Three's Company!: Can't Stop The Feeling

6 Years, 8 & 9 Weeks

A trip to see the seat of our nation's government?

What a Capital idea!

This past week's adventures took us on our summer vacation, this year being a road trip up to Washington, D.C. Braelyn had just finished studying about our capital city in 3rd grade, with the three branches of government, the different monuments and memorials, so we thought it would be nice to visit there while the information and interest was still fresh in her mind. Plus, we had been invited to join the Bergherms there, as they had also been planning this vacation for their family, so we looked forward to having some fun with friends up there.

The week prior to our trip, aside from having to deal with the minivan's brakes issue (see last week's post) was all about packing and getting our gear ready for what we needed while we were away. Also, we made sure we did a full house clean, as we had hired my younger cousin to house and dog sit for us. We made sure we were all set and ready to go, leaving early on Saturday morning for the first leg of our trip up, dressed and out the door by 6 AM.

6 AM. Excited to head out!

And we're back asleep. Kohlden, you're getting very sleepy...

And…he's out.

I took the first shift, as the rest of the family promptly went back to sleep, with Tangie taking over at the Florida/Georgia line and giving me a couple of hours snooze (I say snooze, because by then the kids were awake and loud) before taking the wheel again for the rest of the trip, with us settling in for the night in Cary, North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh. We chose that place as our stop because some good friends and a former classmate of Madelyn's from OJA had recently moved there a couple of months ago, and she just missed her so much we thought it would be great to see them all. It was a wonderful reunion for the kids and we had a wonderful time enjoying some of North Carolina's finest barbecue, capping the evening off back at their place for dessert, catching fireflies, picking wild blackberries, and rolling down hills. Our hearts (and bellies) were full as we headed back to our hotel for the night at the La Quinta, which we scored for $53 at Hotwire.

Mommy giving me a couple hours respite.

Kohl hamming it up.

1/3 of the way there!

And we hit some heavy pockets of rain.

Flooding in North Carolina!

Reunion!! Priceless moment with her old classmate Penny.

They were so glad to see us!

Daddy Matthew takes all 5 kids to the gym. Just kidding, their subdivision was behind the shopping plaza.

Looking for wild blackberries.

She was able to pick a few!

Group shot with the Hayes family.

They had insisted on us coming back in the morning for a home cooked breakfast, even though the hotel fare came with a continental breakfast, but who could pass up such a gracious and generous offer? So we were up and about early again, and after loading up the van, went back to their home for scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, the works, you name it. It was cool enough (What?!?) to have breakfast outdoors, and we enjoyed talking and sharing stories and jokes until it was time to leave, as we had another 4 hour drive up to DC.

Showing Maddy her room.

They went all out with a great breakfast!

Enjoying the morning weather on the back patio.

Thank you for your generous hospitality!!

We had told the Bergs we would join them for the Air and Space Museum in the afternoon, so they were patiently waiting for us, as they had arrived there earlier in that day. Our 4 hour forecasted commute though was lengthened due to some poor highway design and an influx of people traveling on their summer vacations (the nerve!) that we ended up driving for almost 7 hours because of the heavy traffic! We even left the highway for periods of driving on country roads just to escape the bumper to bumper scene, and it still took us that long. It was so crazy to see how many people were on the road, and on a Sunday too.

And…we're on our tablets.

2/3 of the way there!

Uh, oh. Not looking good...

Heading to our hotel towards Dulles Airport, no one going there but everyone leaving.
We thought something had happened and we needed to turn around too!

We finally hooked up with the Bergs at the Museum around 4:30 in the afternoon. The place was massive, as it should be, since it housed a plethora of original private, commercial, and military aviation, as well as the final resting place of the space shuttle Discovery. It was amazing to see all the planes in one location, and read about that specific plane's history and significance it played in US history. We stayed there until closing at 6:30, and then we all converged upon a nearby Vietnamese restaurant, where we ate some amazing noodle soup, it was amazing! Pho get about it!!

Udvar-Hazy National Air & Space Museum.

It was crazy big in there!

At the control tower overlooking the city.

The first SR-71 Blackbird spy plane!

