My Trip to Washington DC

What a fun trip I had visiting my friend, Melissa in DC.... She moved out there after she got married this past October! I had never been to our nation's capital, so we decided our birthday gifts to each other would be a girls' weekend at her place! We always have fun together, and this weekend was no exception...

I flew commercial, which is something that I don't do very often - let alone by myself!  So, I guess I looked 'suspicious' and was asked to go through the full-body super scanner thing... after being asked if anything was in my pockets, I went on in.  I was asked again, then held to the side... only to realize that I had Sam's Tiaminic Strip in my back pocket! Double-bad because Sam didn't have it, and security thought I was trying to take down the plane with this Triaminic strip!!!They swabbed my hands (to check for bomb residue!?) and, finding nothing, kindly let me pass on through! 

Once I got to DC, Melissa picked me up and took me out for Mexican.... I DEFINITELY enjoyed this!!!!

When we got back to Melissa's car, she had acquired not one, but TWO tickets... we couldn't get the little parking meter-thing to take our money!?!?

Regardless... the fun must go on!!! The next morning, we woke up before sunrise (that is after staying up past midnight talking! ;) We jumped in the car and drove to the Marine Memorial to get some sunrise photos of the Potomac River, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Capital... gorgeous view - the camera just didn't do it justice (although, if I do say so myself - we got some GREAT photos!!!) We DID think that the shot would be better from the TOP of the Marine Memorial, which was as tall as me standing with my arms stretched all the way up.  That didn't stop us... Melissa 'hit the deck' on all fours to heist me up there.  I pulled, and grunted and strained - but to no avail (it's been awhile since I've done P90X).  So she made herself a bit taller - and I got soooo close.... I couldn't talk for still straining to pull myself up... my jeans were a bit too tight to get my leg thrown up there... it was a riot!!!  I didn't make it on top... we gave up after that attempt because we were laughing too hard!  And I ended up sore for the next three days!

*Note-to-self: start new workout program!*

I took a picture of Melissa's backside because of the mud I had put on it while jumping on her!!!! And the picture of the memorial just doesn't portray how tall it really was!!!! ;-)

One of my two most favorite sunrise shots... TOTALLY worth the early morning!

We also stopped by Arlington Cemetery to a quick sunrise shot.... When the police man pulled up behind our car (which we had abandoned) with his lights on, we ran back to our car and headed home!!!!!

Once we got over the sunrise trauma - and had a few more cups of coffee, we headed to The Mall... not the mall that you might think two blonds would be headed to, but the MONUMENT MALL!!!!

Here is the Lincoln Memorial...

Having never seen these memorials besides the traditional pictures/movie scenes, I didn't realize just HOW BIG everything is!  I mean - they are GIGANTIC!!!!!  They have gift shops and rotundas and museums underneath them - they're so much more that what I had imagined!  AND they are a lot further apart than I thought!  Like, MILES apart!!!! Hahahaha!!!! But we enjoyed the walk amongst the monuments and memorials and cherry trees!!!!

And Marine 1 (the president's helicopter) flew by at least three times that we were out and about!!!! Which is odd since the president was out of the country... wonder if he knows someone was using his ride while he was gone!?

The coolest time it flew by was when we were waiting on the sun to rise!!!!

Here is a shot of General Lee's Home (it's way off in the distance on top of the hill)... I didn't realize this, but part of his punishment for being a Confederate General was that they turned his plantation into a cemetery for Union soldiers.... ARLINGTON CEMETERY!!!!!

Here's the Washington Monument... I could go into the long story about the guy who took crappy pics of us in front of the monument right after we had taken pictures for him and he was SUPER anal and telling me it was crooked (when it WASN'T); but I won't go into that...

Some of the famous cherry trees...

This was at the WWII Memorial, where they have a place for every state... I thought this was fitting that I get my pic on the DC wall! (This was the only place where we got in trouble from the park police for 'climbing on the monuments!?')

A shot of the Capital... again, it's HUGE!!!!

And the Jefferson Memorial...

Ahhh..... my dinner that night!  We had some great food while I was there!

HAHAHA!!! This guy was celebrating his 30th birthday... in style - on a party bus!!!  We joined him and experienced Dom flowing like water as well as being treated at each place we stopped!  I felt like I was in college again... only this time I was 'under control!'  OH - and this guy who was turning 30 - yeah, he is the one who started Living Social (.com)!!!!!

The next day, we headed over to Georgetown.  We walked around the neighborhoods and all of the stores...

We HAD to stop here... although the line was over a block long, so we didn't actually GO IN and have a cupcake!!!!

But we DID get a yogurt while in Georgetown... SHOPPING!!!!!

We walked around the neighborhoods in Georgetown... soooo pretty!!!  We went to the Tudor House, but got thrown out because it was closed... well, sorry, the gate was open!!!!

On the way to the airport the next morning, we stopped by the White House!

Then we stopped by the Oval Office to 'get some stuff taken care of!'  We laughed so much taking these pics!!!

I made it to the airport with just enough time to check my bag and get to my gate... only to be delayed for an hour!!!!  Guess it could have been worse!!!  We won't mention that I got pulled going through security AGAIN - this time for trying to bring a water bottle through... I forgot, OK????

And I was so happy to see these little faces when I got home... they each got hats from DC...

Of course I missed my 'big' guy too!  He was super dad and took care of the kids - took them to a birthday party and everything - while I was away!  I'm so lucky to have such a great husband!!!! I was so thankful to have a weekend with one of my best friends!!! We will DEFINITELY have to make this an annual tradition... different locations each year!?!?