Meet Me In DC, Baby!

Amidst the hustle and bustle of my cousin's wedding in Kansas a few weeks ago, I got a phone call from D in Germany. He informed me that his job would be sending him to Baltimore for a week to shadow a project they were working on. I almost couldn't believe it. We'd only been in Germany 2 months and they were already sending him stateside for things! As crazy as I thought this plan was, it turned out to be another awesome opportunity the military has bestowed on us! Since Labor Day weekend was going to coming at the end of his stay in Baltimore, we got the bright idea that I should fly out and spend the long weekend with him before they shipped him back to Germany. This plan was almost too good to be true for us! Washington DC is only a 35 minute drive from where he was staying in Baltimore. SCORE! Mini-DC vacation!

So, after spending 12 days with my awesome family in Kansas, I flew back to NC with my parents (because I'd already booked a multi-city ticket prior to this vacation revelation). I spent exactly one day at home snuggling on my sweet puppy dog who's been living, happily, with my parents the last few months, and then flew out to Baltimore the very next afternoon! To be honest, I was all but thrilled about seeing yet another airport so soon...but the chance to spend a weekend of sight-seeing with the hubs was worth the airport drama. And there was alot of it. My easy peasy 1 hour flight turned into over 6 hours stuck in the terminal, on the tarmac, in the air...turn the plane around mid-flight and sent us back to the airport...back on the tarmac, deplaned into the terminal again, switched gates and airplanes, then finally on to Baltimore. I was supposed to arrive at 5pm and enjoy a romantic dinner planned by my love...but I ended up landing at 10:15pm and we ate McDonald's. In the hotel room. And then I passed out from exhaustion. Romantic, right?! Only a minor hiccup, but the rest of our weekend was absolutely fabulous!

With just 2 full days to spend exploring DC, D and I tried to squeeze in as much as possible while hitting all the touristy hot spots. I think we did a pretty stellar job because our feet and backs were KILLING us after all was said and done. Here are some photos from our DC meet up!

First up, our visit to Arlington National Cemetery. It was such a humbling place. Quiet. Patriotic. As weird as it is to say (seeing as it is a cemetery), I loved walking around there. It also made me proud of my husband and proud to be a MilSpouse. 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

 

Changing of the guards at the Tomb

 

After Arlington, we ate lunch in DC at the AMAZING Elephant & Castle Restaurant and Pub. I ate the most delicious Thai Chicken salad of my LIFE at this place! It's a must eat in DC for sure!

 

Next, we took a stroll a few blocks behind the restaurant to find Ford's Theatre and the house where Lincoln died. After seeing those pieces of history, we decided to take a break from all things historical and went here...Madame Tussaud's House of Wax!! Neither of us had ever been to a wax museum, so we had no idea what to expect. I must say, it was one of my favorite things we did in DC, hands down! The pictures below say it all!

 

D giving Robert E. Lee a piece of his mind! So funny!

 

There were so many opportunities for inappropriateness here. This was D's attempt to tell Abe that maybe he should take a look behind him. Just sayin'. :) 

 

Not only did we get to pose with wax figures from throughout history, we also got to play dress up!

 

More inappropriateness. I'm positive they put him in that position specifically for people like me to do this. I mean, really. Oh Bill! :)

 

I love me some Robbert Pattinson. I know, it's sad. But, in my defense, I have a thing for men with British accents. Almost to a fault. Anyway, when I saw him standing so coyly in the corner, I couldn't resist! Wax doesn't do him justice.

 

D was less than thrilled. :)

 

Homewrecker.

 

Homewrecker squared. We literally could have punched half the wax celebs in there!

 

My impression of how I'd be if I was ever interviewed on TV. Deer in headlights. By the way Madame Tussaud's, your Al Roker's about 50 lbs outdated, dontcha think?

Ok, back to the historical stuff...on to the White House...

 

...Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial...

 

...Lincoln Memorial and rest on the stairs. It felt like we had been walking for days, but we weren't done yet!

Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

 

And finally, resting our feet and dinner at the historic Old Ebbitt Grill. It is Washington's oldest saloon, founded in 1856. If you ever find yourself in DC, go there and get the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Don't ask, just do. You won't regret it!

 

 

And that, my friends, brings us to the end of DC Day 1! For real...we did ALL that in 1 day! Stay tuned for photos and a recap from our adventures involving some very famous cupcakes and burgers in Day 2! :)