Enola Gay, of Hiroshima atomic bomb fame.

With the Space Shuttle Discovery!!

Vietnamese supper with the Bergs. Pho real!

We split up for the night; they were on the other side of town staying at the Wyndham where Jennifer's mom is a member of their vacation club, and we stayed near the airport at the Hyatt House, which we booked with our vacation perks through DirectBuy. It was a nice, fairly new hotel and we had a little suite with a 2 queen beds, a living area with a sofa bed, and a dining area and kitchen. We would check in, unload and settle in for the first of 5 nights there.

The living area with pull out sofa bed.

2 Queens. Maddy & Daddy in 1. Mommy and Kohl in the other.

Our kitchen and eating area.

What is this??

Enjoying the basketball court.

Nice view of the sunset from our room.

And…he's out.

Monday morning we were up and at 'em bright and early at 6 AM, as we had a full schedule of tourist stops to see in DC. After enjoying a nice breakfast courtesy of the hotel (which included omelets made to order!) we drove the van towards the city and found parking in a Metro Station, as we decided it would be too difficult to drive into town and try to find parking there, especially with all the traffic. The metro would be quicker and less hassle, plus it would be fun for the kids to ride in a train.

Enjoying the first of 5 breakfasts at the hotel.

Buying Metro cards and loading them up with fares.

On our way! Brae read several books on our rides back and forth during the trip.

"Are we going to order sandwiches?" she asked when we told her we were going to the subway.

And still reading!

Little sister too. Love it.

We met up with the Bergs at the Spy Museum for our first stop, as we had already purchased tickets online for the 10 AM tour. It was really neat to learn about the history of spying and espionage, and how often it happens in our country without us really knowing! The kids got a kick out of seeing all the cool gadgets (ok, the dads mostly) and they had a really cool exhibit exclusively on James Bond!

Excuse me, I was hoping you could tell me if you've seen my 3 children?

Meeting Daniel Craig of James Bond fame at the Spy Museum.

Reading about spy stuff.

Maddy with one of the first spies, a ninja. Hiyah!!

From there we had lunch at an old waffle restaurant right across Ford's Theater where Lincoln was shot. It was old, dingy, and run down, but it was still crowded. They were able to accommodate our group of 11 and we tried to enjoy our food amidst the noise and ruckus, before heading back out to continue sightseeing.

Lunch across from Lincoln's assassination spot.

Saw this NBA player and took a selfie with him!

Our next stop was the Museum of Natural History where the kids enjoyed seeing all the animal displays and different exhibits. We saw all 45 carats of the Hope Diamond, and Braelyn exclaimed that she was in "gem heaven" while looking at all the gems and minerals displayed. They enjoyed seeing the insect, mummies, and fossil collections too.

The famous elephant at the Museum of Natural History.

She loved the gem and mineral section.

She was in heaven!

Maddy inspecting something with a microscope.

After that we sauntered over to the Museum of American History, about the inventions and developments that helped create our nation, as well as the history of the Presidents and First Ladies. The kids had booklets that had scavenger hunts in them, so we walked and walked and walked around, trying to find these pieces for them to finish and get clues. We must've walked several miles.

This was the original iPhone…without the actual phone part.

Maddy with one of the largest dollhouses ever!

The crew was spent!

Mommy stretching out her calves. Every day she hit 10,000 steps!!

We separated for the day and headed back to the hotel, tired and hungry. Everyone was in a different mood for supper so where better place to get all those cravings than Whole Foods! We hit their hot bar and ended up spending quite a bit too much for supper, and especially since we had paid $50 for lunch at that waffle place! The children crashed hard when we got back, and for good reason too.

Buddy was so tired he fell asleep on the train.

Hmmm…some sort of Baywatch babe.

Getting some groceries for the hotel.

Getting some evening energy out.

Tuesday we were in for a couple of treats. The first one was a special tour of the US Marshals building, which was the Prettyman Courthouse. Jennifer's mom Julia knew someone who's stepfather was a retired US Marshal, and so with the connection she was able to set up a private tour for all of us, and to make the kids Jr. US Marshals for the day. I even met the new Director of the US Marshals and shook his hand while we spoke on the events that happened in Orlando. What a neat experience!

