We had a quick rest, but realized almost immediately that we were all hungry. We decided to walk towards the White House and find a restaurant along the way. We got less than a block from our hotel, when we ran into my friend and past co-worker, Cristina, and her husband! It was so random to see them here, as I had no idea they were in the area and they had no idea we were. Imagine that! Two families from Sherwood, who just happen to be walking on the same street in the same city at the same time, across the country from their home. Amazing!
After a quick recap of both of our trips and shared amazement at our chance meet-up, we parted ways and continued on toward the White House. On the way, we walked through Farragut Square, where many food trucks were lined along the edges of the small park. We found several that sounded yummy and decided to divide and pick a few things to share. Next stop, the White House. On one side of the building there was a great deal of construction, so it was difficult to see. There were also a lot of people gathered in protest, voicing their frustrations with immigration policies in place.
We continued walking around the block and could see the Capitol building in the distance. The other side of the White House was easier to see, so we got a couple of family photos. We then went on to the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. All of these sites are so close together and were easy to see. It did end being about a four mile walk round-trip and we were starting to get a little tired, so headed back to the hotel. We were all still full from our big late-lunch, so we grabbed some frozen yogurt on the way back to the hotel instead of finding dinner.
The next day, I got up early and walked down to the nearest coffee shop, Gregory's Coffee to find some breakfast. After eating and getting ready for the day, we headed out to explore as many Smithsonian museums as we could. We started with the National Museum of American History. We spent over three hours wandering through the museum. We realized, about halfway through, that there was no way we could see it all and we would have to start picking and choosing which exhibits we wanted to see most. It was huge and there was so much to look at!
We grabbed a quick snack from a food cart, then headed to the National Air and Space Museum. While it was very cool with many interesting things to see and learn about, it was packed. I don't usually have anxiety in groups, but wow. I struggled to keep track of our kiddos so much so, that I didn't really get to enjoy the museum or pay much attention to the exhibits. Also, overall, this museum was a tad disappointing. It reminded us of a mix of the Evergreen Air Museum and OMSI. It was neat to see the Wright Brothers original plane and touch a piece of the moon though. Because it was so stressful for Joe and I, we spent far less time there than we had planned and decided to head to the Museum of Natural History next.
The kids LOVED this one! It was filled with exhibits on animals, their habitats and history of their survival (or extinction). We made it to the Ocean area, Dinosaur section and a portion of the Mammal exhibit, but there was so much more to see. Because it was getting later in the day, we didn't get to see a fraction of this museum and will definitely make it a stop next time we visit D.C. We could have spent hours in the dinosaur section alone. All of the Smithsonian Museums are free, as well as everything we saw the day before.
After pulling the kids away, we headed out to find a place to eat. Just a couple of blocks away was a Hard Rock Cafe, so we went there. The walk from the restaurant to the hotel took about 45 minutes, so we encouraged the kiddos to keep going with another stop for fro-yo. Once back to the hotel, we looked into options for the next day. We had decided to spend three nights in D.C. rather than our usual two and it was one of the best decisions we have made on this trip. While we are all still going strong, we are getting tired quicker and need more rest time between activities. We decided to stay three nights at our last three stops, so our slower pace won't be a big deal.
I knew I wanted to see Fords Theatre, so I ordered our $3 tickets online. Yep, I said that right, just $3 a person! I am so glad I did! When we got there at our allotted time, the line was down the block. Without a reservation, there is no way we would have been able to see it. This stop was a highlight for me. The entire museum was filled with information about Lincoln. Not just his death, but the history of his rise to greatness, the several attempts to take him from power, his final days and the days, weeks, months, and years following that were affected by is life and death.
The museum was informative and interesting, but being in the theater where it all happened and hearing the events of the day from a park ranger, was beyond words. After the park ranger's talk, we headed across the street to the Petersen House, where Lincoln was taken after being shot and later passed away. Once again, it was powerful to be in the last place our 16th president was alive. Through the boardinghouse, we entered into final exhibit, which focused on the aftermath of Lincoln's death and his lasting legacy in our country.
After the museum, we headed back to the hotel for a mid-day rest, then on to the Shake Shack for an early dinner. From there, we headed to the Natural Geographic Museum, which was just one block from our hotel. This was the only place we went in D.C. that had an entrance fee, but it was well worth it. They were featuring an exhibit focused on the Queens of Egypt and everyone loved it. Maylee started getting a bit tired, and with it her independence and fire was showing, so Joe took her back to the hotel and Liam, Nolan and I stayed. We closed the place down and only made it through one of the two buildings.
Knowing we had a pretty short trek to our next stop and a late check-out at our hotel, I did some research to find a good place to have breakfast the next morning. I found several fantastic reviews for a restaurant which was a 15 minute walk from our hotel and made reservations. Once again, I am so glad I did! When we got there the next morning, it was packed. Founding Farmers is one of the best breakfast restaurants we have ever eaten at! It is a farm-to-table restaurant and it shows in every bite. We shared beignets, Liam had his new favorite chicken and waffles, Maylee and Nolan shared a typical eggs, bacon and toast breakfast, Joe had eggs Benedict and I had vanilla stuffed french toast with banana fosters topping. We stuffed ourselves and didn't regret it.
After breakfast, we walked back to our hotel, finished packing and loaded up for drive to Pennsylvania and the Miller family! We absolutely loved D.C.! As much hospitality as we experienced throughout the south, D.C. blew us away with the continuous kindness people showed us. Strangers stroke up conversations and offered to help us carry things, take our picture, or offer us directions when we looked lost. A secret service agent even gave the kids presidential jelly beans just for saying hello to him! It happened over and over, every single day we were there. We saw the best of our country, right here where it matters most. We can't wait to come back!
Details and Links:
The Mayflower Hotel
Farragut Square
DC Food Trucks
National Mall
FroZenYo
Gregory's Coffee
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Hard Rock Cafe
Ford's Theatre
Shake Shack
National Geographic Museum
Founding Farmers
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