, bedtime.

Early morning tomorrow.

DC Day Four

We slept in until 11:15 or so then decided to head to the Smithsonians.

We left Miss M at the hotel... she has been sick the whole time so far and it really caught up to her today. We checked in with her by text every so often and she was VERY glad to be resting.

We rode the Metro and walked through the sticky, muggy 91 degree heat to the Information center in the Smithsonian Castle where we had a quick $60 lunch!

Then we went and spent a couple of hours at the Air & Space museum.

These museums are free and crowded... but it is neat to see so many families enjoying time and learning together.

Definitely Jade & Deevs were the ones who enjoyed this museum most!

D was getting sicker and sicker by the minute and was barely hanging in there so he headed back to the room and to Miss M so they could rest & sleep.

Jade, Lando, Deevs and I hopped the Metro to Foggy Bottom. As soon as we got off we saw shuttles for the Kennedy Center. Without talking it over, we just hopped on it and went to the Kennedy Center.

We walked through it briefly then walked out side to figure out how to get to Georgetown. It so happened there was a taxi right outside.

We jumped in and were taken to the Georgetown water front. (On the way, we passed the Watergate office buildings.) There was a dock, right on the Potomac with yachts pulled up and a pretty big party/bar scene. Not knowing anything about Georgetown or what we were supposed to see or do, we ate there at a "green" restaurant with mediocre food. (Ask the boys about the double tongue pierced hairy arm-pitted hostess.)

After dinner, we got directions to "M Street". As we walked there we passed the canal that runs to Maryland and is a National park (where donkeys used to pull barges along the waterway). We walked and shopped and enjoyed the darling architecture.
It POURED rain for a while and we hid out in an Urban Outfitters. After the rain, we strolled down the street... we saw the Francis Scott Key "Star Spangled Banner" memorial park. And then we just hit a wall... the boys were all tired... they were ready to call it a night. We saw a city bus and hopped on. We rode it to the nearest Metro stop and caught the metro back to our stop.