Let me tell you, it was NOT a dry heat!

Today’s actual temperature was 100, but with the heat index it felt like 111.  I don’t know what you think, but when I’m pounding the pavement all day, that doesn’t seem to be the ideal temperature.  Oh well – what could we do?

Kylie and Lioness Friend

We started off the morning by going to the National Zoo, which was Kylie’s choice.  The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian, so there is no charge to get in.  What a deal!  This zoo was deemed acceptable by Kylie because they met her minimum requirement number of “big cats.”  In fact, the entrance we walked into was closest to the tigers and lions, so it was her lucky day!  We first saw a gorgeous tiger – just beautiful – and rounded the corner to see Mr. Big Lion observing his terrain.  Andrew and I spoke with one of the zoo volunteers who was observing the behavior of the lion.  Every four minutes, she was writing down what the lion was doing.  She was telling us that we had just missed the cubs (darn it!) but if we were going to be at the zoo for a while we should check back before leaving.  Darn it!

Baby Girl!

We walked around and I tried not to take TOO many photos, but of course I took too many photos.  I mean, how many photos of sloths do I really need?  The National Zoo was very nice!  It was made even nicer when we left because, yes, we got to see all seven lion cubs and their two mamas.  Oh, we were very happy (especially one of us).

We grabbed an easy lunch at Union Station, which is essentially a big mall that houses the mass transit system.  Andrew and I were happy to get Chipotle!

I bugged someone to take our pic.

After lunch, we grabbed a taxi and headed to the Lincoln Memorial, which was on our “must-do” list!  I think I have visited Washington DC only twice before in my life, once when I was around 18 and once when I was about four.  I distinctly remember, from that trip when I was four, standing at the bottom of Lincoln’s statue and being in awe of this huge man.  Of course, I didn’t know anything about the actual man at the time, I just knew he was larger than life!  This time, we took the time to gaze at the wonderful statue, and read the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address, which was during the Civil War, which were both engraved on the walls of the memorial.  Wow.

World War II Memorial

After heading down the steps, we walked over to the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the WWII Memorial.  These were high on Andrew’s list.  All were beautiful in their own way – and all very meaningful.  I cried at the Korean War Memorial because of this etched message in the sidewalk:  "OUR NATION HONORS HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO DEFEND A COUNTRY THEY NEVER KNEW AND A PEOPLE THEY NEVER MET".

In front of the National Archives building

We attempted to go to the Holocaust Museum, but found it closed at 4:30.  Lucky for us, the National Archives had extended hours in the summer and we were able to get in at the last minute.  In the rotunda, we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  Yes, I cried standing in front of the Constitution.  This was a very emotional trip for me.  My family think I’m nuts!  The Declaration is so faded.  It used to be displayed in full light but now is very protected, as are the other original documents.  The rotunda is kept in very low light, also, not fully-lit as “Ben Gates” saw it in National Treasure.  And, for the record, Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) was getting ripped off at the gift shop, paying $35 for a Declaration replica.  They cost only around $8.50.  ;p

After leaving the National Archives, we found ourselves back at Union Station.  We opted for a nicer dinner this evening at Thunder Grill.  It was FREEZING inside there, which was a nice change from the searing heat that was outside, but after a while it was a bit much.  Kylie ended up ordering hot chocolate!

A "Capitol" Idea

Wednesday July 20.  Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we…oh, wait, not us.  We’re still on vacation!

U. S. Capitol Building

We got up at a reasonable hour to head back to DC.  We left, we thought, with time enough to allow for a short breakfast, but we were wrong.  We did end up parking, somewhat successfully, but the traffic and a little floundering around on our part had us already late for our meet-up time at Congressman Burgess’ office.  We walked VERY quickly over to the office, which was, of course, on the total opposite side of the Capitol.  Did I mention it was a bazillion degrees outside?

The office of Congressman Michael Burgess

We made it to the Rayburn building and we found the correct office.  We were hot and sweaty and we got there 15 minutes after our meeting time but they were happy to see us!  (The office had requested we get there half an hour prior to our actual tour time, so I guess that was okay.)  As it turned out, we were the only family there, as the other group postponed their tour.  So…hot…sweaty…hungry…we were ready.

