This year for Spring Break we took the kids to Washington DC.
Grandpa Smith was working in DC the week prior to Easter, so
Grandma came out and we made a fun vacation out of it!
Our first stop was a tour of the Capitol. We had a cute little tour guide
from Senator Orrin Hatch's office (Thanks, Utah!). We met our
tour guide a few blocks away and we were able to ride the
underground tram to the inside of the capitol.
In one of the rooms there are eight large historical paintings. This one was interesting to us because it is the surrender of General Burgoyne in Saratoga, NY - which was the turning point in the Americal Revolution... and it is in our hometown. See, I did learn something!
We were told that we were visiting too late in the season to see the famous cherry blossoms. I think we did just fine. These were beautiful - and all over! I think we might plant a few in our yard. I love this picture... it seems like the kids are always hanging all over grandpa!
It was hot and crowded... this was when I realized Spring Break is probably not the best time to visit a major tourist attraction.
The kids had fun and I am glad we did it... and with free admission??
You just can't beat that!
The next morning we woke up and stood in line to get our tickets for the
We had a few hours before we could go in so we walked to the
We had to stop and take a few pictures on the way...
The American History Musuem was just opening so we didn't suffer through the crowds and heat that we did the day before at the Air and Space Museum. The guys liked the engines, motors, and cars.
The girls liked looking at all the dresses and dishes of The First Ladies.
We were a little dissapointed that Dorothy's Ruby slippers weren't on display! This is our little lady with the dress from the current First Lady.
After lunch we headed back to the Holocaust Musuem. I had visited the museum with a group of teenage girls about 13 years ago... and I really wanted to go back! We debated taking our kids. But they were so good. The two oldest have learned a little about the Holocaust in school... and we talked to them about what we would see. I was so impressed with the way the museum was set up. The graphic photos and movie clips are all set behind a concrete barrier, so you have to be tall enough to look to see what is inside. I don't think our little man (6) got much out of it. A lot of the history probably went right over his head... which is a good thing for now.
We spent the evening looking at all of the different monuments.
This would have been such a nice picture if the relecting pond wasn't under construction. By the time we finished up at the Lincoln Memorial, we were completely wiped out! How far to the metro?
My dad was able to get tickets for us to attend Easter services at the National Cathedral. It was a beautiful building...
After church we went to Arlington National Cemetary.
We watched the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier. After watching our little man said, "I want to be a real soldier."
We ended our day with a visit to Mount Vernon.
Letting out a little energy....
After taking Grandma and Grandpa to the airport the next morning, we drove to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. On our way we passed by the
Washington DC Temple. So pretty!
After spending some time at the Gettysburg visitors center (which was pretty amazing), we checked into our hotel and the kids went for a swim... in a freezing pool!
The next morning we took a tour of the Gettysburg battlefields.
Our last stop was at Hershey's Chocolate World. YUM!
This little lady found her favorite candy in a giant size...
I guess everything comes in gigantic sizes!
I feel like I need a vacation after coming home from our vacation...
