Day 1 of Washington D.C.

Wow, where do I start in our many wonderful adventures today? It almost feels surreal to be here at last after so many hours of planning and driving. Our day began with an early start and a long drive to the Metro. After much stress trying to get everyone AND the stroller on and off each train we finally arrived in the heart of the mall.

Christopher in front of the ticket-distributing machines in the Metro Station.

We first walked to the Washington Monument, the tallest building Washington D.C. We were getting used to the hot and humid weather so we just walked by the monument, talking pictures along the way. This was one of the few exhibits we didn't actually get tickets to. 

Because I took on the role as head photographer, this is one of the few pictures that I am actually in. 

We had the opportunity to view the monument surrounded by flags because of Memorial Day.

A great photo of the Washington Monument.

Next, we walked to the Korean War Memorial. Overall, it was a very sobering place; the expressions on the soldiers faces told how brutal and traumatic their lives were during and after the war. Engraved on the marble was a message: "Freedom Is Not Free" 

By this point in the day, the whole family was hot, thirsty, wet, and tired. We had only been in D.C. for an hour! Yet, thanks to the extremely busy, pre-planned agenda of sights to visit from Dad, we pushed past our struggles. After maneuvering through seemingly endless crowds of elementary school aged children, we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial. Much to the embarrassment of Christopher, my mom became quite emotional while reading the Emancipation Proclamation engraved on the left wall of the building.

Christopher and I posing with the giant, statue version of our 16^th President: Abraham Lincoln.

Continuing forward in our marvelous first day adventure in the capital, next was the Vietnam War Memorial.

A close up off the actual wall with the names of those who died during the Vietnam War.

I pretty proud of this patriotic flag photo I took.  

After seeing all the memorials and monument, we traveled by metro to the Smithsonian Museums. This is a picture of our family in front of the Natural History Museum. If you look closely, the two little girls are covering their faces trying to get away from the awful heat and humidity. 

Next we walked a short distance to my 2nd favorite museum: the Museum of American History. The best part of the museum was all the famous artifacts from American pop culture over the past century. 

For example, this is the original C3-P0 costume from the sixth Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi. 

My mom's favorite part was Julia Child's kitchen. 

The girls posing with the classic ruby red slippers Dorothy wore in "The Wizard of Oz."

Lunch @ McDonalds. Natalie is definitely enjoying that ice cream cone. 

The End of Day 1 in Washington D.C.