Heeeere's Mark!

Mark “The Intern” earned points from me right away because he was from Plano AND he was a Baylor student (Sic’em Bears!) led us from Burgess’ office to the underground section that connects many of the buildings around the Capitol with the Capitol.  Pretty cool.

 

The Old Supreme Court

We first watched a movie shown in the visitors’ theater, then we were taken around the Capitol by Mark.  Both the House and the Senate were in session.  When we went to the gallery in the House, they were recessed, but we were able to watch the Senate in action and got to see an actual vote being taken, which tabled an attempt to sink the VA funding bill (http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/172529-senate-defeats-attempt-to-sink-va-funding-bill-).  The vote passed, with the statement, “we have agreed to reconsider what is to be considered.”  Wha?????

Standing on the "star" in the Rotunda

For the record, Texas Senator John Cornyn showed up to vote around number 80 and Kay Bailey Hutchison showed up around number 96.  I leaned over to Andrew at one point when a large group of Senators meandered in the door and said, “There’s the group back from lunch at TGI Friday’s.”  Wow.  The vote was to be taken at noon and they may have finished by 12:30.  They do not sit all orderly in their seats but they just walk around the room and chit-chat.  The vote was 69-30.  Someone abstained from voting.  Hmmm.  Cornyn and Hutchison both voted Aye.  Along with the Texas Senators, we saw Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Orrin Hatch, John Carey, and Al Franken, among others.  Pretty cool, huh?  (No photos were allowed to be taken inside the House nor the Senate, just FYI.  If they had NOT been in session, I believe it would have been fine.)

We followed our visit to the Capitol with lunch at restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue.  I tried a signature Korean dish called Bibimbap and it was delicious!  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap).

On Andrew’s list was the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum, which we walked to after lunch.  We spent quite a while there and we met some people who were from Plano.  We talked Boy Scouts with them, as the dad and both boys had been to Philmont, where Andrew just went this summer.  They were Texas Tech fans, but they were nice enough.  ;p

I’m not sure where we ate dinner but I’m sure it was excellent.  And something I shouldn’t have eaten.

How many of YOU can say you’ve been reprimanded by the Secret Service?

Tuesday July 19.  Well, we’ll get to that story a little later.  First we’ll start with our drive into DC from Fairfax, Virginia, where we were staying.

CONST AV UNDER CONST.  That’s what the sign said anyway.  What the heck?  Really, it meant “Constitution Avenue under Construction” but the fact the abbreviation for both “constitution” and “construction” was the same was pretty funny.

Let me tell you something.  Parking a car in DC is RIDICULOUS!  A lot of the garages are “valet” garages, obviously where an attendant will park your car for you.  BUT (and here’s the kicker) there’s nothing telling you that.  There’s also nothing telling you if the garage is full or not.  We pulled into one garage only to have an attendant run after us saying the garage was full and we then did a repeat at another garage!  We would have loved to have found a street spot but the majority of the signs say “2-hour parking” or “Yada yada permit only.”  I’m telling you that the majority of the cars parked are parked illegally.  We did finally find a public parking garage (designated with a big blue P with a circle around it) and pulled in, safe and sound.  Wow.

We were scheduled to do the White House tour this day at 1:30pm.  Since we were in DC well in advance, we walked around a bit and got our bearings.  At one point, the kids and I walked around the back of the White House, where a large group of people had gathered, and were immediately told to move to one side or the other, that this area was now closed.  Okay, the guards weren’t talking just to us, but still!  What timing!

We must have gone to lunch at this point, after we met back up with Dan who was off getting a bottle of water or something.  Did I mention that it was about a million degrees in Washington DC?  We left the heat to gain the heat AND humidity.  Yuck.

