The Watsons Go To Washington (D.C.)!

So many pics of this trip we took in May!  I am trying to make an album of this trip b/c it was full of so many good memories.

We have wanted to go to Washington D.C. for quite a while, and I think once we finally did it the timing was perfect! :)

We left early on a Thursday morning and got back late Monday night.

Planning the trip felt like planning for Disney and fast passes, etc.  There are some museums you have to go to early in the day to get a pass for later that day and they can run out fast and that totally stressed me out!  It all worked about great though and I love how everything we did there was FREE! (except the hotel cost and food made up for that!)

We had half a day on Thursday after we got there and walked around a bit and toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing....

Will's selfie.  Classic. :)

Totally gross pic but I need to tell you how sick I was on this trip.  Caught a cold from B and N right before we came and it turned out to be a doozy.  Fever and everything.  I pressed on but it was exhausting and I went through SO many kleenexes.  K got sick too and was my nose blowing partner. :(  Still somehow the trip was wonderful in my memories.

Waiting for our first tour!

We decided to pay more for a hotel in the city so we would not have to pay for the metro much b/c we could just walk to everything.  Metro costs add up for 7 people like crazy, we realized!  Good move on G's part. :)

I crashed that night with my fever and when I rose from the dead late that night this was the scene.

We had gotten upgraded to a nice suite and this was the kids' room but ended up being the healthy room and mine was the sick room.

A nice free breakfast at the hotel every morning was wonderful to have.

We started our day Friday in the rain and it pretty much rained all day.  We still did all we planned to do, but it was just wetter.  My friend Millie's husband works for this museum (opening later)!!

Shenanigans while waiting for G and Noah to go grab us some tickets for something later that day.

One pic from the Air and Space Museum. :)

Shelter/snack...

Waiting for our turn to go up to the top of the Washington Monument.  It was rainy out the windows, but still one of my favorite things we did.

We also toured the Holocaust Museum on Friday.  I did not take many pics b/c of being reverent, but it was really informative and amazing.  So sad to see/hear certain things.  Could have spent a whole day there and learned so much!

HUGE amount of Jews' shoes that they took when they came to the camps.  Their real live shoes.  So amazing to know they touched the feet of so many in history.

We pushed the kids to the max of hunger that day and ate a late lunch at about 4:00.  Not sure if this place was good b/c it is good or b/c we were SO hungry, but I LOVED Potbellys!  With free breakfast and only one meal out (but a pricey one!), we did pretty good on food.  I brought sandwich stuff snacks for the hotel.  It was fun finding new places to eat.  My rule was that we could not eat anywhere that we had one at home!

L and W treated themselves to some milkshakes...

And K to a big pickle... :)

(girl after my own heart!)

Walking back home (hotel).  I got 26,000 steps on my fitbit that day!   

Our squirrel friend we saw each day, "D.C."

It was SOOO good to get back to the hotel and dry off and clean up and relax! 

Mr. High Pants...

The kids took a fun night swim in the miniature sized indoor pool. :)

I love the way they can make fun happen together anywhere they go and in any situation.

Hotel hot tub.  CRINGE!

Had to hunt down the drink and ICE MACHINES.  My love.

Saturday.
Testing the escalators.  Super LONG down to the metro station.

Pigeon friends...

Archives.  This was neat to see, especially since we have all watched "National Treasure."

Back of the White House.  Front was closed for some reason that day.

See the little sniper on the top left of the building?

I was kicking myself that I did not bring Luke's selfie stick, but I do love this up close and personal family selfie. :)

 But to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God...

OK, this was one of my favorite things...Ford's Theatre.

Actual revolver Lincoln was shot with...

In the actual theater where he was shot. Being there just hit me and it was so amazing to me to actually BE where it happened. 

Kleenex KK. :)

Box where he sat...

The speaker gave us the play by play of that night.  So very interesting to hear!

Just right there in town.  Not what I had pictured...

In the Peterson House across the street where he was taken and died...

Bo and Noah loved any and all touch screens and they were everywhere!

