Ava admitted that when she opened her mission call, she wasn't quite sure where Washington, D.C. was or that it was "in" Maryland. Now that she has served in the area, she knows it well. However, she didn't explore our nation's capital since she was in Virginia, so we decided to explore it together.
Graham and Callie's fall break was 10 days this year, so I figured we may as well go big. We also wanted Grayson along for the trip. He had mixed enthusiasm and was barely able to make it work, but we insisted he come! We had such a great time with these four kiddos.
I have had our nation's capital on my bucket list for a long time. Well, at least since National Treasure came out;) I was giddy to see the Washington Monument as the plane landed.
I was also surprised at how well you can see the Monument from around the city, it's so tall!
Do you see it?
Also, it was amazing to see the White House casually down the road.
Do you see it?
Getting to D.C. was no joke; we were on a separate flight from the kiddos, and they experienced a 5+ hour delay!
We stayed at the Mayflower, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Ava told us not to get too wrapped up in that since everything in D.C. is old.
We were in adjacent rooms. I thought the boys would sleep on the bed with the boy medallion and the girls would sleep with the girl medallion, but Ava said she'd sleep with a boy.
We felt swankified at the Mayflower.
Tuesday, October 14, 2024
The UNITED STATES CAPITOL
We were excited to go on foot the next morning to see more of the city, but the Capitol seemed a bit far, plus, we had heard of the endless walking required on the National Mall, so we took an Uber. We had a tour lined up through our congressman and were led through by a cute intern from Mapleton, Utah. There is no other way to describe the Capitol than impressive. That is, once we found where the tour began! The intern was a young little thing and clearly assumed we were as familiar with D.C. as she was: "Meet downstairs at the Freedom Statue."
The statue we felt most connected to was Brother Brigham in the hall of statues, representing the great state of Utah.
The mosaics, the carvings, the paintings, the attention to detail! Though the echo made it a bit difficult to hear our tour guide.
Matt and I pointed out to each other that it was nice that everyone in our group is old enough that if you don't know exactly where they are, you don't panic. Everyone is on foot, and Matt added, "They can take care of their own bathroom needs."
Gray discovered that he could prop himself on the handrails going down the escalator and let his feet dangle. I tried it and bopped Gray in the nose with my head when I hoisted myself up. I will admit it went against my better judgment.
Because we were on a formal tour, we were able to sit in the Chambers of the House and Senate. Everything looks smaller in person than it does on TV. It was nice to sit for a bit. We ate lunch in the cafeteria. The security guy was a good time; he not only organized us into lines, but also gave food recommendations. We shared various desserts, one of which was a white chocolate Capitol replica.
We decided it was a waste because who wants to sit there and eat that much white "chocolate." It was just whipped cream inside, haha.
We truly enjoyed our time at the Capitol. It is a beautiful building!
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
I had heard from a friend that this is a must-see. I would say the same!
To go on the floor ,we had to wear an enormous dork dot.
Worth it.
We were curious to see the secretive staircase behind the desk that they use in National Treasure.
I remembered hearing that the first edition of the Book of Mormon is on display somewhere. We were in a room surrounded by books, and there was a guy on a screen. You might think he had a recorded message, but no, he was LIVE. I asked him where the Book of Mormon is on display. His directions were clear enough, but due to the size of the building, we went on a goose chase. It was like trying to find the Golden Plates, but we were persistent and found it in the Rare Books Division. The Book of Mormon is the most requested item in the division!
The entire library is just magnificent.
Just across the street from the U.S. Capitol, I concur, do not miss the Library of Congress! The outside is pretty, but does not match the majesty within. Like a book. The book.
We got to the United States Supreme Court just after closing and could not go inside. It looks like we might have needed to get our sillies out anyway;
it's not Disney!
As we walked away without the chance to go inside, I felt like Arnold, "I'll be back."
Being that it was Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day, there was a demonstration happening.
A real D.C. event!
I was excited to see a Smithsonian Museum. Like Ava had been about D.C., I was a bit hazy on the Smithsonian till I prepared for this trip. "The Smithsonian is a collection of museums and research centers." Therefore, there isn't just one Smithsonian. At the National Gallery of Art, we saw the only da Vinci on display in the Americas, Ginevra de' Benci, 1478, a two-sided piece of art.
