We arrived in Washington DC about 8:30pm on Tues 26th March. It was only a 2 hour flight or thereabouts from Buffalo so that was great. We got a taxi to our accommodation and were there within 20 minutes.
DC was by far the most tricky place to book accommodation for. Not only were the hotels already quite booked but they were really expensive. There is a funny additional tax when you book a hotel in DC and when trying to cater for a toddler it was getting stressful before we left Australia. I managed to find something still in suitable walking distance but the reviews were very mixed. We kinda held out breaths and went for it after getting a good discount on a third party booking site.
Checking in was a bit disastrous. I had specifically requested a cot for Will and had even rung a couple of weeks before we arrived to make sure this was on the booking information. We were arriving past Will's bedtime so the last thing I wanted to worry about was sleeping arrangements. So we went to check in and I overhear the customer in the line, who is checking out, complaining about something and sounding genuinely upset. We decide to hang back for a few minutes so they can sort their concerns out. Meanwhile I'm thinking, 'gee this is not a good first impression.' Then it's our turn to check in and when I ask about the cot, the manager tells me, "There isn't one available, they're all being used." I tell him very clearly that this request was on the booking sheet and I show him the note on our booking form. I also tell him I rang and specifically checked this. He was not sorry in the slightest and just said "Well there isn't one available." I ask him to sort something out and he is completely rude to me and unapologetic. I am so tired and ready to start crying at this point I ask Peter to take over before I lose it. He doesn't have any more luck so we decide to just dump our luggage for the time being and chill out in our room for a few minutes.
We manage to lug our stuff up a dodgy elevator and get to our room. It's very old but looks comfortable enough. I tell Peter that I want him to demand they do something. I would have arranged something else had I known this would happen and we knew Will wasn't going to sleep well in a bed...plus it's a situation I never want to be put in as I think it leads to separation anxiety when the child returns to normal bedtime routines once the holiday is over. I just am not a fan of co-sleeping...even if a child is sick. Anyway, I'm getting off track here. Simeon was also getting a little frustrated at this point and tells Pete to tell the manager what for! I'm the assertive one in our marriage but I hate confrontations and felt that Pete's firm but calm diplomacy was needed.Anyway, Pete went back downstairs and Sim and I get Will ready for Bed and read some stories etc.
Pete returns about 15 mins later saying something will be arranged and to not worry. He just told the manager that he needed to find a solution for us. I'm not sure what else was said but I think he managed to convince them that we weren't going to drop the matter. So 15 minutes later someone knocks on the door and low and behold, they deliver a cot to our room. After all that fuss they certainly managed to find a cot pretty quickly!! We all got the feeling they had either asked for it from another hotel or had taken a better look at their own supplies. I was relieved but really disappointed in my choice of hotel.
Anyway, Will went off to sleep so quickly like the champ he is and we all crashed soon after.
***
We all enjoyed a little sleep in on Wednesday morning and didn't end up leaving the hotel until almost 10am. Pete is always the slowest to get ready and Sim is raring to go. That man just loves his bed a little too much sometimes!!
We decided today we would do the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and a few others along the Mall. We didn't even bother with the hotel restaurant and ended up finding a great little breakfast cafe on the way to the museum. It was so good to eat fresh fruit, yoghurt, porridge and scrambled eggs. We ate really well and this put us in a good mood for the day.
Sim wasn't really interested in Washington DC. Because of that he was more than happy to be Will's babysitter and keep him entertained most of the time. We didn't know how well the museums would cater to toddlers but figured the Smithsonian would be a great place to start.
Will did enjoy the main entrance and seeing the planes hanging from the ceiling etc.
We let him out of the pram to have a bit more of an explore which he seemed to enjoy.
They had tours going all the time and Pete and I began a tour while Sim took Will to the toddler section. A little bit into our tour I noticed a dad with his 2 teenage kids. His teenage boy had his headphones on with music blaring and generally looking like he was miserable. I felt like going up to him, taking his headphones off and telling him he might actually enjoy the tour if he gave it a chance. Pete just shook his head and smiled when I told him how annoyed I was with the kid. Once a teacher, always a teacher I guess. I know museums aren't everyone's thing but seriously kid, this is a pretty cool place!
