DC - Part Une

Sunday morning we went to the first service at church so that we could get an early start to our trip. Trey and I have been visiting DC since our first year of marriage, and I think we've made DC and Memorial Day a combined tradition since the second year. It is a city rich with history, replete with stunning architecture, and kind on the wallet, unlike a place like NYC. All monuments and museums are free of charge and on weekends and holidays on-street parking is also free. We managed to hit the road around 12:40, not too shabby considering all we still had to accomplish when we got back from church -- five mouths to feed, four outfits to change, a cooler to pack, a few miscellaneous items to throw in the suitcase, and directions to our hotel to print. Whew! Thankfully, just as embarked, all three children fell asleep.

Our stop for the afternoon was the National Air and Space Museum, the perfect place to entertain motor-obsessed little boys.

The first exhibit we visited was an old-fashioned American Airlines jet. You board as though an actual passenger and get a first-hand view of the cock-pit, first-class cabin, restroom, and other features of such a relic from the '50s. I had to laugh at the manual typewriter perched on one of the tray tables as we browsed. We've come a long way in 60 years.

Although this photo is a little dark, I love the look on Addison's face. The Air and Space Museum is a bit overwhelming. With cathedral-height ceilings hung with various aircraft and rockets, it's a sight to behold, especially for a first-time visitor, like he was.

The three of us disembarking the plane.

Charles Lindbergh's The Spirit of St. Louis, the custom-built single engine, single seat monoplane that he flew solo on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris and for which he won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.

A relative perhaps? Frank Jack Fletcher, a Rear Admiral in the Pacific front during WWII.

A bit crowded?

View from the second floor.

After Air and Space we grabbed some dinner in Old Alexandria and then proceeded on to our hotel, the Washington Suites. It proved to be a wonderful hotel selection. For a remarkably low price we got a suite with a bedroom, full kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom. The bedroom contained two queen beds, and the living room with its 42" flat screen TV had a queen-size pull-out sofa. Housekeeping delivered a small crib for Evie within minutes of our arrival complemented by a box of baby toiletries, baby shampoo, lotion, powder, etc. If you are ever in the DC area, I highly recommend this hotel. It also has a pool, free high-speed internet access, complimentary continental breakfast (word of warning, carb city), and service to the closest Metro stop for those who prefer public transportation into the city. Unlike many hotels in the area, it also offers free parking, a real seller for us. We all slept snug as a bug in a rug Sunday night. The boys, as you can imagine, were thoroughly worn out from the day's activities. Although I didn't get any photos of the suite, you can check out their website here. We will definitely be returning!

Part Deux to come...