Their job is to provide security to all Federal Judges, as well as protection for witnesses in a federal case, so it was neat to hear stories about different cases. We were even able to see several courtrooms, including the ceremony room where any new Federal judge or Supreme Court Justice would be sworn in. Alas, picture taking is not allowed anywhere inside the building, so they confiscated our cameras during security check, so we took one outside once we were done.

Outside where the US Marshals headquarters is.

After the US Marshals tour we crossed the street towards the National Mall, and ducked inside the National Gallery of Art, to use their facilities and have a quick look around. It would've been nice to walk around and see the actual pieces of art, but we had a group of small kids that were loud and rambunctious and touchy-feely, so we felt compelled to decline the urge to stay and instead save ourselves any embarrassment should one of our party accidentally destroy a national treasure per se.

Braelyn recognized the art sculpture from her art class at school, and she wanted me to
take a photo to send to her teacher!

Very interesting and unique interpretation of the Little Mermaid and King Triton.

We traversed across the National Mall and went to the Botanical Gardens, having a quick bite to eat under the umbrella covered tables just outside of the entrance. We had all packed and brought lunch, a lesson learned from the previous day that saved us time and a great deal of money. Seriously, 2 waffles, a BLT, grilled cheese, and a chicken sandwich shouldn't cost $50!! We did a bit of walking and then some resting inside, under the mist of the canopy above. It was neat to see the different environments and plants associated with them all under one roof.

Jumping on the Mall in front of the Capitol.

We were smart and packed a picnic lunch instead of eating out. Saved time and money.
But it was extremely hot sitting outside. So maybe not so smart after all.

The kids going over a scavenger hunt to find different kinds of plants in the Botanical Garden.

Braelyn with some lovely hanging flowers.

Mommy found the Yling-Yling tree of essential oil fame!

The parents still looking fresh.

The kids' area, where they can garden and water plants.

They enjoyed it so!

Taking a breather before our next tour appointment.

We had a private tour of the Capitol Building scheduled through our state representative at 2 PM, so we met up at his office in the Longworth House Office Building. I say private, because we were led by his one (and only) intern for the summer (Alana), and not by one of the several hundred public tours led each and every day. We had access to the Capitol via the underground tunnels, and were treated to an abundance of history and stories which we enjoyed immensely. So much history and symbolism and reverence displayed there, 2 hours was just a teaser for everything there was to see there.

Not even the beginning of the tour and they were already tired!

At Mr. Webster's office, representing our district and Florida.

The intern, Alana, was our guide. She comes from Windermere.

Going underground and accessing the Capitol via tunnel.

At the new visitor's center, which is also underground!

With a life-size replica of the figurine atop the Capitol dome.

At the lowest level of the Capitol, the crypt.

Pointing to the true center of Washington D.C., where all roads lead out from the Capitol.

One of the many domes, and beautiful chandeliers.

Saw the entrance to Paul Ryan's office.

Looking at a replica of the Magna Carta.

With Samuel Adams of beer fame.

Group picture post tour. What a neat experience!

After the tour we separated from the Bergs; Evan was giving fits and complaining about being tired of walking. But instead of heading straight back to the hotel like them, we took the Metro and then a shuttle to the Kennedy Center, where we attended a live and free performance on their Millennium Stage, that evening featuring composer and musician Bill McComisky and his 3 sons, along with other family members and friends. Their genre was traditional Irish folk dance music, so we enjoyed that a lot. While we were at the concert, a nice storm blew over the capital, so we were thankful to be inside with entertainment while that was going on. We settled on a quick bite from Noodles & Company for dinner back at the hotel and hit the sack, exhausted.

Taking the escalator down to the Metro.

Waiting for our train to arrive.

Took a shuttle bus to the Kennedy Center.

Amazing foyer with all the flags of the world.

The kids were encouraged to sit on the steps so they could see the stage better.

Great Irish folk music. I wanted to do the Riverdance!

Group shot outside the center.

And our view of the Potomac, from the Kennedy.