I can't quite make out what Graham thought of it.
He was the only Art Museum taker; the others wanted to rest their legs.
I think it is time to call it a day, "UBER!"
Tuesday, October 16th, 2024
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
Matt got up first thing to get in line for tickets so we could go to the top of the Washington Monument. Everything on the National Mall is free of charge, but some things require ticket reservations; this is one of them.
After he secured the tickets and walked back to the hotel, we all walked down to the monument on a very brisk morning.
After all of Matt's standing and waiting in the cold, they didn't even check for tickets, bwahahaha.
To the top!
The walls have quotes from George Washington. Grayson observed, "I don't think I would have been friends with him." I asked him why. "Because he seems so boring based on these quotes. Like he wouldn't have a sense of humor."
You can see views from all four sides. It is great for getting your bearings.
Looking straight up from the bottom:
SMITHSONIAN: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
We had recently watched Julie & Julia, so some of the kids could appreciate Julia Child's kitchen, which has been donated and is on display, but not all of them (uh-uhm, Grayson).
Grayson said, "This is the most average kitchen ever. Who is she?"
I could have stared at the details for much longer.
There is no way to stop at every item in every museum; it is best to go in with some must-sees. For me, it was Julia's kitchen and the Ruby Slippers. Other treasures we saw were the First Lady's inauguration dresses and Abraham Lincoln's Top Hat! His actual hat.
Ava seems to be saying, "I'll get you my pretty!"
Thankfully, there was stuff for the guyths too! Again, Ava is in the background, "I'll get you my pretty!"
When we approached the case of Lincoln's Top Hat, a woman gave detailed facts about his life and the events leading up to his assassination. As we stopped to listen, we realized that she was a museum visitor just like us, not an employee. The man she had been talking to looked relieved we were there as he backed up slowly and let her fill our ears.
The hat is dusted with gold to protect it. The case is also under extremely dim lighting. Bummed how my picture turned out. Even more of a bummer is that the lady turned out to be a bit of a quack.
At the Air and Space Museum, I spent more time in space than air, but we all found something interesting. Especially Graham! I suggested we see the planetarium show. I probably shouldn't have. As interesting as it was, with all the go-go-go, it was $9 for me.
LINCOLN MEMORIAL
Picturesque doesn't justly describe the night. The setting sun on the Washington Monument, Oh myyyy!
Couldn't believe my eyes.
The farther we walked, the prettier the sky became.
Until. WAAAHHHHH!!!
The sky added to the reverence at the World War II Memorial.
Every time we turned around, the view behind us got more spectacular.
Walk with me.
People were loving it.
Mall Meals
I had been warned that the cafes on the Mall aren't great, but you really don't have other options for lunch. While we waited outside the bathroom, I noted that Ava hadn't gone all day. I said, "Ava, you never have to use the bathroom." Without missing a beat, she said, "That's cause I'm full of sh....." The comedic timing was perfect. I think Graham nearly spit out his water.
Day two lunch was waaaay overpriced and not tasty!
My snack break left much to be desired. The cookie was so dry that I fed it to the birds.
However, we had a great dinner that evening. It's always nice to travel with someone who has lived in the area and knows of good eats! We took an Uber to Nando's, which had family-style chicken dishes and was goooood. It was lovely to sit down after a day of walking and be together in warmth.
We wanted a tasty cookie afterward. We found a bakery with some very textured walls. It took us a moment to realize it was a repeat pattern of Mt.Rushmore!
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING
October 17, 2024
The utter joy we got from this tour (and have continued to have) didn't have so much to do with the tour itself as it did with our tour guide. Oh myyyy. No way to even explain it here. Good times.
But basically, we got to see how paper money is made from start to finish!
THE WHITE HOUSE!
This attraction was another one that required advanced planning. We applied for tickets through our congressman. Luckily, we are in the same congressional district as A and Gray.
I was soooo excited to go inside. Downright giddy. I had been meticulous in the documents I filled out to apply, and yet somehow I put down Graham's wrong birth year, which caused some delay. When I explained that he was one of six, I was met with sympathy and understanding.
Joe says, "We're a great nation because we're a good people."