View from Pennsylvania Avenue

View from outside after leaving tour

It was time to tour the White House!  We were so excited!  After passing through security successfully (yes, you have to do this about everywhere) we were in!  NO PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED INSIDE.  I really don’t like those words, can you imagine?  Anyway, it was cool to see some of the rooms we’ve only seen on TV and in the movies.  When we first entered, we saw lots of photographs of so many different Presidents with their families or with other world leaders and the like.  It was a personal look at the men who have led our country.  We were able to look into rooms like the library and the china room.  Heading up a level, we walked through the dining room (gorgeous!!) and the red room and the blue room and any other color you can imagine.  HA.

I was lagging a bit behind my family at this point and the next thing I knew, Kylie was telling me that Dan had gotten yelled at by the Secret Service for sitting on a chair.  I looked at him and said, “You did NOT sit on a chair?”  He said, “Yes, I did, and I was promptly asked to get up.”  And why did he sit on the chair?  It was not included in the roped-off section, of course.  I told him he missed some common sense lesson somewhere during his life and luckily our day did not go downhill from there!  Apparently, when Dan sat down, the SS guy said, “Sir.” and gestured with his hands for him to stand up.  Only Dan.  OMG.  Well, at least he has a story to tell.

After touring the White House, we walked around the Washington Monument.  Did I mention it was a zillion degrees outside?  Did I mention that the reflecting pools were BEING RENOVATED???!!!  I was so MAD!  Last time I was in DC the darn Capitol building was covered in scaffolding – I guess I can count my blessings at least that building was looking gorgeous.  At any rate, the reflection pools were not reflecting, as they were gigantic beds of dirt.  Bah humbug.  The Washington Monument was pretty, though!

Arlington National Cemetery

We hiked back to the super-secret-public-parking-garage and left the DC area, and headed to the Arlington National Cemetery.  As we arrived at the entrance, we waited a while behind a funeral procession, complete with around 20-30 motorcycle police (military police, maybe?) and loads of cars.  It was very moving to see that.  I believe on that day, there were at least four funerals scheduled.

We walked toward the Tomb of the Unknowns and stopped at the grave of JFK and his brothers, Bobby and Teddy Kennedy.

Tomb of the Unknowns Sentinel

A little further up the hill was the Tomb of the Unknowns.  We stayed to watch the “Changing of the Guard” which occurs every 30 minutes in warmer months.  “The Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb Guard sentinels. Sentinels, all volunteers, are considered to be the best of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, Va.” (http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ceremonies/sentinelsotu.html).  While we were at the Tomb of the Unknowns, we heard two different 21-gun salutes, from two of the funerals elsewhere in the cemetery.

The Butterfields and the Morgans!

For dinner, we met up with my cousin Susie Morgan, her husband, Jeff, and their daughter, Becky, at Cheesecake Factory.  It was great to catch up, as we haven’t seen each other for quite a few years!  They were also very helpful in doling out advice, especially on the PARKING topic!  Thanks, Jeff!

Chillin' with B-Frank, T. J. and G-Dubs

The Liberty Bell

Monday July 18.  The first thing on our agenda was to visit the Liberty Bell.  The Liberty Bell was moved from Independence Hall in 1976 and encased in glass, and again in 2003 to the Liberty Bell Center, where it resides today.

Signing Room in Independence Hall

Independence Hall was awaiting us, so we ventured across the street to line up for our tour.  We had tickets for 11:00 but got there a bit early and we went in with the 10:45 crowd, swapping tickets with a park ranger.  I am glad we did, because the ranger who did our tour was fantastic!  I think about how many times a day/week/month/year this man says the same spiel over and over and how excited about history he was during just our tour, and I was impressed.

The tour of Independence Hall began with a short presentation in a larger room.  During the presentation, the ranger talked about our founding fathers and history of the United States, etc.  He also asked questions of the audience and guess who got called on?  Andrew!  The ranger asked him if he knew what “anarchy” meant.  My boy said, “Yes!” and then he proceeded to give the definition.  The ranger asked how old he was and then asked if he was with us and told us we’d better watch out.  LOL. 

Christ Church Burial Ground

Just up a few blocks from Independence Hall was the Christ Church Burial Ground.  This cemetery was seen in the movie National Treasure and was the setting for an exciting foot chase.   Benjamin Franklin is buried there, along with four other signers of the Declaration of Independence.  The cemetery is nicely maintained, and it even has extra plaques stating the details of some of the graves, as they are so old the engravings in the stone are nearly completely worn down to the point of illegibility.

