The Capitol Tour

We are back from a busy, fun filled, yet exhausting DC weekend.  My advice to anyone visiting our nation's capitol...do you homework, there is so much to do, so much to see, and so much history in this city.

Thursday, we arrived at our historic hotel (this hotel is the site of more than one presidential scandals)

grabbed a late afternoon snack then headed off to Union Station for our night tour of the city

I think we saw every monument on this tour

 The Capitol Building

The Washington Monument, beautiful at night by Reflection Pond

Thomas Jefferson Memorial, also reflecting in the pond

FDR Memorial

Iwo Jima

The Vietnam War Memorial

The Korean War Memorial

And the beautiful Lincoln Memorial

each one of these monuments was very powerful and an informative history lesson about our great nation


When we finally had dinner at 10:30 my son was ready to fall asleep in his plate

Friday we were off for a full day of activities!!  First stop, coffee

then off to the American History Museum

some of my favorite exhibits

Julia Child's kitchen



Michelle O'Bama's inaugural gown

and my personal favorite gown belonged to Nancy Reagan

Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz


Our second stop was Air and Space Museum

where we saw at little STL in the DC

We went on the the National Archives, to see the Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, but no photos were allowed

After hours of walking, it was definitely time for a pick me up

We made a quick stop to the National Portrait Gallery, the portrait of every president is on display

Our last museum of the day was probably my son's favorite of the trip, the International Spy Museum

we did an interactive experience and it was so fun!!

Friday night my son was done, he ordered room service and the hubs and I went out for the best meal I had in DC

Saturday we swung by the White House before our "depressing day" begun.  Depressing in the fact we went to a lot of places that were not some of our finer moments as Americans

Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was shot by a fellow American because he wanted to end slavery

The Holocaust Museum.
It was eerily silent as we walked through this museum, you could of heard a pin drop.  Some of the exhibits were awful to look at.  They did not allow photo's in the museum but one exhibit had an enormous pile of shoes collected from the Jews before they were sent off to concentration camps.  I learned of the United States turing a blind eye to what was going on (something that is not discussed much in History books) and some of the videos taken during the holocaust were just disturbing.

After spending a few hours here, I needed a pick me up so we went to the Museum of Natural History.  The hope diamond did the trick

We ended our day at Arlington Cemetery

and saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier which brought tears to my eyes

"Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God"

I told my husband in this day and age of the Kardashians being viewed as god like (puke) and stories of whether or not Jennifer Aniston is pregnant/married/dumped being more important than what is going on in the world it is refreshing to see something so sacred being honored.

We hit up the Chinatown district for our dinner on Saturday night

and a much needed glass of wine!!

Our last day was totally laid back.  After all our sightseeing it was nice just to walk the streets of Georgetown

found a house for myself here

or here


The movie "The Exorcist" was filmed in Georgetown, we found the house from the movie.  My hubs read online they had to put up the high fence because silly people like us keep coming by and taking pictures

and those fatal stairs for the priest

interesting tid bit, the exorcist is a true story but the family is from St. Louis not Georgetown.  One of the priest that was present at the exorcism was a professor at St. Louis University and passed away recently.  I have heard a rumor of which house the family lived in, spooky!!

And finally I made a stop at Georgetown Cupcakes or for all you fans of the TLC show DC Cupcakes

once the bakery opened the line was around the block

and worth the wait!!

Another great trip down in the books!!  Well as the hubs says, "time to plan another vacation"