Anyway, our tour guide was a little dry and after about 30 mins Pete and I decided we should probably catch up with Sim and Will and see how they're doing. When we eventually got hold of Sim and find them both he tells us the toddler section was pretty average and only really suited to kids over 4. When Pete and I had a wander through it later we agree it could have been so much more.
We take Will for a little wander and he loves going onto the plane with daddy.
It's lunchtime by this stage and there is next to nothing to chose from in the food court. It's a choice between McDonald's and some pizza joint. You had to line up in these massive queues and order either of the 2. I order a pizza and Will happily eats it. Then promptly steals his Uncle Sim's fries when he arrives at table with McDonald's!
After they finish, Sim agrees to take Will back for a nap...I think Sim had a nap that day too :-)
Pete and I also decide the easiest thing to do is eat Maccas aswell. I actually enjoyed my Big Mac and I put it down to pregnancy taste buds :-)
Pete and I then wandered along the National Mall. Now, it's not a shopping Mall. It refers to the open area of parks/road between most of the monuments and important buildings in the heart of DC. It is a gorgeous city and so open. I guess they ensured they could cater to the millions of visitors who come to this city.
The Supreme Court - they were doing repairs so this is a facade they had up. Seems to be the story of our trip that no matter where we were there was something needing repairs!
Walking around outside was VERY fresh. It wasn't any colder than New York but the wind chill factor was intense. Also, because a lot of what we were doing was outdoors it got a bit uncomfortable after awhile. Will wasn't a fan of the cold weather in DC.
I can't remember doing much else that first afternoon. I think we ended up going home about 5pm as it was just so cold and had started raining while we were lining up outside the Library of Congress. Plus, I got told off for taking a photo (I had no idea we couldn't) while viewing an awesome display on the civil war. The security guard was so aggressive and it upset me a lot. Pete of course thought I was over-reacting but hey, he wasn't going to push the point with his pregnant wife!
One of the things that we found hard was finding decent places to eat. I would just crave fresh vegetables all the time. Even asking for a salad in the US is an experience. You're likely to get something with a bit of lettuce but then nothing but fruit and oodles of rich sweet dressing. It's just bizarre to me. Anyway, there was a Chinese restaurant down the road from our hotel so we had that and ordered something with lots of veges. It was one of the best meals we'd had for a few days which was nice.
*** On Thursday morning we set off towards the White House. At the time we visited, Australians were not being permitted to do White House Tours and from what I understand, it's hard for tourists to do the tour anyhow. We still wanted to check it out from the outside and see what else was around.
On the way there we had to wait for a motorcade. Apparently these occur almost daily with various dignitaries going to and from the White House. Of course Will loved the sirens and flashing lights and I must admit it was hard not to get caught up in the moment and think "I wonder who's being escorted to the White House."
We had to wait awhile to do a tour but it was cool because we were the only ones in the group. A very jolly local park ranger took the tour and was really great at answering our questions. He had nothing but positive things to say about President Obama. He has friends that work in the White House who say he is really lovely to work with and a very family focused man, often seen outdoors playing with his girls. His girls are very social too and often have sleepovers with their friends attending the White House. Now that would be a pretty cool sleepover if you ask me!
Pete and I basically rolled outta that amazing pub and continued to take in the sights. We went to the old post office building and did a tour that took us up to the top for a spectacular view of the city.
Pete and I then made our way to the Lincoln Memorial. It was quite a walk and we were already pretty tired. We went past the Monument and the War memorial on the way and were able to check them out. It was so cold it's hard to describe it!
It was totally worth the huge walk in the cold when we got to the reflection pond and the Lincoln Memorial.
This was a very cool place. Even though there were heaps of people there everyone was friendly and courteous, especially when you were taking photos.
I felt bad that Sim wouldn't see the Lincoln Memorial since we were leaving the next day but he didn't really seem to mind.
Pete and I walked most of the way back and picked up some Indian food. We then caught a taxi home with dinner.
***
Friday we were leaving DC for North Carolina. Pete went to pick up the hire car we had booked to drive the 6 hours to NC and Sim and I cleaned up our room and packed our gear. We drove out to Arlington Cemetery before we left on our long car ride and we took our time strolling through the cemetery.
