Day 1: Decided to head out bright & early so that we could avoid morning rush hour & the sleet that was coming. We also thought it would get us through Chicago, avoiding rush hour there as well. So, we are about 30-45 minutes along our way & all of a sudden, Jim realizes he forgot the tickets to the Penn State/Gopher football game. We had to return home & grab them. So now we are driving with morning rush hour AND hit Chicago's rush hour at 4:00. Needless to say, our 8 hour drive became an 11 hour drive to South Bend, Indiana.
Day 2: We spent the early part of the day touring Notre Dame's campus. It is absolutely beautiful this time of year! Here is our family in front of Touch Down Jesus:
After this we were back in the truck for another 8 hour drive. As we drove through Pennsylvania, we went through the Mountains. With all the leaves changing colors, it was incredibly gorgeous. We could not have picked a better time of year to go. We got such a kick out of some of the signs they have up on their interstates!... "Watch out for Aggressive Drivers"... "Keep your eye out for D.U.I Drivers"... "We have a beautiful state, don't litter"... "Don't Tailgate"... We're not in Minnesota (nice) anymore, are we???Day 3: We had rain & snow all day. Of course this was the day we went to the Penn State/MN Gopher game in Happy Valley. We were freezing during the game. But Zach LOVED it! He has become quite the little football fan. Sean decided he was so cold, he curled up in a ball & fell asleep on my lap. Kept me warm, so I didn't mind. Gophers ended up losing 0-20. Here we are at the game: (notice all the snow in the bleachers)
Day 4: Headed out of Happy Valley and on to Gettysburg. This was amazing. We all found it really interesting and just another beautiful area. We walked through the Museum and then drove through the battlefield. I guess I never realized how large of an area it is. We took pictures of many of the monuments throughout the drive:
After leaving Gettysburg, we only had a 2 hour drive in to Washington, D.C. Once we arrived, it was getting dark, so we walked around DC & enjoyed some monuments all lit up. Day 5: And the gorgeous weather begins!!! We walked and saw so much this day. Here's our list: National Museum of Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Washington Monument, WWII Monument, Korean Monument, Lincoln Monument, Vietnam Monument, The White House, tour of Ford Theater and the house Lincoln was carried to & died in. The Crime Museum. And a great dinner at the Chop House.
Day 6: More sight seeing... We went to Iwo Jima, Arlington Cemetery, Tomb of Unknown Soldier (saw the guard exchange), Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Jefferson Monument, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Monument. We all really enjoyed our time at Mount Vernon though! 
Mount Vernon:
Day 7: Hot & sunny today! We went to the Capital and got a tour from Erik Paulson's office. We also got to sit in at the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. The topic on this day was the proposed health care plans. Then we headed to the Holocaust Museum. The kids did great here, as we were worried it might be a little too graphic for them. But very educational! Then we went to the National Museum of American History.
Day 8: Another favorite of our tours... The Annapolis Naval Academy! We toured the campus and learned all about the schedules and hard work these students put in. Here's a picture of formation, before they are served lunch: 
Once we were done touring the campus, we went down by the Chesapeake Bay. What a beautiful area. 
Day 9: Jim & I spent a good amount of time at our marathon packet pick-up. Jim really enjoyed all the marine corp souvenirs. Around lunch time, Jim's sister Carol and her kids arrived. We all enjoyed walking through the Air & Space Museum. Then we just hung out on the mall and allowed the kids to run and play football, while a few of the girls went on the merry go round.
Day 10: What an interesting day to say the least! We knew it was going to rain today, so we decided to go to the Baltimore Aquarium. Jim's sister and her kids all piled in our truck and off we go. Well, as we got on the interstate, the truck was not able to drive faster than 30 MPH. So we had to drive in to a service repair shop. Turns out the transmission went out. Originally they told us the truck would not be ready for 4 more days (well, our plan was to leave DC the next day). So we put a little pressure on them to agree on 2 days. So needless to say, we had to rent a vehicle (and one that seated 8 people). Thankfully we were still able to enjoy the aquarium and dinner at the ESPN Zone. Baltimore is beautiful too!
Day 11: Marine Corp Marathon day! Jim & I ran while the kids stayed back with Jim's sister, Carol. They did more walking & seeing more monuments. Then for dinner, we were able to connect with Jim's Aunt & Uncle and a cousin that live in the DC area for dinner. It was sure nice to connect with them since we rarely get the opportunity to see each other.
Day 12: Well, now since we have an extra day to enjoy, we decided to make the most of it and head to the National Zoo to see the panda bears. Gosh, they are cute!
1 comment:
WOW! You saw a TON of things. Loved the snowy Penn State football photo...
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