Day 16 and 17--Rain, Relaxing, and Home

Our "Host Family"

Yesterday was our final, full day of vacation. We didn't have anything specific on the schedule, and we were just going to play it by ear, and go see whatever we missed. When we woke up, it was a rainy, dreary, kind of day, so...we went out to a late breakfast, and went back to our friend's house, and took up residence on their couch and watched the World Cup. Our friends then made a great dinner. It was nice to just relax all day!

The kids loved being with their friends!

Today we had breakfast with our "host family" as Dan called our friends. (Thank you Lee family for a great time!) Then we flew home.

It was a great trip with many highlights. Here is what everyone said their top 3 things were. (Note--we told the kids they could not say being with the Lees--it had to be a tourist thing that we did--otherwise, that was their favorite thing. Plus, they could not say everything!)

Kyle:  Naval Academy, Monticello, and the bike ride around D.C.
Erin:  Plimoth Plantation, the Star Spangled flag, and the bike ride
Dan:  Valley Forge, Lexington/Concord, and the bike ride
Wendy: Monticello, the Star Spangled flag, and the bike ride

Obviously, the bike ride was a big hit! Now it is time to enjoy the rest of our summer, and for Wendy to start planning next year's vacation.

Day 15--Washington D.C. again

Changing of the Guard

Today was a tough day. We started at Arlington Cemetery. We were able to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown solider. We also witnessed the laying of the wreaths for the day. They were presented by an elementary school and middle school. It was a neat experience. Then it was on to JFK's grave. On our way out, we also went by President Taft's grave.

Next, it was on to the Holocaust Museum. It was painful to see everything, but necessary. We felt it was important for the kids to learn about this time in our history. It was very well done.

On our way out of town, we stopped into the Freer Museum, which has the"Peacock Room". Wendy and Erin had learned about this room a few years ago, when they did an art project for school. It was neat to see it in real life.

The Kerns

In the evening, we visited our old neighbors, the Kerns. It was a nice time of visiting and catching up.

Day 14--More Washington D.C.

The Tidal Basin

Today was Tour de Washington! We rented bikes and went all over town seeing the sights. First, it was to the Tidal Basin to see the Jefferson, FDR, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. While riding around the Tidal Basin, several military helicopters were flying fast and low. One of the helicopters was Marine I-which means the President! Dan and Kyle loved this!

Then it was off to the Mall to see the Korean War Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial again. Next, it was on to the American History Museum to see the flag that was flown at Ft. McHenry, and Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner about. (Erin is seeing her report from school, come to life, once more.) It was a lot bigger than expected.

White House

Finally, it was a ride to the White House, to see it from the other side, than what we saw the other day.

On a side note--while riding through the streets/paths today, Dan loved his "bell" on his bike, and rang it constantly!! It was driving Wendy crazy, but Dan just laughed and rang it more!

Day 13--Washington D.C.

View from Newseum

Today we went back to Washington D.C. for the day. We went to the Newseum--which is a museum about the news. It was great! We saw headlines from 100 plus years ago to today, acted like anchors on a news show, and saw the antenna from the World Trade Center from 9/11. We also watched a bit of the World Cup on a HUGE screen.

Air & Space Museum

Then it was off to the National Gallery of Art, where we saw some of Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Van Gogh, etc. Next, it was the Air and Space Museum. The kids enjoyed the hands-on area, where they did various activities about flight. Now it is time to rest up before tomorrow's adventures.

Day 12--Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Today we visited George Washington's home, Mount Vernon. We toured the mansion--it was nice, but we did feel like we were prodded through like cattle. (There was a lot of people, and they just moved us along quickly.) We then went on the "National Treasure Tour". We were able to hear about the filming of the movie, plus see different areas where they filmed i.e. basement, ice house, etc. That was a neat extra thing to do.

Wendy and Katy

As a special treat, we met up with Kyle's former teacher, and Wendy's friend, Katy. Katy recently moved to the area this past year. It was fun to see her and her adorable son, Lincoln.

Day 11--Williamsburg

Could we do this now?

We hit Colonial Williamsburg today. We watched throughout the day, the reenactment of what was happening in Williamsburg from 1775-1781. It was fun to interact with the characters in between the "show" they put on. We heard the entire Declaration of Independence being read aloud from the steps of the capitol building. Erin really liked going into the "weaving" place and watching the girls spin the wool and use the loom. We also went onto the William and Mary campus also. We were welcomed with the heat and humidity today--in the 90's with high humidity. The kids are now swimming in the hotel pool, while Dan and Wendy are watching the USA vs. Ghana World Cup game.

