DC Part II

My mother really seemed to enjoy the camper experience. This was solidified when I overheard her say to my Dad that he needed to go on the next trip to learn how to hook it all up. That's HUGE!!! Perhaps there's an excursion possible in their future???
Friday we woke again to glorious sunshine. We lingered a bit longer through breakfast and the morning rituals. It was 12 before we climbed aboard the metro. My grandfather had asked if we had seen the Navy Memorial so we made it our first stop. We found him in the archives. He retired from the Navy as an RMC in 1950 something. It was a nice tribute but I wish we could have taken him rather than just pictures to show him.
Our next stop was the Zoo. Warm weather plus sunshine equals a very crowded zoo. We walked the entire zoo. The Panda's were out nibbling on bamboo and most of the animals were pretty active. The kids were also able to catch the Octopus during a feeding so of course they loved that! The Zoo starts at one end and ends downhill at a parking lot. Big Guys little legs were exhausted. Luckily I asked how to get back on the metro.
The guide tells us we have to walk back uphill a mile and a half to the front gate and then the 3 blocks to the metro. Or, he says, we can take the complimentary shuttle back to the top.
Thank heavens! We were the only ones on the shuttle so I don't know if we caught it at a good time or if it's a well-kept secret but keep it in mind if you go!!
Big Guy pointed out a guy playing the sax on the corner. He knows it's one of my favs so he grabbed a dollar and dropped it in his case! Ya gotta love the city sights and sounds!
Since it was warm and sunny Tara was ready to set-up the outside of the camper. We pulled out the awning and set out the chairs. It was good practice since I hadn't done it without Kev and
the awning was damp and needed to dry. Big Guy and Tara were off on their bikes buying ice cream at the store and spending their money in the game room. There's a foos-ball game that gives you a bouncy ball at the end so they are now the proud owners of way too many bouncy balls. Every time the camper moves there's a little ball rolling out from somewhere!
They showed National Treasure at the outdoor amphitheatre and Tara and Mom watched the movie while I hung out with the boys. We were once again exhausted. Big Guy fell asleep sitting up at the table watching Tara play Club Penguin. I put him on the couch, Tara took the bed next to Grandma and Trey and I slept up top for the first time. The "cab over" is a queen size bed that is usually reserved for the kids. I stretched out, Trey snuggled in and there was plenty of room. The kids and I may fight over that on the next trip!
Saturday morning we all slept in and I had the camper ready to pull off without a hitch. We sat in some traffic, stopped for lunch and everything was just dandy. We were going to make one other stop at Pierce's for some BBQ that we thought we could have for dinner. We pulled off the interstate and the camper began to cough and sputter. Oh my God! I had my mother and 3 kids and my rig was broke down on the side of the road! The gas gage said we had more that a 1/4 tank of gas but there was a gas station ahead so I again tried to start her up hoping to make it that far. I turned it over and we moved forward only to die again on the corner. I was saying a small prayer when a guy stopped and asked if we needed anything. He jumps out of his truck and tells us he'll tow us to the gas station. My mother asked the question we were both thinking "Are you going to be able to tow us with that?"
He looked back with just a simple nod, grabbed chains from his truck and had us towed and next to a gas pump in minutes. Thank God for a country boy!! (If I had only had the presence of mind to take a picture!!) I pumped gas and crossed my fingers. We put 34 gallons in a 35 gallon tank. I turned the engine over and the magic of gasoline in an engine made it run smoothly!! We didn't get any dinner but we had no other problems!
So what did I learn this trip? Never let the gage get below a half and never doubt a country boy and his pick-up truck!!

DC Follies

It's Spring Break!!! WOOHOO!!! No getting up early, fights at bedtime and the morning rush? Forget about it!!! At least for a week.
Kev left Wednesday for a det in Vegas. Not a lot of pity in my heart for this separation. I just can't bring myself to feel bad for him, can you?? We actually left before him for a little trip ourselves. My mom, the kids and I are staying at a campground in Maryland and are enjoying DC. This is my first time without a vehicle so we have been getting around only by the Metro and it has been fabulous.
It rained yesterday so we spent the day in the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History. (Amparo we didn't call Steve. Trey tends to set the tone for the day so you never know when he'll be "done" so it's never a good idea to have a set plan. Thanks for thinking of us and perhaps next year??) They are still a bit young for most exhibits but they saw enough to keep them happy and walked enough to make them tired.
Today we woke to bright sunshine. What a change a day makes. We closeted the coats and umbrellas and found the t-shirts and sunglasses and spent the day on a walking tour. Our chosen stop today on the Metro was Chinatown. When we walked above ground right in front of me was a Radio Shack. Hooray! I had forgotten my camera so I picked up a little digital that will now have a permanent home in the camper. We wandered by the Ford Theatre and we gave the kids the verbal history and made a pit stop at a hot dog vendor. It was sitting right in front of a Micky D's and yet we had no complaints! Amazing!! Next we visited the Spy Museum across from the FBI HQ. That was really interesting but again, we could have spent hours more if we didn't have to humor the little ones.
We kept walking and strolled across in front of the White House. The Washington Monument rose high and beckoned us over, so off we went. Across the lawn is the Lincoln Memorial and in between is the WW II memorial that I had never seen. Trey stayed in the stroller and the kids kept going. Tara and Mom went up into the Lincoln Mem while I took Tyler into the bathroom for a quick bath after he slid across the mud while puddle jumping. I broke out some change and played a little game of I Spy. That was cool watching them pick out the memorials associated with the back of their pocket change. We walked by the Vietnam Memorial and then headed through the GWU campus on our way to the Metro.
We made it back to the campground, had a simple dinner and the kids got to ride their bikes, play at the park and take a dip into the hot tub. I think tomorrow is the Zoo but for now they are all sleeping soundly. I am going to join them in deep exhausted sleep. Good Night!