Yesterday we arrived here around 2:00. The updated GPS in the van and Ben did a great job of navigating - we didn't get lost at all. Now that the van is parked, we don't plan to use it until we leave for home on Thursday.
The original plan was to check in and then head to the mall to look at several monuments before meeting college friends for dinner at Old Ebbit's Grill. But it was so hot - over 90 degrees, and Ben needed a break after all that driving. So he rested while I took the kids up to the rooftop pool for an hour. Then we changed clothes and headed to the subway for our dinner date. Ben had done plenty of research on the Metro system, and did an awesome job of getting us where we needed to be. It was the kids' first subway ride, and a Sunday was a good way to introduce them since it wasn't very crowded. I think they were most impressed that it was underground the entire time (especially Sam), and with how fast it went.
We stopped to see the White House and Department of Treasury on the walk to dinner. Dinner was great - we hadn't seen Megan in 5 years - she lives her with her husband and two young daughters, and hadn't seen Jen since we graduated 17 years ago! Both were in band with us at Miami. The kids were great - Sam started to get antsy at the end but we were there for 2 hours!
After dinner walked to the mall and saw the other side of the White House, the Washington monument, World War II monument, and the Lincoln monument. The kids were interested and took lots of pictures - unfortunately Sam's camera pooped out and he had to use ours for the rest of the time, but Ben brought his good camera as well. Sam was bummed that his earlier pictures were gone - the same thing happened the Maria's camera about a year ago. Anyway, the kids were very interested in the monuments - more than I thought they would be - and Sam had questions like "What is a monument?" and "Why are they here?" I'm glad, because sometimes I forget how much younger he is than Maria and assume he knows thing that he doesn't, so I'm glad he's not too shy to ask.
On the walk back to through the mall to the subway station, though, the kids were tired. And thirsty - we hadn't brought any water bottles. It was hot - even though the sun was setting the air was still humid. It would have been so much worse in the sun, though. Sam complained a lot, but we made it back to the subway station and then back to the hotel. The good thing is that our hotel is only a block and a half from the Metro station, so once you're on the Metro the worst is behind you. I'm just concerned about how Sam will do the rest of the week, if he's already tired. Maria was too, she's just much less vocal about it. And we did walk a few miles last night.
After we got back to the hotel - around 9:45 - and got the kids to bed, Ben and I spent another half hour planning specifics for today - mainly the transportation and lunch options - trying to cut back on the walking as much as possible. Unfortunately that meant our brains were too active to sleep and neither one of us slept very well last night. Today we have the Capital tour this morning, and the Smithsonian museums this afternoon. A lot of walking again, but at least most will be in the air conditioning.
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