Day 10--Monticello

Another gorgeous day, as far as the weather goes. We spent the day at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. The grounds are unbelievable--views over the hillside below, flowers everywhere, plus the actual house is spectacular! Thomas Jefferson really was an amazing man--the details that went into designing and building his house were well before his time. We went on a tour of the house, and then one that talked about all of the slaves which worked on the plantation. It was very well done and informative. We also saw his grave, along with his family.

Day 9--Washington D.C.

The Capitol

A gorgeous day in D.C. today. We started with our tour of the Capitol building. It is very beautiful, even though they were doing renovation on the rotunda, so we couldn't see some of it.

Then we went over to the Library of Congress and went on a tour. Again, it was amazing. To think that there is over 532 miles of books there!

Next, we walked 16 blocks to the White House. We were lucky enough to get a tour. It was neat to think of all of the history of this building, and reflect on our past presidents.

Visiting Abe

It was then time to meet up with our friends, the Lees, for lunch. Since it was such a nice day outside, we walked to the Washington Monument, and down to the Lincoln Memorial. Along the way, we saw the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. Then it was time to head back to the car and get some gelato along the way. It was a pleasant, yet tiring day.

Day 8--Washington D.C.

Spy Erin

Today was our first day in D.C. We started off with the Spy Museum. First we did "Spy in the City". We received 2 devices (like iPads) to go on a mission around town. It was boys vs. girls. We started at  two different places, and ended up finishing within a minute of each other, receiving the exact same score---so, I guess this means, no clear winner. It was fun to run around the city, figuring out the clues. Then we explored the actual museum. It told a lot about the history, and had lots of spy gadgets.

Then we went to the Natural History Museum. It was fun, but very crowded. When we came out, it was pouring rain. Time to pull out the ponchos and umbrellas again. Last, we went to Ford's Theater to learn about the night Lincoln was killed. It was a fun day.

Day 7--Annapolis

Kyle with the Heismans

Today was a wet day. We started off the day at the Naval Academy. Our friend, Tony, set us up with one of his friends, who works there, to give us a tour of campus. It was neat to see everything. We saw the two Heisman trophies, that the Navy had won, including the one for Roger Staubach. The chapel was beautiful, and we also saw John Paul Jones' (father of the Navy) crypt. We didn't explore as much as we would have liked, due to the rain. If the Harvard thing didn't impress our kids, maybe this did--we aim high in the Murdoch household!

We then went to the historic home of William Paca, who was the governor of Maryland, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It has all been restored and we had a private tour of the house. The kids were then ready to just sit in the car and get out of the rain.

Then it was off to Virginia, to see our friends, the Lees. (The kids were anxious to get here and see their friends.) We will be staying with them for most of the rest of our trip.

Day 6--Philly, & Baltimore

Betsy Ross' House

We started the day back at our favorite Pennsylvania Dutch place at Reading Terminal for breakfast. Then it was on to Betsy Ross' House (along with a million school children). There is a big controversy about if she really designed/sewed the first flag, but we are going to assume that she did. Then it was on to Elfreth's Alley, an original street from Colonial times. We also visited Fireman's Hall, which had old fire engines, and memorabilia from 9/1l.

LOVE!!!

Next, it was on to Love Park to see the famous LOVE art, along with large game pieces. We were now ready to go to Baltimore.

In Baltimore, we went to Ft. McHenry, where the Star Spangled Banner was written about. Erin had done a report for school on Francis Scott Key, and wanted to stop here.

We arrived in Annapolis for dinner, and are planning our adventures for tomorrow.

Day 5--Philly

Liberty Bell

This morning we started the day off by walking to Reading Station (this is a farmer's market kind of place) to get breakfast. It was raining again, so Dan stopped and bought some umbrellas. As soon as we got out of the store, it basically stopped raining--figures! Breakfast was delicious. Then it was off to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Franklin Square. It is awesome to think about all that has happened in these old buildings--Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the passing of power peacefully from one president to another (Washington to Adams--without a war). Ben Franklin is Philadelphia's hero, and visiting his old house, and museum was interesting. Wendy wishes that all of her kindergarteners could have gone and seen all of his inventions, that she had taught them about this past year.

Kyle loved his Philly cheesesteak!

After all of this traipsing around the city, Kyle was ready for his Philly Cheesesteak. We were going to go to Pat's and Geno's (the most famous places for cheesesteaks), but we were convinced to go to Sonny's instead. (Apparently, they are rated the best place now-the others are only rated #7 and #10.)

Later we went to the U.S. Mint to see the history of our coins and see how they are made. It was neat to see. Then it was time to head back to the hotel to relax a bit before our night tour of the city.