The agent stationed in the Red Room invited anyone to ask questions as we passed through. I didn't even know what my questions would be. He said, "There has got to be something." I made more of a comment, really, "I bet this is beautiful all decorated for Christmas." He said that the public does the decorating! You can apply and then come in the fall and decorate for the holidays. Didn't know that!
The Blue Room
It was interesting to walk out the front door, where I have seen the President/First Lady exit many times. Like Jill says, "It is the people's house." We's good people.
The White House has a good-sized yard, but surprisingly, is kind of right in the middle of town.
The sun was shining and we enjoyed our walk back to the Mayflower for a rest.
Ava was in school and had a Zoom call and homework to work on. I remember how that was!
Later that afternoon we went back to the National Mall.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES MUSEUM
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Amazing to see in person. It is a powerful room. There are other documents there as well, but we wanted to see the big three. People form a line as though they have to go in order. We just hopped around and got in and out faster.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
While Matt and I took Callie to the Butterfly Exhibit, the others toured the museum.
When we got to the end of the atrium, a teen employee was standing there manning the door. Within minutes, another group joined us and then another. It was getting humid. Finally, he said, "If you guys are ready to leave, all you gotta do is ask." Okeeee.
"I want thaaaaat."
(The ring, not the guy;)
We made our way to dinner. Graham does not like to have cold hands, so he had his gloves on for our walks. We had purchased a jacket for Grayson at H&M that afternoon since his was mistakenly taken out of his luggage. I saw a sweater on the mannequin that I wanted to buy. There weren't any others of that size in the store. The worker dismantled the mannequin's arms, and they came crashing to the ground as though to emphasize what trouble it was for her to have to get the sweater for me. Big cities and their customer service...
Ava directed us to a yummy pizza place for din-din.
Again, we were charmed by the little details in the restaurant.
Look familiar?
VIRGINIA
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Friday, October 18th, 2024
Changing of the Guards.
Graham knows exactly what the marching entails and had total respect for how precise the exchange was.
The skinniest house
Graham's signature pose going on here
After traveling abroad, I was loving a vacation on my own turf. I know the money, the language, the food, and the bathroom situation. However, the stores that we browsed through felt like they could be in Utah! Check out this stunning tissue flower bouquet.
We split up, both groups determined to find the best ice cream.
MARKET SQUARE
Oh, how we enjoyed the afternoon.
Virginia is indeed for lovers. XOXO
NIGHT ON THE TOWN
We headed back to D.C. so the boys could get to their Washington Wizards game.
I got to thinking how we girls didn't really want to sit around all evening, so I booked us tickets to whatever was playing at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Babbitt it is.
When we arrived at the theatre, we laughed that right across the street is Capital One Arena, where the guys were at the game!
I was intrigued since the star of the show was Matthew Broderick. Who? The girls asked. Ferris Bueller!
Our seats looked promising. The set looked promising.
Eek, after the first half, I wasn't sure about the age appropriateness. If it got better, fine; if it got worse, well... I asked Binnie what we should do. "Just stay." From some of the comments in the crowd, others weren't loving it either. But all in all, it's a fine enough show, and a night out on the town is always a good time.
As historic as the D.C. buildings are, the Washington D.C. Temple is equally historic. For 20+ years, it was the only temple east of the Mississippi. I have always wanted to experience it in person.
WASHINGTON D.C. TEMPLE
Saturday, October 19th, 2024
As we walked toward the entrance, I heard my name, "Abby?!" It is always a curious thing who you will see when you are out of town. It was a lady who lived in our ward for a short time and was now back east visiting a friend. It is a small world in the gospel.
Grayson opted to perform baptisms with Callie and Graham while we did an initiatory and endowment session. Wow! What a beautiful building! I didn't know there is colored glass up the spires that lets so much light into the staircases. The kids were waiting at the Visitor's Center for us. We loved our visit to the temple!
The rest of the afternoon was pretty chill; everyone sort of did their own thing. At one point, it was just me and Ava looking for yummy fall treats at the local coffee shop. I wanted a pumpkin steamer. Course, the barista didn't know what I was talking about, and I had to walk her through it. We went to Walgreens and got stuff to make our own steamers later in the room. Ava dared Callie to eat a peach ring out of an open package, which she did.
