...Washington D.C, baby!
WE. HAD. A. BLAST.
On Thursday we left around 9 because the house-sitters (thanks you guys!) were coming around lunchtime to take the dogs out so we couldn't leave too early or their poor bladders wouldn't have lasted and they can't be alone too long. The ride was PERFECT. It is basically a straight shot up 85 North until it turns into 95 North and BOOM you are there. I'm an AWFUL passenger because of my control issues so normally I have to pack an arsenal of xanax for long car rides but I didn't even need a single one! We had no problems switching shifts whenever we felt like it and we laughed so much the ride felt like 2 hours instead of 11. I tried to get a picture of each state's welcome sign but I failed. I did get Virginia's, though, which I love because that state just explodes with beautiful.
We crashed pretty early when we got to the hotel in Maryland (well, not THAT early... it WAS our anniversary, after all) and woke up feeling great even though it was 6:00am. Our tour was 9 hours long and started at 8:00am so we had to get ready and walk to the train station a block from the hotel and then ride it into DC. We got a little lost when we got to Union Station and me + Chris - directions = ARGUMENT. I am hot-tempered and he's always TOO calm so we end up barking about who is handling the situation better. Well, that lasted all of 2 minutes because I saw the capital building in the distance for the first time and squealed like a school girl.
Once we finally got to the bus, everything was smooth sailing. We started at the Capital and let me tell you, it is freakin' HUGE. You see it all the time in shows and movies but you don't really realize how big it is until you are RIGHT there. So big, in fact, that the statue of liberty can entirely fit inside of it and still have 30 feet left until the top? INSANE.
Then we walked across the street to the botanical gardens. Being the tourists that we are, we had no idea that everything in Washington D.C. is paid for by tax dollars so there is no charge for ANYTHING. We asked how much it cost to walk around and the girl goes "Nothing. You've technically already paid for it with your taxes!". Sweet! Well once we got inside I started panicking because I realized there might be butterflies in there. I've never been to a garden like that before and everyone has always told me about butterfly houses...
...Oh, hold on, you didn't know? I'm TERRIFIED of butterflies. Like, if I see one coming at me, I run and flail my arms around. And yes, I know, they don't bite. That's what EVERYONE says to me, but it isn't that. It's their wings. Their freakishly colorful unnaturally flapping wings. I shutter at the sight of them. I know... I'm a freak. Moving on...
After a quick reassurance that there were no winged beasts in the greenhouses, I was good to go. It was beautiful in there! And so very interesting to see. (That picture of Chris makes him look like he's radioactive but it's good of me so whatever!)
When the bus came back to get us, we headed for the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. We had some lunch and got to see all the cool space shuttles and World War II bomber planes and such. It was really neat to see them up close. Chris loved it.
Then it was time for the Washington Monument and the newly constructed veteran's memorial. Again, gorgeous. The monument is phenomenal and the veteran's memorial makes you really appreciate what our tax dollars do to make our country beautiful. So very classy. We also saw the Lincoln Memorial but didn't have time to get close. It, too, is huge. All I kept thinking was Jenny in Forrest Gump running towards Forrest in the water and how much smaller it looks on television!
And all that was just HALF of our whole day! If you aren't too overloaded on geek-dom, I'll be filling in the rest of the day in another entry to come. And, as always, there is much more fun (and I use the word fun very loosely) things going on in my life I'll be keeping track of soon. Stick around at your own risk!
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