Isabella and Ryan go to Washington DC

August 2, 2011 Flight Home

2011-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Isabella's alarm went off at3:30 AM. Ryan set his for four. Finally GG and grandpa got up at 5AM.

We had a quick breakfast of cereal and OJ, GG packed up some sandwiches and snacks and grandpa got us all in the car and on the way by 6:10 AM.

The trip to the airport went smoothly and the car rental return was very fast.

Then we got to the security check. It was one of those with the new x-ray machines. The line was long, but we finally made it through and then into the train and on to gate B. 73. We barely sat down and they began to board our flight.

Now we are en route to LA and then on to San Jose.

We got to LA on a smooth flight and we were sitting in the boarding lounge. The flight ahead of us was overbooked and GG and Grandpa heard the offers to passengers to bump. First it was a $200 flight credit, then $300, then $400. GGs eyes lit up as the auction continued. Finally at $500 enough people volunteered to give up their tickets and the was boarding completed and the flight departed.

Next the plane for our flight arrived and deboarded. Then they started calling for volunteers to bump from our flight. GG and grandpa discussed it and thought if the offer got high enough we would volunteer and then go to Disneyland for the afternoon and catch a flight the following day. But, Isabella and Ryan were voting "NO" on that idea. They wanted to get home and see their brothers. The offer was called out over the intercom, $200 flight credit, then $300, then $400. Grandpa went to the desk and put our names in. OH NO!!! But, in the end they didn't need our seats and we got on the plane and Ryan and Isabella heaved a huge sigh of relief as the attendant shut the door and we backed out of the slip and on to the runway. The last leg of the flight was smooth and fast. Yvonne picked Isabella up and Gary picked up GG, Grandpa and Ryan.
It has been a wonderful trip.

August 1, 2011 Air and Space Museum Annex at Dulles Airport

2011-08-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our trip is almost over and we have seen a lot of things, Today we are going to take a trial run to the airport to help us make our departure tomorrow a smooth one.

While we are at the airport we are going to visit the new annex of the Air and Space Museum.

The trip to the airport went pretty smoothly and we found the car-rental return easily. It looks like it will take us about an hour to drive from the house to the airport.

The Air and Space Museum annex at Dulles Airport is wonderful. They have a whole blimp-hangar sized space with lots of aircraft from the first and second world wars, Huey helicopters, jets, MIGS and all kinds of aircraft. They had to expand the collection to this additional site because there was just so much stuff to display in the building on the Capitol Mall.

We took a guided tour and it was great. A docent told us a lot of interesting stories about the aircraft.

We saw the Enola Gay, which was the airplane used to drop the first atom bomb on Japan.

We ended up spending four hours there and it was so interesting.

On our way back home we drove past the beautiful Jefferson Memorial. They were doing construction around it so we couldn't walk around it. the construction is for the new Martin Luther King memorial. Then we went home and began to get ready for our departure tomorrow morning. We can't believe our trip is almost over.

July 31, 2011 Museum of American History

2011-07-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we went to visit the Museum of American History. This is a huge building with so much to see.

First we went into the display of the American flag that Francis Scott Key saw flying over Fort McHenry after the battle in 1812. This is the flag that inspired him to write the Star-Spangled Banner.

The flag is huge, 20' x 30', and has been repaired in some places. It was kept through the years by the family of the Captain of Fort McHenry, who retrieved it after the War of 1812. The presentation about the flag was very inspirational.

We also visited a section of the museum dedicated to Civil Rights Movement. They had a section of the Woolworth's lunch counter where the famous sit-in was held and a docent told us a story about what happened.

There was so much to see at this museum. We tried to finish one floor at a time.

We visited the "America on the Move" section that covered changes in transportation and how that affected life in America. There were trains and buses and old automobiles, a Conestoga Wagon and all kinds of transportation items.

We visited the display called "America at War" that went from the French-American War all the way through the current times.

We visited the New Technology and Science Advancements section, saw the ballgowns worn by all the first ladies, and we were still looking for Dorothy's ruby shoes when all four of us became zombies and we decided to go home.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

This was Sunday afternoon. We arrived at 10 AM, parked right in front of the museum and walked right in. As we left we saw a long line of people waiting to go through security and get in. They had to wait in the hot sun for a long time. Yuk.

We didn't get to see all of the museum and maybe we can go back tomorrow for a little more.

July 30, 2011 Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, & Spy Museum

2011-07-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Another hot day. We drove around the Lincoln Memorial. Grandpa – the parking God – got a great parking spot just across the street. Temperature today was only 106°.

The statue of Abraham Lincoln is very impressive and made me feel somber and very responsible.

In the museum were many quotes from Lincoln about slavery and keeping the union together. He was a man of integrity, conviction and honor.

We also visited the Vietnam Memorial. This is a long sloping low wall engraved with 58,402 men who died in Vietnam. It was very emotional to read those names and think about those men.

When we left the Lincoln Memorial we went to Arlington Cemetery where many soldiers and statesmen are buried.

At the Arlington cemetery we saw the grave of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert and the tomb of the unknown soldier. We saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was very formal and solemn.

Later that afternoon grandpa went to the national portrait Gallery and GG and Isabella and Ryan went to the International Spy Museum.

When we entered the spy museum we had to memorize our spy identity. GG was Sylvia Romero, age 17, a student visiting Adel, Iowa on vacation for 13 days, born in Telactan Mexico.

We learned all about different spy tools, lock picks, cameras, dead drops. We learned about spy disguises too.

We entered an area that told us about spy history – all the way from spies in the Bible to spies in current times.

