D.C. is Deelightful

A recent long weekend gave us the opportunity to visit Washington D.C.! Neither of us had been before, and we wanted to squeeze it in while we had the chance. So squeeze we did.

Wednesday night, after a long day at work, a long (er than we expected) night of packing, we were finally on our way to Pittsburgh (our halfway point). Apparently getting to Pittsburgh takes even longer if you leave much later than you expected to. Apparently McDonald's shakes are gross enough to warrant a visit to the side of the road...for one of us at least.

After a long night of traveling, a short night of sleeping, and a bit more driving, we'd made it! The first night we stayed in and made pizza; our room had a kitchen so we took advantage of it. And...HGTV. :)

Our first day:




We went through the National Archives. This place is so cool. So cool that the line was tremendously long. So much that elementary school children seemed like the enemy. It was very exciting to see the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights (faded as they are), with a surprise of one of the last remaining copies of the Magna Carta. This visit took a long time, but I'm glad we stopped in.

Nate is glad that the Onion is offered free in the D.C. area. Here he is showing his love for his country and his newspaper.

Our next day we ventured out on foot. Our first stop was the Capitol Building. The Capitol is such a dramatic landmark (among many) in the area and it was exciting to walk around and experience a bit closer.

Nate and the Supreme Court building. Yes, he had a few nerd moments, but why not? He's fallen in love with reading these judges' opinions, why not get excited about seeing the building where they hang out?

Nate and I in front of the White House. This is monumental because it's the White House...and someone offered to take a picture of us together!

At the Natural History Museum. Honestly, this visit was a bit of a low point...this picture represents one of a few embarrassing moments. I was getting hungry (therefore mean) and wouldn't pose by this rock. There's a sign that clearly indicates you can touch said rock. Nate, unaware of the sign, went ahead and reprimanded a few annoying boys for touching the rock. For some reason, I was incredibly embarrassed by this and wanted said rock to swallow me. Frankly, Nate didn't care either way, but I made up for it by caring too much. :)

Speaking of caring too much, my policies are strict, but I get results.

This guy on the other hand...was only elected for his commanding presence and voice quality...

Iwo Jima Memorial. James, our expert tour guide (and friend) took us around to some monuments at night. This is one of my favorite pictures; so thanks to Nate and James.

Speaking of friends, we had a chance to spend Sunday with Nate's cousin, Bret, his wife Erin, and the cute Spencer. It was lots of fun to catch up with them and to meet the fair Spencer.

Our last day, we spent the morning at Arlington Cemetery. We arrive at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier(s) just in time for a changing of the guard. I was surprised how seriously the guards take their position, but I thought it was refreshing to see an individual show such respect for something so fully.

Arlington was one of my favorite places we visited. It was overwhelming to be there because it brought many things to life that I've only read about. It was a great place to experience, especially right before Memorial Day.

Looking out from the Lincoln Monument.

Vietnam War Memorial. This was another moment for us that was overwhelming. It's a beautiful memorial, but it was sobering to realize all of the names on the wall belong to someone's family.

Speaking of family...our last (and very late stop) was the Washington D.C. temple. Our camera was almost dead and we were ensuring ourselves a very late night home, but the quick visit was well worth it. It's a beautiful temple and it was yet another reminder of how blessed we are to live where we do.

I know I say this after every trip we take, but we really did love D.C. We loved visiting our friends and family, and we loved being able to learn and visit so much history all in one stop. One stop shopping. I love shopping.