DC Baby!!

Can I just say that I love Washington DC?! Perhaps because it's our nation's capital and I have a bit of national pride. Could be that it's very open (I learned the reason why I've always thought it so different from NYC even though the metropolis size is somewhat similar is because no buildings can be higher than the dome of the capitol building! Cool! (I also learned that "capital" is the city and "capitol" is the building. Educational trip--bonus!)) Maybe it's because we've only gone here as a family and I love being together as a fam! Perhaps I can feel tingles of the fact that our national laws are being debated here, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here, SO much history occurred here and find it super cool that our Presidents walked the same ground I am. Maybe it's reflecting on the memorials of past greats and military lives lost for protecting the rights of others. It's simply a beautiful city. My love of it may also have something to do with our recent 3 day, 3 night trip there that cost us under $25 all told. How do you do DC for almost free you ask? I'll tell ya:

a. Your hubby scores a free hotel room for the fam because he's presenting a paper at a conference. Of course, this means you have to sightsee without him here and there, but you still see more of him than you would at home & you get to feel pretty awesome that you are toting 3 young kids around DC alone for the most part and not losing anyone or getting lost!

b. Hotel parking, gas, travel expenses & tolls paid by university sponsored student funding

c. Your hotel room has a full kitchen, thus you spend no extra on food because you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner the same as you would at home!, other than perhaps a few extra snacks for the car.

d. The national mall is FULL of amazing museums and historical sites that are 100% free, as long as you've packed your lunch in your backpack.

e. You are a stickler on not spending extra on well, extras. (Money is always allowed to be spent on a super cool book about space told Dr. Seuss style, but pretty much ends there)

f. Your hotel is only a mile from the mall, meaning you pay less for transportation to and from hotel and sites because you walk everywhere.

However, I might need new walking shoes now........ :)

Enjoy the pics! (our camera was lame and lost battery power too quick or there'd be more)

First stop, Arlington National Cemetary. This was really neat to see

and it's hard to imagine how big it is without being there.

George Washington University garden area, Bug-a-boo and little J pointing us in the right direction (but upside down ;), WA Monument (all 555 ft. of it), me and Abe at Lincoln Memorial

WWII Memorial, sculpture garden in front of National Archives,

Jefferson Memorial, view of mall from Robert E. Lee house at Arlington

Other awesome stops:

Library of Congress (can I just say, Wow!)

Women of Vietnam Memorial

Reflecting Pool (had 50+ ducklings the kids loved!)

Vietnam War Memorial

Korean War Memorial

American History Museum

Natural History Museum

Air & Space Museum

White House front (saw back last time)

Smithsonian Castle and Gardens

National Botanic Gardens

Capitol tour