DC - Day Three

I hope you don't mind the lack of pictures in this post.  We got in very late tonight and we have to load our buses, fully packed for the journey home, by 6:15 tomorrow morning.  The pictures tend to take quite a while to load, and "I have miles to go before I sleep" as it is.

Today was our coldest day yet, and we experienced the full fury of a Washington winter day first thing.  After stopping by the White House for a photo op (tours are temporarily suspended while the Obama Administration gets settled in) we headed over to the Washington Monument.  We got our tickets and formed a line in frigid weather with a -2 degree wind chill.  The National Park Service personnel who operate the monument were thirty minutes late, so we got in some good bonding time as we huddled together in the brisk wind.  Needless to say, it was a tremendous relief when we entered that toasty building!

The view from atop the monument was definitely worth the wait.  Students enjoyed seeing Washington from its highest point.   They also lingered a bit in order to thaw out.

Once we all got back on our buses, we drove over to Ford's Theater and Peterson House, where president Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.  The theater itself is currently closed for renovation, but we did get to tour Peterson House and see the bed in which President Lincoln passed away.  We also visited some of the souvenir shops on either side of Peterson House, so look for some neat DC items that I'm sure your kids remembered to pick up for you!

After lunch at a local restaurant, we drove over to Annapolis to tour the United States Naval Academy.  This was an incredible experience which included viewing athletic, academic, and dormitory facilities as well as the grave of John Paul Jones, the great hero of the Navy.

Our dinner experience was very entertaining.  We made the short drive to Baltimore to attend the Medieval Times dinner theater.  Our food was served on pewter plates and bowls, and our bare hands served as utensils!  While we ate, we watched jousting, horse tricks, and followed a story line about brave knights fighting for the king.  The kids had a great time, but our "Blue Knight" didn't do so well -- just ask your son or daughter!

Well, I'd better get packed and in the bed.  It is nearly 11:00pm here and we have a 5:15 wake-up call coming.   Tomorrow includes our tour of the United States Capitol, several sites on the mall, and the Holocaust Museum before we head for home at 5:30.  We should be back in town between 9:00 and 10:00 Saturday morning.

Thanks for sharing your children with us.  We've had a great time in DC!