Picked up supper from Noodles & Company, but alas,
had to wait for the rain to subside before we could make it to our car.

Someone was hungry!

The girls enjoying their supper on the sofa.

Wednesday's first stop was at the National Zoo in Woodley Park, so we met up with the Bergs there after breakfast. It's a great zoo and nicely laid out, with one exception: it's situated on a hill and you have to go downhill first to get to the midway point and then back uphill to exit the park; not fun when you're already experiencing shin splints and your kids are dragging their feet. They were already complaining about being tired by noon.

Kohl munching down his breakfast.

The girls finished and ready for the day.

At one of the Metro stations waiting to switch trains.

The girls continuing their chapter books.

Going up on one of the longest escalators ever!

That is a long way down from the top!

At the National Zoo.

They made some awesome animal figures using trash!

One of their most famous exhibits, the Pandas.

Maddy got to meet one.

Taking a break from the heat!

Another animal figure, great white shark!!

Enjoying the water mist sprays.

Another picnic lunch!

The kids were treated to a carousel ride by Jennifer's mom.

Petting Betsy the cow at the kids' farm area.

We then took advantage of a Groupon we had all purchased for the hop on/hop off bus tour, minus Jen's mom and London, whom she took back to the hotel. This meant that we could move a little faster and for them not to worry about taking care of a toddler during the tour. We made the usual stops: White House, Lincoln Memorial, and drove by some other monuments and memorials. Funny thing happened to us though ~ as we were waiting for the next tour bus to pick us up from one of the stops, we found it was stuck in the middle of the road blocking traffic. Apparently it was trying to turn around and ended up bottoming out and getting stuck! Needless to say, they had to call in another tour bus to come pick us and the other remaining passengers up!

Maddy sitting with us at the top level of the double decker bus.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

We got to see the White House!

Whoops.

On another bus, passing by the original one still stuck on the road blocking traffic.

At the Lincoln Memorial.

Checking out the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.

Standing straight like Washington.

Group shot inside the Lincoln Memorial.

With Honest Abe.

The group joining the rest of the tourists sitting on the steps of the Memorial.

Group shot with the Reflection Pool.

At the Korean War Memorial.

Drove by the Jefferson Memorial and

The Washington Monument.

Crowded tour bus, even up on the top deck!

We joined the Bergs at this hip and trendy Italian restaurant in...Chinatown (no, really) and then we said our goodbyes as we separated for the last time on this trip. They would be heading up to Philadelphia the following day en route to New York City. We, meanwhile, had an extra day in DC to ourselves, before starting out our drive back home.

Officially in Chinatown!

An Italian restaurant in Chinatown, who knew?

Lounging in the restaurant waiting area after supper.

Walked around and saw this amazing scene.

They were so tired they crashed hard!

Over 18,000 steps that day!

Thursday we really didn't have any concrete plans, save for the evening for when we were to join our friends and former college classmate Darlene Peterson and her family for supper at their home at 5 in Laurel, MD. According to Google Maps, they were a 45 minute drive from where we would retrieve our vehicle from the Metro. So we had the morning and afternoon to kill. We headed back into DC to go to some of the other sights and monuments we didn't get to do earlier, and even doubled back to see more of the same: The White House, The Washington Monument, the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, Sculpture Garden, and the Smithsonian Castle (but only to use the bathroom). Then it was back on the Metro to high tail it back to the van for our "short" drive up to Maryland.

Lined up, ready to go for the day.

At Starbucks waiting on the girls to finish using the bathroom. Again.

Back to the White House, on the opposite side this time.

Went to the White House Visitor Center since we were denied the actual tour.

Took the bus to the National Archives. But since no photography was allowed, this was all I got.

Dipped our feet into the fountain at the Sculpture Garden.

A little break in the shade to readjust our shoes!

Maddy was really tired.

I mean, really really tired.

