Conleys Visit the Capital!!!

From New York City, we drove to Washington DC to spend a few days at the country's capital. We actually got an apartment in Virginia, which was only three subway stops to the center of Washington DC. and it was beautiful!

One day we went to Arlington National Cemetery, which is the largest burial ground in the country. It was amazing to see all of the white tombstones all perfectly in their rows and very emotional to be able to visualize how many soldiers have died in combat.

Last year we watched the TV series about the Kennedys, so it was actually neat to be able to visit the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy. From the hills of the cemetery, you can see the Pentagon too.

Another day we spent at the National Zoo, which was a fantastic place to spend the day with the kids. They loved it. Was great to see the Giant Pandas, which just a few weeks ago had a new baby cub. Unfortunately we were a few months too early!

For anybody who has studied a map of downtown Washington, most of the tourist sites are located along the National Mall, which is a very long strip of green space lined with the attractions. This includes the Smithsonian museums, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. Only a couple of blocks from the National Mall is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House!

We visited all of the memorials, and for me it was exciting to see the Lincoln Memorial and see the giant statue of Abe Lincoln. We also had a great time at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, which housed a Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Hope Diamond. Andrew pointed out that the diamond is estimated to be worth 250 million dollars and was only guarded by one guard. Ha ha.

On our drive to Philadelphia, we stopped by the Iwo Jima Memorial and also visited Gravelly Point Park, which is adjacent to the airport. You can sit on the picnic tables and watch the planes fly right over your head and land on the strip behind you. It was a really cool experience.

I think Washington was really nice, although it was HOT! It was handy that all of the major attractions are so close together and can easily walk between them. The only unfortunate thing is that you never have enough time to see everything, the Smithsonian museums alone would take you weeks to fully go through them and appreciate what they have to offer.

Memorials, monuments, and museums. Washington was packed with beauty and fun. A great stop on our road trip! Too bad we were too busy for a lunch with the Obamas, but hey, maybe next time.