Summer vacation, day 1

We were really bummed that our family reunion this summer got cancelled. After living 2500 miles away for the past year, we were feeling a bit desperate for some family connections. Luckily, my mom, brother, and his wife and kids decided to fly out and visit Washington, DC with us. We live only four hours away from DC. I had been there on a trip before, over 10 years ago, but it was still fun to go back.

I learned a few things: mainly, book early and try to get a good enough deal to have a hotel downtown, so you can take the subway everywhere and not have to worry about parking and/or getting from place to place. We spent a small fortune on parking and on taxis when we (or the kids) were sick of walking. It didn't help that DC was has having a heat wave that week and temps were in the high 90's with high humidity for about half of our time there. We also found that food options in the city, especially around the national mall, were extremely pricey. It would have been nice to just jet back to the hotel for some homemade lunch, which is what we did the first time I visited DC. With that said, our hotel was AWESOME, better than we could have ever hoped for... and the price was very good. It just wasn't close!

This is Preston, all packed for the trip. The suitcase is full of toys, and he has his trusty favorite food--oatmeal--all set to go. Love that kid!

We spent the first afternoon at the Air and Space museum, and while I got a few pictures, none of them turned out very well. My other lesson learned? Since we live so close and homeschool, the best time to go to DC is not during the summer. Holy cow, those museums were crowded!

We spent the evening at the Jefferson Memorial, which I've decided is my favorite.

Fun with cousins!

This little guy was a trooper! He had his moments, like any 4-year-old would. Heat, humidity, long days, and short legs can be hard on little guys. But overall he was the most patient, mellow, and agreeable of any of my kids.

I booked the hotel, sight unseen, and it was a bit nervewracking, especially since I was booking for more adults than just my husband and myself, some of whom are very seasoned travelers. What if I got us stuck in a dive all week? We were pleasantly surprised and open the doors after that first long day of sightseeing and find ourselves in a beautiful, huge suite. We were so impressed! (And I did get a very good price...) There were four bedrooms, two of which had two double beds in each, and the other two were master suites with king beds and huge bathrooms, including garden tubs and walk-in showers. I don't normally take pictures of hotel rooms, but this place was really awesome!