I spoke too soon. Apparently Google Maps doesn't account for traffic when we checked at 11:45 PM the night before. So it was quite disturbing when we realized we were going to have to go through the city (and outskirts) during rush hour traffic, coupled with people getting off early for the holiday weekend. And to make matters worse, you couldn't make any left turns because there were no turning lanes! I'm assuming it's because the city is so old and you can't expand out to make any more lanes due to the buildings on each side of the roads. It was, quite literally, H-E-double hockey sticks. Traffic was heinous, and we were using both phones to check GPS to find any streets that didn't show red, including driving through neighborhoods and streets that you really didn't want to break down or have a flat tire or run out of gas. It was insane! It took us almost 2 hours of crawling and zig zagging and stop and go's before we made it to our destination. I felt badly because our hosts were so patient as we kept them up to date with our locations, but they understood and emphasized why this was the very reason they try to keep out of the "Big Bad City."

Ok, so how do we escape all this red?!

Still tired.

At least the twins had a nap!

Finally arrived, and ready for supper!

We enjoyed a few hours of eating and socializing and catching up with our friends. The last time we saw them was when we were up there in DC in 2006 for Memorial Weekend. 10 years later, and nothing had changed. Well, except for maybe we all looked a little more tired having 5 kids between the two couples. We headed back around 10:30, and the drive back was a breeze. No, really, it was so totally different than 5 hours before: The town was a ghost town and the only vehicles were the Capital Police stationed at each street corner, It was as if there was an evacuation and we didn't know about it! So we drove around and looked at the monuments, as everyone had mentioned how beautiful they are at night. The kids, with the exception of Kohlden, had all fallen asleep, so it was cool that he was able to share the night tour with the parents. We arrived back at the hotel at 1 AM.

Us with the Petersons 10 years ago.

All of us now.

Fast friends. They just met too.

The Capitol dome.

Jefferson Memorial.

Nice shot of the monuments across the tidal pool.

Still tired! She was out!

On Friday we contemplated going back into the city before heading south towards Williamsburg, where we were to spend the evening, but after the previous day's traffic debacle we decided against it. Washington would have to wait until our next visit; looking at the map we hardly put a dent into all the sights the city had to offer. Oh well. We slept in and took our time packing up and eating breakfast downstairs, and then it was off to Williamsburg.

It took a little longer to drive the 2.5 hours down, but then, it's always longer than expected, right? Actually, I opted to take the country roads instead of the interstate, and when I looked at the traffic, my decision was validated. Plus, I was driving 65+ mph instead of sitting bumper to bumper, and I had lovely country farms and forests to look at, instead of semi trucks and other travelers on the road for the weekend. We arrived at our hotel in Williamsburg close to 6, the Marriott Manor Club at Ford's Colony. It was very stately looking, with it's brick walls and chimneys, very old and historic looking, considering it was built in 1986! We enjoyed the pool and then dressed to head over and walk around Colonial Williamsburg area for supper.

Really man? You had to spill your entire cereal bowl all over the van?

Our hotel in Williamsburg!

They enjoyed the historical look of the place.

Ready to hit the pool.

A nice reprieve from the heat!

Met a nice gentleman on our walk through Williamsburg.

Had supper at The Hound's Tale.

The decor was everything dog. Everything.

Braelyn and I enjoying some noodle soup we picked up for the hotel.

Saturday we did the tour of Colonial Williamsburg, where we "lived" like it was 1776, and saw how life and things were made or produced back then. It was neat to see how life without phones, technology, the internet was like…not to mention not having any power, electricity, and light! It was a very eye opening experience, both for the kids and parents alike. We could've stayed there for several days and not see everything that was available, but alas, we had to drive to Charleston, SC for the evening, as we had already booked a hotel and it was non refundable since it was through one of those 3rd party booking sites. Anyway, the highlight of the tour was having the kids participate in a live archeological dig, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. They were a bit disappointed when they found out they couldn't keep any artifacts they found, as the Williamsburg Society had to catalog each piece and keep as a historical part of the city, but they enjoyed working with real archeologists, especially Braelyn, as all of the archeologists were ladies, so she was stoked about that. Her dream of being an archeologist just became a little more real for her then.

Still asleep while the parents were getting ready.

Braelyn shared the king bed with the parents so she was quite happy.

