Day Four and Five: Washington D.C.

D.C. is a short drive from Hershey, so Wednesday morning we got up and ready and hit the road for where the president lives.

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express located near Andrews Airforce Base about ten miles outside of downtown D.C.

The day we arrived we got checked into our new room and decided that we would take the Metrorail into downtown and just check things out.

It was nice to do this and really get a glimpse of DC but also a little bit overwhelming because once we arrived at the National Mall it felt like we needed to figure out quickly where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. In retrospect I wish we would have picked a few things out before we got to DC that we wanted to see.

The first day we went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History which was really fun. Besides the Children's Museum our kids had never been to a museum before and they loved it.

I worried prior that T and M might not be as into it but they totally enjoyed themselves.

Most things in DC close early in the evening so we really only had time to walk around on the National Mall and see that museum before needing to head back to our hotel.

The next day we got out bright and early to see as many of the National Monuments that we could see.

It was hot. We walked and walked and walked. The kids were mostly good sports.

Mostly; because one in particular was miserably hot.

Which is why we took full advantage of this memorial.

We were about to leave the Lincoln Memorial and the loudest thunder I've ever heard echoed through the memorial and because we were really thinking that day we started the walk back towards all the museums and it poured on us.

So we couldn't really complain about the heat anymore.

We had a blast in DC. There were a million more things we would have loved to see but we just didn't have time.

I had been in DC fifteen years ago or so with my parents and I remember spending several days go, go, going and still not seeing it all. It's a fascinating place full of history and tons to learn about.

And I still don't believe that there is anything more awe inspiring than being there when veterans, men and women who have fought for many of the freedoms we have today, are standing there looking at a memorial they fought for our country to have.

I'm just thankful that we were able to take our kids to the nations capitol, to see where the president lives, even if it was just a quick blip of our vacation, I like to think we're giving our kids a gift of knowledge and experience that comes with it.