It is a gorgeous place with views of the city. DC put on a glorious spring day for us and we were able to take our jackets off for the first time since being in LA!
I took Will back to the car while Sim and Pete went to check out the tomb of the unknown soldier. I thought Will was about at his limit and he needed a nappy change so I was happy to let the boys go and check it out. When they met me at the car 40 or so minutes later they were really pleased they'd gone and found the experience really great.
We soon were on our way to North Carolina to spend Easter Weekend with our friends, The Prieto family. More on those amazing people in the next post!! I do have to say that we were not prepared for the INSANE traffic leaving DC. I guess it was Good Friday and people were leaving for the weekend etc but it took us almost 2 hours just to really get underway and do the speed limit on the freeway. Once we were cruising along we were impressed with the condition of the roads and how easy the freeway system was to follow. Handy that the road was so straight too...though I don't know if that made the drive more boring for Pete. A big yay for having our tablet with us loaded with movies for Will...though he did have a decent nap too.
We got to our friends house safely and were welcomed with loving and familiar arms even though it'd been almost 7 years since we'd all seen each other (or even met, in mine and Marcos' case :-)
DC was by far the most tricky place to book accommodation for. Not only were the hotels already quite booked but they were really expensive. There is a funny additional tax when you book a hotel in DC and when trying to cater for a toddler it was getting stressful before we left Australia. I managed to find something still in suitable walking distance but the reviews were very mixed. We kinda held out breaths and went for it after getting a good discount on a third party booking site.
Checking in was a bit disastrous. I had specifically requested a cot for Will and had even rung a couple of weeks before we arrived to make sure this was on the booking information. We were arriving past Will's bedtime so the last thing I wanted to worry about was sleeping arrangements. So we went to check in and I overhear the customer in the line, who is checking out, complaining about something and sounding genuinely upset. We decide to hang back for a few minutes so they can sort their concerns out. Meanwhile I'm thinking, 'gee this is not a good first impression.' Then it's our turn to check in and when I ask about the cot, the manager tells me, "There isn't one available, they're all being used." I tell him very clearly that this request was on the booking sheet and I show him the note on our booking form. I also tell him I rang and specifically checked this. He was not sorry in the slightest and just said "Well there isn't one available." I ask him to sort something out and he is completely rude to me and unapologetic. I am so tired and ready to start crying at this point I ask Peter to take over before I lose it. He doesn't have any more luck so we decide to just dump our luggage for the time being and chill out in our room for a few minutes.
We manage to lug our stuff up a dodgy elevator and get to our room. It's very old but looks comfortable enough. I tell Peter that I want him to demand they do something. I would have arranged something else had I known this would happen and we knew Will wasn't going to sleep well in a bed...plus it's a situation I never want to be put in as I think it leads to separation anxiety when the child returns to normal bedtime routines once the holiday is over. I just am not a fan of co-sleeping...even if a child is sick. Anyway, I'm getting off track here. Simeon was also getting a little frustrated at this point and tells Pete to tell the manager what for! I'm the assertive one in our marriage but I hate confrontations and felt that Pete's firm but calm diplomacy was needed.Anyway, Pete went back downstairs and Sim and I get Will ready for Bed and read some stories etc.
Pete returns about 15 mins later saying something will be arranged and to not worry. He just told the manager that he needed to find a solution for us. I'm not sure what else was said but I think he managed to convince them that we weren't going to drop the matter. So 15 minutes later someone knocks on the door and low and behold, they deliver a cot to our room. After all that fuss they certainly managed to find a cot pretty quickly!! We all got the feeling they had either asked for it from another hotel or had taken a better look at their own supplies. I was relieved but really disappointed in my choice of hotel.
Anyway, Will went off to sleep so quickly like the champ he is and we all crashed soon after.
***
We all enjoyed a little sleep in on Wednesday morning and didn't end up leaving the hotel until almost 10am. Pete is always the slowest to get ready and Sim is raring to go. That man just loves his bed a little too much sometimes!!
We decided today we would do the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and a few others along the Mall. We didn't even bother with the hotel restaurant and ended up finding a great little breakfast cafe on the way to the museum. It was so good to eat fresh fruit, yoghurt, porridge and scrambled eggs. We ate really well and this put us in a good mood for the day.