Part of the rope used to hang the killers...

Amazing.  All these books written about Abe Lincoln!

Late lunch day 2...District Taco.  It was good but really crowded and stressful to me.

And it ruined Noah's stomach for the day!

Did not eat here but had to get a pic.  Could not be farther from the truth!  (as far as G being a chef) ;)

BIG Trump sign in front of his up and coming hotel...

Made a run into one of the history museums.  It was good but we were very tired at this point in the day...

Julia!  Luke would not pose with Will (shame on you, Luke ;)  )...they are big fans of the show and have had many moments of laughter during it.  Cocoa Cookies!

They had her kitchen here and it was neat to see!

Watsonville!  Sounds like a fun place! :)

Walking to the Lincoln Memorial...Noah had a Taco District gut bomb hit him.  He has a stomach of steel, so when he complained and could not go on, we knew it must be bad.  It had gotten hot and we were so tired, but took turns carrying him.  

Reflecting pool...

Noah...

(Side note:  Noah ended up feeling better that evening but threw up randomly in the middle of the night and was fine after that, thank goodness!)

So perty...

In light of the elections, Will wore this. 

Climbed this irresistible tree until a cop stopped and said it was not allowed.  Boo...

Luke was not going to climb but I talked him into doing it and that is about the time the cop came.  My fault, Luke. :)

Walking back to the hotel.  24,000 steps this day.

These feet were SO sore!

Always a happy site when we arrived!

Day three of free breakfast. :)  The menu never changed and it got a little old.  But who's complaining?

In the hotel gift shop!  I had one of these forever that I must have gotten in Wash DC when I was a kid!

Sunday, our last full day.  This is the only day we took the metro.  We rode it to Arlington Cemetery and the Zoo.

Our travel guide...

No crowds on Sunday...

I could not believe how it just went on and on and on!

This is one thing I remember from my childhood trip.  Very neat to watch...changing of the guards...

Walking to the zoo.  Very long, hilly walk.  The ONE thing we regretted doing on this trip-the zoo.

Would have been good under different circumstances.  Like just a day trip, only activity of the day type thing.

Crazy chimp on the high ropes...not even fenced in, just above everyone!

The main reason we went...the "giant pandas."  Hum, cute but not so giant.  And as I stood there along with everyone else trying to get to the front to take pics, the smart man behind me said that you could see pics of pandas on the internet.  Not the same, mister!

They were really cute, munching on their bamboo sticks...

Daredevils. :)

D.C.

Third restaurant.  This one was right next to our hotel.

Our last night there.  We went out later in the evening to walk around the Capitol.  That was fun.

Got to make it to the front of the White House this night...

Someone took our pic! :)

Last night.  G working on buying tickets to Mt. Vernon the next day...

Will admiring all his souvenirs.

Our hotel room...

To Mt. Vernon...

A sort of rainy, chilly day.  Glad we went.  It was all neat to see...the younger 3 boys had learned about it this year so it was neat to see in person.

Loved seeing inside and learning more about GW's life.  Did not realize how tragically he died!

So amazing to know you are walking where he walked.  I cannot imagine how that must feel if you go to the Holy Land where Jesus walked!

His teeth!

My beloved...

Happily reunited at home...

Final thoughts on this trip:

 It was so wonderful to take a trip like this...educational but also fun.  So glad we got to experience it as a family.  Will has said over and over it was one of his favorite trips ever.  It was perfect for his age and his interests at the time...he had just studied a lot of it and was also interested in government in general at the time.  I appreciated so many things we saw/learned as an adult that I never would have cared about when I was younger, so I assume this will be true of the kids too when they go back as adults.  Even though I could have done without the cold, I was so thankful for our health and ability to go together on this trip.  So many families are not healthy and whole.  I think God works things out for us even before we know and ask.  I do think He cares about the details and knows what things are important to us.  He is a good Father who likes to give good gifts to His children, and I felt that 100% on this trip.  Thankful for His blessings and I do not take them for granted...or try not to.  I love my family and am so thankful for them.