Our Last Day in DC

Isn't she cute!!!?

So, the 30th of June, a Wednesday, we left the Woods house for the final time to see Washington DC as a couple.

Chris and I so loved going out this day. It was our last day and we had already seen so much. We discovered to our delight that we had done so much that there were things on our secondary list we could go see! First we went to the Library of Congress. It was beautiful! The architecture is amazing and the colors reminded me so much of Italy and the artwork there on all of their building interiors. It was massive. We saw all those neat places the "National Treasure" movies show. (I have to be honest. We love those movies and the whole of DC kept reminding us of them!) We even stopped by a couple of exhibits like the one depicting through artwork, films, and writings the birth of the United States as a nation. Chris loved this one. Then we went to one that I just couldn't wrap my head around. We went to the personal library collection of Thomas Jefferson. He was so interesting.

He had books on lots of subjects including gardening and medicine. He also had lots of books that I've read in the classics. It was fun to see where his passions lent, obviously politics and world history. It was amazing and the books were beautiful. When the original library burned down he donated his personal one to begin again. Because his volumes were so broad in subject the library became open to many different kinds of literature and collection. Such a neat outcome from such a simple and kind act of service.

Upon leaving the library of congress, Lizzy was getting really tired. We had opted for the stroller over the front pack that day and she wanted to sleep. So Chris stuck his hat over her head so she could get sleepy. Apparently it was super interesting because no matter where we went that day, as long as she was sleeping or being shaded by that hat, we got stares, giggles, pointing fingers, and smiles. Who knew? We just wanted her to sleep!

I decided to take a couple pictures of the capitol building (which we were content to see from a distance this trip) and the LoC from a ways away. There was a beautiful park across the street so I went there. I saw a great tree and went to take a picture. When I looked up I saw someone looking down! I guess I had surprised him during lunch. He took a minute to eat and stare and I took a minute to look back and laugh.

After that neat little moment, we went searching for the Shakespeare Library and Research Center. I was super excited to see this one, but vetoed it early on as a "next time" location. When I say "we went searching" I mean it! We walked FOREVER to find this building. We saw neighborhoods most tourists don't see and ended up over 11 blocks from where we should have been. Guess what? It was right behind the Library of Congress! (See the post abt Chris' iPhone GPS for what I really think of that thing!)

So many little homes with beautiful gardens!!!!

So the building wasn't spectacular, but the seafaring exhibit during Shakespeare's time was fascinating. I didn't know some of the things they showed and it got me excited as I found a new book to read. I also got to see an original 1623 First Folio of Shakespeare's work. For you non-Shakespeare people that's one of the first ever actual collections of all of Shakespeare's plays including the tragedies, comedies, and histories. It was so neat to see.

After that we hit a great little lunch place that seemed really popular in the area. It was a bit pricey for a salad bar, but after a week of fast food, restaurant food, and other stuff, fruits and veggies was so worth it for me! Chris got a sandwich that I later got a chance to snack on - fantastic!!!

So the last thing we hit in DC was the National Archives. I could live without seeing the White House and the Capitol up close, but I wasn't going to leave without seeing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an original Magna Carta! It was amazing. And here's a really cool secret. The line to see these documents can be quite long, but if you have a stroller they send you around the side due to several stairs. It leads right to the main floor! They expect you to go right in! Isn't that great? So a line that was super long, got really short really fast! Maybe they just don't like cranky kids in the hall or something. All I can say is that as a parent it was a nice change. Sometimes we just get used to things being harder/more complicated with kids. It's nice when it makes something easier!

Anyway, so the documents were really neat and the history in that building was amazing, but the one that hit me was one I hadn't planned on seeing that day. I really got all choked up by viewing the Magna Carta. It is a document that paved the way for the people of a nation to have a say in what their government is doing. At the time the Lords were not happy about the king raising taxes so they set a limit on what he could do. It was a revolutionary idea at the time and really gave a great example of what a document like that should look like and what the people of a nation could expect from their leader(s). It was so cool. As I read it I could easily see the fore running in expectation and wording and documentation. It was great.

We left there and stopped in the statuary garden of the National Gallery of Art. It has a huge fountain and some benches all around the area with some interesting artistic interpretations. We had a snack here, got a picture, and I finally got to soak my little tired feet for a few minutes.

For the last time we took the metro home, got in the van, and headed back to the Woods house. That's when Celeste called and I ended up meeting her with some other women for a girl's night out to watch the brand new released "Twilight Saga: Eclipse".

It was a lot of fun and though I was super tired, I had so much fun! I had resigned myself to watching my girly movie with my sweet husband, poor patient man that he is, and missing one of my best friends, my sister Renee'. Instead I got to see the film with other girls who had enjoyed the book like I had and had been excited to see the film adaptation like me. It was a fun night and the movie at least matched the book closely so no complaints there. I did however, find much to laugh at with all the young ladies in the theater! Such ooohhhing and aaahing over the men and excited squeals every time they showed up on screen. I know I missed several parts laughing at them with my girl friends!

So that was our last day in DC. Chris got in some great video game time with Jared, I got in some awesome best friend time with Celeste, Evie and Joseph got in great play time with Rowan and Bronwyn, and even Lizzy and Gwenna had a chance to get to know each other. It was a great time and one that could have been so much more expensive and less fun without the Woods opening up their home to us for such a long time! They provided a comfortable place to come home to at the end of each day. Celeste babysat several days and they often provided dinner. It was such a great kindness to know that with a phone call we could have a home cooked meal ready for us at their home at the end of a long day. It was wonderful. I hope I can be so hospitable to my friends and relatives. It really made the whole vacation.