Sim wasn't really interested in Washington DC. Because of that he was more than happy to be Will's babysitter and keep him entertained most of the time. We didn't know how well the museums would cater to toddlers but figured the Smithsonian would be a great place to start.
Will did enjoy the main entrance and seeing the planes hanging from the ceiling etc.
They had tours going all the time and Pete and I began a tour while Sim took Will to the toddler section. A little bit into our tour I noticed a dad with his 2 teenage kids. His teenage boy had his headphones on with music blaring and generally looking like he was miserable. I felt like going up to him, taking his headphones off and telling him he might actually enjoy the tour if he gave it a chance. Pete just shook his head and smiled when I told him how annoyed I was with the kid. Once a teacher, always a teacher I guess. I know museums aren't everyone's thing but seriously kid, this is a pretty cool place!
Anyway, our tour guide was a little dry and after about 30 mins Pete and I decided we should probably catch up with Sim and Will and see how they're doing. When we eventually got hold of Sim and find them both he tells us the toddler section was pretty average and only really suited to kids over 4. When Pete and I had a wander through it later we agree it could have been so much more.
We take Will for a little wander and he loves going onto the plane with daddy.
It's lunchtime by this stage and there is next to nothing to chose from in the food court. It's a choice between McDonald's and some pizza joint. You had to line up in these massive queues and order either of the 2. I order a pizza and Will happily eats it. Then promptly steals his Uncle Sim's fries when he arrives at table with McDonald's!
After they finish, Sim agrees to take Will back for a nap...I think Sim had a nap that day too :-)
Pete and I also decide the easiest thing to do is eat Maccas aswell. I actually enjoyed my Big Mac and I put it down to pregnancy taste buds :-)
Pete and I then wandered along the National Mall. Now, it's not a shopping Mall. It refers to the open area of parks/road between most of the monuments and important buildings in the heart of DC. It is a gorgeous city and so open. I guess they ensured they could cater to the millions of visitors who come to this city.
Capitol Building
Inside the Library of Congress
The Supreme Court - they were doing repairs so this is a facade they had up. Seems to be the story of our trip that no matter where we were there was something needing repairs!
Walking around outside was VERY fresh. It wasn't any colder than New York but the wind chill factor was intense. Also, because a lot of what we were doing was outdoors it got a bit uncomfortable after awhile. Will wasn't a fan of the cold weather in DC.
I can't remember doing much else that first afternoon. I think we ended up going home about 5pm as it was just so cold and had started raining while we were lining up outside the Library of Congress. Plus, I got told off for taking a photo (I had no idea we couldn't) while viewing an awesome display on the civil war. The security guard was so aggressive and it upset me a lot. Pete of course thought I was over-reacting but hey, he wasn't going to push the point with his pregnant wife!
One of the things that we found hard was finding decent places to eat. I would just crave fresh vegetables all the time. Even asking for a salad in the US is an experience. You're likely to get something with a bit of lettuce but then nothing but fruit and oodles of rich sweet dressing. It's just bizarre to me. Anyway, there was a Chinese restaurant down the road from our hotel so we had that and ordered something with lots of veges. It was one of the best meals we'd had for a few days which was nice.
*** On Thursday morning we set off towards the White House. At the time we visited, Australians were not being permitted to do White House Tours and from what I understand, it's hard for tourists to do the tour anyhow. We still wanted to check it out from the outside and see what else was around.
On the way there we had to wait for a motorcade. Apparently these occur almost daily with various dignitaries going to and from the White House. Of course Will loved the sirens and flashing lights and I must admit it was hard not to get caught up in the moment and think "I wonder who's being escorted to the White House."
We had to wait awhile to do a tour but it was cool because we were the only ones in the group. A very jolly local park ranger took the tour and was really great at answering our questions. He had nothing but positive things to say about President Obama. He has friends that work in the White House who say he is really lovely to work with and a very family focused man, often seen outdoors playing with his girls. His girls are very social too and often have sleepovers with their friends attending the White House. Now that would be a pretty cool sleepover if you ask me!
As you can see, Will wasn't fussed with the place and was stuffing his face with a biccie when we took this photo :-)
We finished our little tour then continued to walk around to the other side of the White House.