Before going on our "Night Tour", we went to Franklin's Fountain for dinner. This is an old-fashion soda fountain with homemade ice cream. Yes, we had ice cream again for a meal! The night tour was very informative and beautiful. We went all around the city on top of a double-decker bus. We went to the "Rocky Steps", so Dan and the kids could run to the top!

They made it!

We are all tired and going to bed, so we will be rested up for another day in Philly tomorrow.

Day 4--Conn., New Jersey, and Penn.

Holding Giant PEZ

Today was a long traveling day. We left this morning from Connecticut, and had to have Dunkin Doughnuts for breakfast. Then on our way to New Jersey, we saw a sign for the PEZ factory, so we again had to stop. The kids loved it! They had all the old PEZ dispensers, and the history, plus you could watch some things happening in the factory. This is the only PEZ factory in North America!

Then we met up with one of Wendy's friends, Jenny, near Princeton, New Jersey. They worked together at Alpine Camp over 20 years ago. We sat and talked over burgers and shakes. (We were going to stop at Princeton University, but we were running late on time--we chose PEZ over Princeton-don't figure.)

Valley Forge

Last, but not least, we went to Valley Forge. It was really interesting to learn and see what it was like. We thought it was going to be fairly small, since we always picture the starving men in bad conditions, but there were more than 6,000 men that stayed there, spread out all over. It rained off and on, but we made the best of it. (Luckily, we brought our famous rain ponchos from last year with us!)

Tomorrow is Philadelphia.

Day 3--Plymouth, Cape Cod, and Mystic

Plimoth Plantation

 We started the day going back in time over 100 years from yesterday and the Revolutionary War. We went to the Plimoth Plantation (yes, that is how it is spelled). They have recreated the settlement for the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. It was very interesting to talk with the people in the village, as they all stay in character and the year is 1627, seven years after coming to America. Dan kept talking to the men about the financial issues and the contract that was being drawn up with the company that sent them here. (The kids and Wendy would move on to other people, when these conversations started.) We learned how they made pancakes, sewed, gardened, built houses, got supplies, etc. You just had to ask the questions and they would tell you all about it and their "story". Then it was off to see the "rock", yes, Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II, a replica of the original. While on board the Mayflower II, we could see exactly how crowded it was, and the living conditions. It really is amazing that so many people took the risk to come here.

Since we were so close to Cape Cod, we decided to go there. We went to a little town called Sandwich. Yes, we ate a sandwich in Sandwich! We went down to the beach to see the bay. It was a nice little walk.

Then it was on to Mystic, Conn. It is a cute little town along the Mystic River. We just walked around, got to see the draw bridge operate (Dan and Kyle loved this!), and ate dinner at Mystic Pizza! Now the kids are winding down in the pool at the hotel. The best part of the day was when Kyle said, "I know that I said I already knew all of this stuff, but this is way better than what I thought it would be like."

Mayflower II

Day 2--Lexington/Concord, Boston, Cambridge

Concord Battle

Today was a much more relaxing day than yesterday. First, we went to Lexington and Concord to see where the "Shot heard around the world" happened. We went to the Battle Green where the attack at Lexington took place--8 Colonists were killed, and then retreated-not firing back at the British.We then went on a tour around town to relive what happened, and saw various buildings that Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams and the militia went. Then the tour took us to Concord, where the Colonists were attacked again, but this time we fired back. (This was the first time the Colonists fought back, and really started the war.) We also saw Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott's houses--we just drove by them. Then we had a great lunch in Lexington--a HUGE cup of ice cream! Then it was back to Boston to go on an old Clipper ship around the harbor. Dan and the kids helped raise the sails. Later, we wanted to give the kids something to think about, and took them to Harvard University. (It is never too early to start planning!) It was another great day!

Harvard--Here we come!

Enjoying the Harbor

Day 1+--Boston

Well, vacation has started. The kids and Wendy finished school on Thursday afternoon, and then we flew all night and arrived in Boston on Friday morning. We had a packed day. After getting the rental car and breakfast, we took a train and subway into the city. We walked all the Freedom train--Boston Commons, Public Gardens, Paul Revere's House, the Old North Church, the Old South Meeting Hall, the Old State House, and the U.S.S. Constitution. It was fun to learn about all the interesting things that happened in Boston that started the Revolution. After walking forever, it seemed, we then went on the Duck Tour of the city. Erin was even allowed to drive the Duck in the Charles River! Then we all crashed at the hotel, and caught up on some much needed sleep.

At Paul Revere's tomb

Captain Erin

Vacation 2014!!

Yes, it is that time of year again. The Murdochs are heading to the East Coast this year. It is an all-American trip--going to Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Virginia. We will be stepping in the steps of our forefathers and getting the children ready for their U.S. History for next year. We are excited to start on another adventure. Watch for our daily posts!