Mr. Shawl Goes to Washington (Part 2)

By day 5 of the trip, we had already done many many museums and caught up with friends and family... So now it was time for the shawl, and the kids, to have a full-on tourist experience. What better way to become a totally shameless tourist that to take a Duck Tour? We climbed aboard the Lame Duck and saw the sights from both land and sea...

The Duck Tours "launch" from Union Station, an amazing structure well worth a visit. Annie was thrilled to find a Little Miss Matched store- an entire store!- and the rest of us had fun admiring the architecture and the statues with the incredibly strategic shields...

After some drama with the only bad cabbie we encountered the entire trip, we headed to the National Gallery of Art. The West side is more traditional art while the East is devoted to Modern. I adore the East. I spent so much happy time there during high school. Being there with the kids was wonderful- and I am quite happy that now as an adult I can actually appreciate Rothko- something I had a lot of trouble with back in the day. I could happily have spent another day or two just in here, but everyone else was not quite as thrilled as me...

The outside of the Gallery has glass pyramids similar to those at the Louvre. The kids and I had a blast playing around them...and so did the shawl.

We took a wonderful trip to the Canadian Embassy, which I guess means we were in Canada for a few minutes, to check out an exhibit in their gallery. Then we headed out to total indulgence- dinner at Legal Seafood. REAL fried clams- bellies and all- made Rich and I super happy. Henry didn't enjoy dinner so very much, as he bit an oyster cracker and turned a mildly loose tooth into a gushing fount of blood. Lucky other diners who got to experience that with us- not. After dinner we made not one but 2 stops for dessert: a pilgrimage to Dunkin Donuts... followed by another cupcakery. This time, the Red Velvet Cupcakery. And should you go to DC, you NEED to go there. I had the best cupcake of my life to date- and so did my mom! Only one day left now, so we had to make it count... First, we went to the National Building Museum to catch their amazing Lego Architecture exhibit, and play with legos for an hour.

An added attraction of the museum? We caught up with an old friend and her 2 sons... I hadn't seen Liz in about 8 years, and had never met the boys, so this was fantastic.

We all trekked over to the Old Post Office Pavillion for lunch and catch-up, and the Liz and the boys had to head home :-( But, we all went up the Clock Tower, which has one of the best views in DC, and is totally free, and usually doesn't have much of a wait, making it a wonderful alternative to the Washington Monument.

 

After lunch came Monument Marathon... We took a cab to Lincoln and worked backward. I challenge anyone who has ever stood at Lincoln's feet not to be inspired and awed. (Another DC must see was the Lincoln exhibit at the NMAH- I came away from that truly blown away.)

Then we went through the rest: checked out the Reflecting Pool (super happy we beat Mr Beck and his minions), the Korean War Memorial, not Vietnam (such an intense experience I thought would be better for the kids when they were older...), and on to WWII. That one is also new since I moved, and I was so impressed. The space is designed in such a way that you can't help but reflect and consider that multi-national epic event. I found myself thinking about my grandfather, and all my older relatives, who served. And missing them, and wishing more of them had lived to see it.

On past the Washington Monument, and back to the kids' favorite: the Natural History Museum. Granny (my mom) found a bench and collapsed while the kids dragged Rich and I to every exhibit they missed on the 1st stop earlier in the week. That took the last few hours of our stamina, and we trekked out to Clyde's for a delicious dinner served by the most amazing waiter, ever, and also maybe a few drinks for me. Not a bad way to end a vacation!

The next morning... home. We'll definitely be back- we need to say that family more! And by the last day, something odd had happened to me. I actually missed DC! I don't have any desire to move back, not even a little bit, well okay, maybe a teeny tiny bit, but I would like to get back there more...

Comments

[Linda]

It has been interesting seeing the sights again with you. The Duck tours are new since we left. And yes, I thoroughly enjoyed living there for 20 years, but have no desire at all to move back. A must see for kiddos. I'm glad you had a good time.

[ellen]

Mr. Shawl had a fantastic vacation! There is truly so much to do in DC. I think your next vacation should be NYC... so I can see you some more!

[Samantha]

Next is Disney World over fall break- halloween- and then our broke a$$e$ will be staying home for a long long time! If I could swing it, we'd be in NYC tomorrow!

[Samantha]

I think I've finally been gone long enough to appreciate the place :-)

[kristina]

And now I promise to do a much better job of staying in touch so I don't miss your next DC visit! K x

[Samantha]

Yes, please!!!!! Rich can't believe we missed you- of course neither can I!