In the gift shop, we girls found matching USA sweatshirts, and at some point, I managed to dump the contents of Ava's purse all over the floor. Every. single. item. Gosh, what a day. Let's wrap it up!
NIGHT RIDERS
We walked downtown, rented electric bikes, and had a heyday. If a bike died or quit working, well, there was another one near enough to hop on. Just ask Graham. I was the instigator of this event. I had read that though the museums close around 5 p.m., the Mall is beautiful at night, all lit up.
THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
We continued our night hunt by driving back to the temple to see it lit up (we had rented a van). I was surprised how difficult it is to see/get to once the gates are closed, so wooded is the area surrounding it.
TAKE ME TO CHURCH
Sunday, October 20th, 2024
We got to meet a very special friend of Ava's whom she taught on her mission. You could tell how much she loved Ava. Ava came into her life at a very crucial time and helped give hope, comfort, and the light of Christ.
We had the rest of the day to spend in D.C.,
so we decided to head back to the National Mall. It is peaceful there. There were so many people enjoying their day. A true Sabbath delight.
so we decided to head back to the National Mall. It is peaceful there. There were so many people enjoying their day. A true Sabbath delight.
It's like the city's Central Park, a much-needed green space.
It is difficult to decide on a movie with this bunch. We go through it nearly every Sunday evening. That is why Matt was so pleasantly surprised when no one objected to National Treasure. Being that we had just walked the sights, we were anxious to see a family favorite with some context this time.
Another museum we went to was the Holocaust Museum. It is a heavy experience. We weren't quite wanting something that heavy. Many people say it is a must-see. I would say, go at your own discretion for what you want to see/experience. We didn't go through the whole thing or stay super long. Just enough.
SUPREME COURT
Monday October 21st, 2024
I wanted to go back to see the Supreme Court. We had toured the other legislative branches, the legislative and executive, it seemed fitting to end our trip with the judicial.
The timing was tricky since we were checking out that day. I suggested we take the Metro, mainly for the experience and uncertainty of parking at the courthouse. Between all of our brains, we couldn't make heads or tails of the train schedule (and we even had Graham's brain invested!) The lady in the booth mumbled who knows what under her mask. I asked if she could help us. She came out of the booth, tapped the screen, and we put in our card. We weren't quite sure that she charged us correctly. The Metro wasn't our vibe. I noted to Matt that it seemed to bring out the worst in everybody. Callie went way ahead, certain that we were moving too slowly and would miss the next train. It is the only time I worried about where one of my kiddos was.
Upon our arrival, we had just missed (to the joy of the children) being able to sit in the chamber and listen to a lecture.
We were in awe of the majesty of the building.
I chatted with a security guard about some of the places we visited during our D.C. visit. He asked if we had seen the new African American Museum, which we had not made it to. He said it is a must-see. I asked how long it takes, to which he said we would need a couple of hours, which we did not have.
Graham was getting nervous about the time since we had to be out of our hotel rooms by 2 p.m. He couldn't believe that we were stopping for lunch! I don't know what he and Callie thought was going to happen, that they would throw our belongings into the street?
Over lunch, I mentioned my conversation with the security guard about some other must-see places, such as the museum, which would take two hours. Museum'd out Grayson, spoke up, "I bet I could get through in 20 minutes. How long does it take from the entrance to the exit? Time me." Graham, who had been sitting there stone-faced, broke into a laugh. We were dying.
The sillies continued in the car as we relived our tour experience at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. We were laughing so hard! I broke into a giggle fit thinking about it again at the airport and then again as I was trying to fall asleep that night. Uncontrollable laughing. That tour!
Since Matt and mine's plane left hours before the kids' plane, they dropped us off, then went to fill the van with gas and return it before taking a shuttle back to the airport. It was great! Matt brought a backpack of snacks. Some were rather unexpected, such as this haul of Ferrero Rocher.
The trip was truly magical—one that we have relived through stories and laughter many times. It was educational, it was patriotic, it was bonding.
I think Grayson is glad he cleared his schedule.
From my seat on the plane, I could see the entire National Mall, which meant so much more to me.
My view included the white spires in the midst of a forest, the D.C. Temple.
Which also meant more to me.