 

Betsy showed us how to cut out the five-pointed stars.

The Betsy Ross House is a cute little building on Arch Street.  Today, Betsy was home and we got to speak with her at the end of the tour and take a photo!  We walked through the house, which was on four levels, I believe.  Did you know that Betsy Ross also made ammunition during the Revolutionary War?

One of many tunnels we passed through on this trip.

After visiting the Betsy Ross House, our time in Philadelphia had come to an end and it was time to say good-bye and head onto Washington DC.

Sometimes a Lazy Day is in Order!

Elfreth's Alley - Our Nation's Oldest Residential Street

Sunday July 17.  I got up early and ventured out to take some photos of Elfreth's Alley, Betsy Ross House, and Christ Church Burial Ground, among other places.  I left everyone sleeping in the hotel - it was a great morning to catch up on some zzzzz's.  When I returned, we ate a late-morning complimentary breakfast downstairs and then piled up into the car.

Keep-away in the pool!

We drove to Holland PA to visit my uncle Bill, my aunt Patti, and my cousins Kelly and Becky and their families.  We spent a lazy afternoon there hanging out at Uncle Billy's pool and visiting.  Andrew and Kylie were very glad to get some swim time in, as the hotels we stayed at did not have pools.  Uncle Bill whipped up some excellent burgers and the pickles were exceptional - especially the finesse of the slicing.  :)  We listened to Uncle Bill's questionable jokes, of which Aunt Patti did not seem to be much of a fan.  LOL.  It was great to see Kelly & Ross and Drew and Cameron, as well as Becky & Carl and Alexis and Chase.  I had never met my second cousins and they are all SO CUTE!!!  Thanks to everyone for hosting - we had a wonderful time!

The Kohler crew!

 

Nana's house is the right-hand side of the duplex.

After leaving Uncle Bill's place, I suggested we take a nostalgic little drive (nostalgic for only me!) around Philadelphia.  We drove by Nana's house on Knorr Street and it looked fantastic.  This is the house that Nana lived in since she was married in the 1920s or 1930s until she passed away in 1980.  We spent just about every Thanksgiving and every Easter there while growing up in upstate New York, so I have a ton of good memories.  We walked over to the next street to see if Forman's Grocery was still there, but it had been turned into a hair salon.  As kids, my brother and I and my cousins used to go over to Forman's to get treats occasionally.

Glading Memorial Presbyterian

Next we went to find Glading Memorial Presbyterian Church where my mom and dad were married in 1963.  We found it and it is darling!  When we pulled up, I said, "Those look like the doors from Mom and Dad's photo."  They were on the side of the church so I wasn't sure that was right, but, after walking around the perimeter, they were the ones!  The doors were red, as so many church doors in Philadelphia are.  Dan and I began to question why that was so and I found a nice little blog on the internet.  There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer, but it's a very curious topic!  Click here to read about it.

The beautiful Tookany Creek

While visiting Nana's house, Mom, Scott and I (and occasionally Dad) would stop in New Jersey and pick up my Aunt Bobbi and my cousins Gretchen and Tammy (and later, Matt).  Aunt Bobbi has always been a "big kid" and she would be the one to take all the children places and do things with them.  One place we all liked to go was to Tookany Creek Park in the Cheltenham Township (where Reggie Jackson was from, incidentally).  We would play on the playground and then walk along the creek's path.  The creek had many spots where you could go down to the water and stand on lots of large rocks, so we loved doing that.  There was also a very old tree which had one of those branches that just seemed to grow sideways.  We would always climb onto that and sit on it over the water.  That tree did not appear to be with us anymore, sadly.  :(  Andrew and Kylie were a little annoyed at Mom taking them to yet another "boring" place, but once we walked a ways and we went out onto the rocks they agreed it was a pretty cool place!

After my day of hanging out with my relatives and reminiscing, we headed back to the hotel and just decided to stay close and eat dinner at TGI Friday's, which was the restaurant inside the hotel.  We retired to our room at a decent time and took it easy!