With plenty of police presence Will was in his element. The Police Office in this car was really friendly and Will loved being so close to the car.
I think Will wanted to keep warm so did lots of running this day!
We also went to the Museum of Natural History (part of the Smithsonian) and it was PACKED. So much so that it was hard to enjoy it. If that is what it is like in the off season, I imagine Summer would be a nightmare. However, I did think it was better than the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Plus there was an incredible expo of wildlife pictures. It was a National Geographic type competition with all the finalists and winners. The images were incredible and captivated each of us. We thought about having lunch in the cafeteria there but the queues quickly diverted us.
An App I would highly recommend using when traveling in the US is YELP. We used it on Pete's phone to get directions and reviews to restaurants all over the US. After our huge walk around the White House and battle with the crowds at the museum we were really wanting a huge hot lunch. Sim, Pete and I said a good pub meal was what we were craving. Pete happened to find an "old English Pub" on Yelp and it wasn't too far to walk there. The menu looked really good and we were welcomed warmly. Will really enjoyed his shepherds Pie. This is the kid's size!!!
He must have been hungry as he ate nearly half of it and I helped a bit too. I had bangers and mash and it was yummy. The manager came up to us and chatted and asked us whether the meals were authentic tasting. We said they were pretty good but suggested a couple of things to make them better. He was really interested in our thoughts and was really lovely to talk to. So often we felt warmly welcomed at various establishments in the US. I wish the customer service was better in Aus but we'd probably need to start tipping for that to occur ;-)
We ordered a cab for Sim and Will to go back to the hotel as it was so cold and it would mean a quick trip back so Will could go down for his nap. Pete and I stayed on at the restaurants and indulged in the most delicious brownie I have ever had in my life. It was a 2 layer brownie with ice-cream and cream in the middle and chocolate sauce. It was divine...and I'm ashamed to say we ate the entire enormous thing! Nothing like good food to warm you up and make you happy!
Washington Monument - again, this icon was damaged (due to an earthquake) and was being repaired.
The Capitol Building
City view
The Lincoln Memorial
Pete and I then made our way to the Lincoln Memorial. It was quite a walk and we were already pretty tired. We went past the Monument and the War memorial on the way and were able to check them out. It was so cold it's hard to describe it!
It was totally worth the huge walk in the cold when we got to the reflection pond and the Lincoln Memorial.
I know it's just a statue but it seems to have a real presence. We really enjoyed reading the Gettysburg address that was inscribed along the walls too. Very moving. The US has a powerful and fascinating history and I really enjoyed learning more about it during our time in DC.
I felt bad that Sim wouldn't see the Lincoln Memorial since we were leaving the next day but he didn't really seem to mind.
Pete and I walked most of the way back and picked up some Indian food. We then caught a taxi home with dinner.
***
Friday we were leaving DC for North Carolina. Pete went to pick up the hire car we had booked to drive the 6 hours to NC and Sim and I cleaned up our room and packed our gear. We drove out to Arlington Cemetery before we left on our long car ride and we took our time strolling through the cemetery.
It is a gorgeous place with views of the city. DC put on a glorious spring day for us and we were able to take our jackets off for the first time since being in LA!
JFK memorial
View of the National Mall
I took Will back to the car while Sim and Pete went to check out the tomb of the unknown soldier. I thought Will was about at his limit and he needed a nappy change so I was happy to let the boys go and check it out. When they met me at the car 40 or so minutes later they were really pleased they'd gone and found the experience really great.
We soon were on our way to North Carolina to spend Easter Weekend with our friends, The Prieto family. More on those amazing people in the next post!! I do have to say that we were not prepared for the INSANE traffic leaving DC. I guess it was Good Friday and people were leaving for the weekend etc but it took us almost 2 hours just to really get underway and do the speed limit on the freeway. Once we were cruising along we were impressed with the condition of the roads and how easy the freeway system was to follow. Handy that the road was so straight too...though I don't know if that made the drive more boring for Pete. A big yay for having our tablet with us loaded with movies for Will...though he did have a decent nap too.
We got to our friends house safely and were welcomed with loving and familiar arms even though it'd been almost 7 years since we'd all seen each other (or even met, in mine and Marcos' case :-)