Picking up some breakfast at Duck Donuts, which we were introduced to in North Carolina by the Hayes's.

Not the healthiest by any means, but oh so good!

Getting into character in Old Williamsburg.

Maddy preferred the sword while

her twin preferred the pistols.

A selfie with a couple of militia men.

It was such a beautiful setting.

Visiting the apothecary.

He was great and engaging, probably one of my favorite characters there.

Getting some shade at the Governor's Palace.

A rare shot of the kids with the film crew!

In front of the Governor's Palace on the village green.

Keeping an eye on the stock [at the] market.

They loved seeing the horse drawn carriages.

Gathering around the archeologist to get instructions and answer questions.

Down into the dig.

Kohlden enjoyed working in the dirt!

Mommy and I enjoyed watching from the shade.

Maddy working on the sifter.

Braelyn in her element!

With her archeologist, Katie.

Learning and identifying the different pieces of artifacts.

They had fun finding pieces of history!

They joined the bucket brigade to help put out a small fire.
The process took 20 minutes. The house burned to the ground. lol

Our drive down to SC was long and tedious, stopping every hour or so for a bathroom break or food. It took us longer (again) than the supposedly 6 hours it was to take from Williamsburg, but then again, we were taking our time. A real unplanned treat was finding a ferry boat that would take us across the James River, instead of heading back towards the interstate or going to Norfolk, VA, as that would've added another hour to our drive. And since it was free, it was a no brainer. We had never been on a car ferry before, how cool! It made up for the drive, as it was after 11 PM when we arrived in Charleston and checked in to our hotel.

Our van in line, awaiting for the ferry to arrive.

We were able to get out and walk around!

On the barge, ready to head off.

It looks like there's an accident with traffic everywhere!

We took out the bread to feed the sea gulls.

And…he's out.

Maddy returns the photo bomb at her brother!

Sunday was another sleep in morning, and by sleep in, I mean 8 o'clock. We wanted to swing in and see the city of Charleston before heading for the last leg home, so we were up and about to have breakfast and hit the pool. After loading up we headed into town, and walked around the waterfront and market street to check out the markets. It was ridiculously hot and humid, so we hurried through and set out for home. We did take a mild detour for supper to St. Simon's Island, as we had originally planned to swing into Savannah but the lady at the Georgia Welcome center told us it would be crazy crowded and almost impossible to find any parking because of the holiday weekend. St. Simon's Island proved to be just as crowded, with people hanging around waiting to get into every decent restaurant. So we settled for a Chipotle-esque burrito place and went on our way. It was a long, long drive home, but we made it safely by midnight.

Maddy enjoyed some fresh made waffles.

Taking it easy.

Happy to be in the pool.

Had a few minutes to shoot some hoops too.

At the waterfront in Charleston.

They wanted to climb and explore the cannons. This was the area that started the Civil War.

In candy heaven!!

Hey, can you give me a hand? High fives!!

Found this church turned restaurant that Tangie and I had eaten at when we were dating 15 years ago!

Walking through the market.

Picked up a young Union soldier.

That lollipop is almost as big as her head!!

Here was the rest of our week:

At our annual 4th of July tradition, participating in the Winter Garden Children's parade.

Getting in line to get some decorations for our bikes.

The twins ended up getting some prizes too.

Maddy was thrilled the princesses came to show their patriotism!

Bikes decorated and ready to go!

But first, the Pledge of Allegiance.

We were joined by the Cochran and

Ottati families.

It was very hot and too crowded to ride, so she opted to walk her bike instead.

Devon really looked up to Kohl and enjoyed biking with him!

Displaying our copy of the Declaration of Independence on Independence Day!

She was happy to organize all the pamphlets and paraphernalia from our trip for her school project.

We headed over to the Cochran's residence for some pool fun and supper.

This was just for the two families…what a spread!

The kids playing nice and creating paper flags after supper.

Uncle William provided us with evening entertainment in the form of

sparklers with 3-D glasses, and

fireworks including mortars and bottle rockets!

Swung by to see Cousin Lyka to thank (and pay) her for watching Tux and our house while
we were on our vacation! She had a great time hanging out at our place!