The Man Museum.

Had to share an interesting observation from the American History Museum.  Much of the museum is very well done exhibits showcasing all sorts of interesting things- from the history of plastics and pesticides, the science behind the atomic bomb, and an entire hall devoted to the history of transportation, complete with full size vehicles such as a steam engine train.  I want to be interested, but I seem to wandering aimlessly 20 feet ahead of Mark.  I finally decided to tell him that I was going to find a bench up ahead and would wait for him there.  I had to smile when I came to a long line of benches filled with WOMEN!  It's like the shopping mall phenomenon in reverse!
As Mark excitedly entered the exhibit called "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War,"  I, equally as excited, am enjoying another comfy bench. 
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Neanderthal Jen

According to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, this is what I'd look like as a Neanderthal woman.  Pretty, huh?

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A Downtown DC Morning

I set out on foot from our hotel to explore the downtown area and here are a few observations.
-It's interesting that the DC business world starts quite a bit later than we're used to.  The metro stations and sidewalks were full of "suits" hustling to their offices as late as 9:30-10.  Maybe their long commutes have something to do with it.  Eric told us yesterday that he has a short 45 min commute on the metro so I guess it's all relative.
- The picture of the tents is a big protest area in a park about 3 blocks from the White House.  People are camped out and there's lots of chanting, drumming, and marching.  Not sure what they're protesting....from the looks of them, I'm not sure they really know either.
- Walked by Franklin School.  Can't imagine a school right in the middle of this downtown area.  Yesterday, there was a group of uniformed private school kids on the Mall and honestly, it looked like it could have been their gym class.  They were playing flag football in a coned off area with adults giving instructions.
- Walked through China Town ( see picture) Strange to see common stores and restaurants where the primary sign is in Chinese and a small secondary one in English.
- Ford's Theater...not much see there.  It's surrounded souvenir shops and busloads of kids on field trips.
-One last observation.  I hate DC squirrels!  This guy literally ran under my foot as I sat on a bench.  They have no fear.  I do...I squealed a little and moved. 

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Monuments at night.

After a quick supper, we hoped to see some monuments in the daylight but found ourselves in the dark.  Still a very cool view of the monuments.  These pictures show the WWII, the Lincoln and the Martin Luther King Memorials.

I have to confess that my feet are killing me and I'm very happy to be back at our tiny hotel room.  It was a great day, but I'm tired.  Not sure what adventures I'll have tomorrow.  Mark has morning meetings but we'll have all afternoon together and fly out at 7 pm.

Wish I could blog smells...

I just left the National Arboretum and I can still smell orchids.  I spent an hour wandering through the beautiful glass-ceilinged indoor gardens.  Each gallery was like stepping into nature in a different part of the world- from the jungle to the rain forest to the desert.  The tree that has pods hanging off it is a cocoa tree- the source of my beloved chocolate. 

The arboretum is located at the bottom of Capital Hill,  which is where I sit now.  Don't think I'll climb the steps and go in.  I think Mark may want to come here tomorrow.  I'll now make my way back down the other side of the mall.  I've wandered into the Hirshhorn, the Air & Space and the Castle.  I may hit a few more museums as I make my way back towards the Washington Monument.  What looked like a long distance on the map has been an easy walk.  Certainly lots to look at.
Stay tuned....

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Pentagon visit

Just had a very cool morning.  LtCol Eric Knapp (brother of my good friend Heather McCarthy) works at the Pentagon and was generous enough to give us an amazing tour and a glimpse into the workings of our nation's military headquarters.  This picture is of Mark & Eric outside the building in the spot where the plane hit on 9-11.  The other photo is of the memorial built there to honor those who died.

Such a fascinating place.  Obviously very high security but we were able to literally walk past the offices of people such as the Secretary of Defense.  Nearly 30,000 people work there everyday.  Mind boggling.  It's like a mini city with banks and restaurants and doctor's offices.  Certainly not your average office building.
Very cool.  Mark is now off at his meeting and I'm sitting on a bench at the National Mall.  For my kids:  not a mall like Bay Park Square...it's outside and is a long strip of grass that runs between the Washington Monument and the Capital and is surrounded by all the Smithsonian buildings.  My plan is to wander towards the Hirshhorn Art Museum.  I'll blog more later.  Having a great time.

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Close Quarters at the Club Quarters

Well, we made it!  We've checked into our hotel (Club Quarters) and can honestly say that we've never seen a smaller hotel room.  It's very nice but literally about the same size as our laundry room!  Guess that's the price you pay to be right downtown.  While Mark worked a bit in our room, I wandered around and it's very strange to just walk down the street and see the White House.  We're heading out to find supper.  Lots of cool restaurants everywhere.

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Metro

We've made it and are heading downtown on the metro.  It's a beautiful day ( sunny & 60s) and it was pretty cool to land with the capital and monuments so nearby.

Plan to check in at the hotel and check out the neighborhood.  Looks like 2 blocks from the White House.

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Detroit

Evan & Emily- Remember the Dancing Waters Fountain at the airport? Got to Detroit fine, ate a quick lunch and are ready to head to DC.  So far so good. 

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A Trip to Washington D.C.

On October 24, Mark and I will head to Washington D.C. for a quick little vacation/work trip.  Mark needs to attend a meeting and I'm tagging along!  A huge thanks to my mom and dad for coming up to take over for us- hopefully they will survive and enjoy the craziness of shuttling our kids here and there.

I'm looking forward to getting away, spending some rare time together, and seeing the sights.  Both Mark and I have been there before, but it's been awhile and we're looking forward to some big city time.

Follow along with us on our quick visit!