The Cliffs Go To Washington

We had a great time... mostly. Got up at the crack of dawn on Tuesday to fly from cold, rainy Dallas and arrived in DC to find sunshine and gorgeous blue skies. We took the metro from the airport to our hotel and scooted right over to the Capitol (after walking several blocks again to the metro, which Anna protested, and grabbing hotdogs from vendor for lunch, which Anna protested) for a tour arranged by our congressman. In this week leading up to the vote on health care it was interesting to see from the gallery how the speakers (mostly Republican) performed for empty House seats and the broadcast camera.

It was under the smaller dome (House side) where a cranky Anna plopped down on the floor and said, "I want to die. Can you make me die, Mom?"


That should have been a clue. Or the fact that she could only be enticed to eat ice cream. But it had been an early morning. So we pressed on to the Library of Congress. Which is stunning. Although the cool round room shown in National Treasure can only be seen through plexiglass, which was a bummer.

After a disappointing meal at Good Stuff Eatery (great shakes, interesting burger, yucky limp and greasy fries to dip in intriguing mango mayo) we headed back to the hotel to soak our feet and rest for the next day's adventure. Anna seemed warm so John ran to the nearby CVS pharmacy to buy one of those almost useless digital thermometers. The four or five different readings all pointed to fever of some degree. Poor Anna.

So Wednesday morning I scheduled an afternoon appointment at urgent care and we traded the metro for a taxi to the National Museum of American History. We dragged Anna through our own highlights tour, including Kermit the Frog, Dorothy's ruby slipper, Lincoln's top hat, THE Star Spangled Banner, first lady gowns, and Julia Child's kitchen.


Lunch on the street again, and we were off to the National Archives rotunda to see the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independance, and the Bill of Rights. Then a short walk and a Wonka-esque glass elevator to the observation deck of the Old Post Office Tower, where we could see the whole downtown area.

Then, while John and Kate went to see the Hope Diamond and dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, Anna and I got to spend some quality time at urgent care waiting well past an hour for her scheduled appointment. She napped, sitting up in a chair, as I texted and fumed. It didn't encourage me when the doctor's first words were, "I'm not a pediatrician." (But you are a doctor, right?)

With prescription for antibiotics in hand, we grabbed another taxi and raced John and Kate to the Lincoln Memorial. We won.

Anna, refreshed by her nap in the waiting room, complained a bit less as we toured the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. Powerful. I did not expect to be so moved.

We ended with the Lincoln Memorial, just as the setting sun began to turn everything golden.


We finished off the day in Georgetown with a splurge meal at Filomena, an Italian restaurant recommended by our taxi driver. Anna actually put her head down on the table, and it was hard to have to gently discourage her. We all shared a piece of perfect cheesecake. Yum.

The next morning we taxied to Union Station to store our bags until it was time for our train to Colonial Williamsburg (my best-laid metro plans were trumped by sickness) so we arrived with the required cell phones and wallets only for our White House tour -- which Karen's amazing friend who works in Senator Bennett's office was able to arrange for us. (Thanks, Kathryn!)

What can I say, it was The White House. So cool to be able to walk where presidents have walked. (Wish I could post a photo of us out front, but I don't know how to get it out of my phone yet.)

We found a pedicab outside just waiting for us and meant to take it to the nearest metro station but somehow ended up winding through sunny streets all the way back to Union Station.

It was a fantastic way to bid farewell to DC.