My son David is very interested in Washington, D.C. In first grade, he
learned about Abraham Lincoln, and wanted to see the Lincoln
Memorial. So we decided what better way to start summer vacation
than to take a jaunt to the National Mall!

We had a very good time in Washington, even though there seems to
have been a slew of robberies while we were there. We must have
looked too poor, because no one bothered us.

Raymond, my husband, went wild with the camera. He took pictures
of everything. He took pictures of pictures. He took pictures of birds
in trees. He took pictures of every word on every monument.
Sightseeing took HOURS.

We also took a day trip to Philadelphia, our nation's first capital. It is
truly a wonderful city. You couldn't even spit and not have it land on
something historical. Not that we did that, mind you.

For this trip, we decided to do lots of touristy stuff. Mostly , we
stayed around the National Mall and parks, and in Philly, we just
browsed around Independence Hall. We did take a carriage ride
through the town, which was nice.

And we got lost in the bad part of Baltimore! How scenic.

The next time we go (I always visit places twice! I think it's because
there's just so much to do), I won't do the tourist thing. I like to
explore what's out there away from the tried-and-true.

I have a TON more photos, courtesy of my photography-hungry
husband, so here's just a sampling of what we saw. I hope you enjoy
this virtual visit!
This is the very life-like statue of "Father and Son
eating Hotdogs" in Washington, D.C. Okay, I'm
kidding.
George Mason and David became fast friends.
An alley in Philly. I like alleys! They hide secrets.
An alley in Chinatown. Not very
scenic, but very interesting.
David and his favorite president.
David and me in the courtyard of Independence Hall. The
sight of the signing of the Decleration of Independence
was almost torn down in the mid 1800s. Crazy!

David's like his mom, he loves old roads. He was
fascinated by this old cobblestone road (there are also
many Belgian Block roads around Philadelphia, too).
It goes without saying that we ate at Plato's Diner, on Rte 1
in College Park, Maryland. Great neon!
The Bunker's chairs at the Smithsonian. They
alone were worth the trip to Washington!
I fell in love with this old house.
It's for sale, but the price of real
estate in Washington D.C. is
unbelievable, so I wouldn't
even contemplate moving
there. I can get so angry at the
current real estate market,
which neglects middle and
lower income people. I think
everyone should be able to
afford housing!
In Philadelphia, you'll often come across
old houses next to new ones (the little one
is the older house in this photo). To live in
the old town of downtown Philly will cost you
upwards of a million dollars. Rents go from
2000 and up, from what I've learned. It's a
little crazy!
Not only was it hot when we visited Washington, it was also
Memorial Day weekend, and thousands of bikes converged into the
city to pay tribute to the fallen and POWs. The bike parade lasted for
hours around the National Mall.
Two Capitals in One Trip