There was a lot to see and learn there and the two hours we allotted was not enough time.

July 29, 2011 White House Center & National Archives

2011-07-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, GG and grandpa wanted to take us on a tour of the White House, but they didn't know that you had to apply to your Senator's office several months in advance to get tickets. We tried to drive by the White House. The new security measures have changed things so much, we couldn’t get down the street we wanted to get to, so we will have to try again another day.

So instead we went to the White House visitor center. We had a virtual tour narrated by Michelle Obama. There we explored the exhibits about the White House – who has lived there, what kids lived there, furniture and artifacts from the White House.

After visiting the White House Center we walked into the park and took some photos from afar. Lots of security now and you can't get very close.

Next we went to the National Archives where we saw the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. GG bought us our own copy of the Constitution.

July 28, 2011 MONTICELLO

2011-07-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we left our nice air-conditioned condo to head back to Washington DC. Grandpa decided to take a detour so we could visit Thomas Jefferson's estate MONTICELLO.

When we arrived we went through the interesting museum and learned a lot about Jefferson and his contributions in writing the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. We admired him for being able to listen to all of the discussion and debate and then write out the ideas in clear, concise language.

However by the time we finished touring Monticello we learned that Jefferson owned slaves and to our respect for him was reduced. It seemed like he was hypocritical for owning slaves.

We took a tour of his mansion. He used a lot of windows and skylights to get light into his house. He also invented some clever ideas to make life easier.

We visited the stables and the brewery and the kitchen. We had a chance to try writing with a quill pen. It was hard and our writing came out kind of blotchy.

We took a tour of Mulberry Row where the slaves lived. They had very small houses with few comforts. They were given a few basic food supplies each month and they were allowed to tend a vegetable patch on their own day off.

It was a long drive back to our house in Takoma Park, Washington DC. We've finally arrived and went right to bed, after turning on all the air-conditioners, of course.

July 27, 2011 Williamsburg, Grandpa on Trial, Ryan joins Revolutionary Army

2011-07-27T20:00:00.001-07:00

We went back to Williamsburg again the next day. We attended a colonial court session and grandpa was on trial for withholding the asset of an estate from a creditor. The father, a friend of grandpa's character, had died and left his rifle to his son. But he owed money to the shop owner and the shop owner wanted the rifle. The judge was very fair and although grandpa was found guilty and the rifle had to be relinquished, the judge said he would pay out of his own money so the son of the deceased friend could have his father's rifle as his legacy.

Next we went to the platform across the street from the Raleigh tavern. A lot of townspeople were gathering there. A captain in The Revolutionary Army asked grandpa if Ryan could join the Army as a powder boy. Grandpa said, he was a Tory(what a troublemaker grandpa is) but he would let Ryan decide for himself. The captain then asked Ryan and promised to pay him five dollars a year and 2 acres of land for his services. Ryan reluctantly agreed and the captain told him to report to the camp tomorrow.

Soon after Ryan enlisted we heard a speech encouraging us to support the war effort. As that speech was ending the British came marching into town and we all went down the road to the HOUSE OF BURGESSES were General Benedict Arnold urged us to give up the fight and give in to the British. His reasons were good. He told us our representatives in the new government were corrupt and not giving good support to Gen.Washington and our forces could not hold out another month. Some of the citizens argued with Benedict Arnold and there was much enthusiasm to support the Gen.Washington and boos and hisses for Benedict Arnold. We then all returned to Raleigh's Tavern and George Washington himself rode up on his horse to tell us about the victory at Yorktown and that the British were beaten.

Later that afternoon Ryan and GG reported to the army camp for training. We learned how to march, hold our rifles, mount our bayonets and lunge – HOO HA!! We inspected our tents. Five men to a two-man tent. The tents were very hot and crowded. GG got in trouble when grandpa called her onher cellphone. She tried to cover the noise of the phone by coughing, but after she denied the call Grandpa called AGAIN, and this time she was caught and chastised. Our sergeant called us the AWKWARD SQUAD.

July 26, 2011 Jamestown and Yorktown

2011-07-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to Jamestown, the first European settlement in the New World. There is supposed to be an active archaeological dig going on there.

When Gary, Don and Kirk came here there were just a handful of foundations to look at. But on this visit we found an extensive visitor center, some reconstructed buildings, and an archaeological Museum.

Ryan and GG went on a guided archaeological tour and grandpa and Isabella stayed in the nice air-conditioned visitor center.

Our tour was led by a real archaeologist and she gave us a lot of information about the first settlement and how the town changed over the years.

We got to see the archaeologists working the dig here the first church was built.

After the tour Ryan asked our guide about what kind of training and education an aspiring archaeologist should take. She said that history classes and anthropology courses were good. She also suggested checking out volunteer programs for kids during the summer. Ryan is very interested in archeology and thinks he would like to become an archaeologist.

We met with grandpa and Isabella after the tour and visited the archaeological Museum where we saw many items recovered in the digs.

That night there was a very violent storm, with lots of lightning and thunder. We were watching TV when a tornado alert came on. Ryan and Isabella were very concerned. Ryan came out into the living room with huge tears in his eyes, asking dramatically, if he could call his mom and dad and say farewell before he was blown away to Oz. We assured him that we would help keep him safe, but he still made the calls. His daddy reassured him and told him that he checked the computer weather forecast and we would be safe from any tornadoes.

Next we went to Yorktown where Cornwallis signed the surrender agreement to end the Revolutionary War.

The way George Washington beat the English was by trickery. Lafayette was near Yorktown with his troops, but he was outnumbered by the British and didn't have a chance against them. Washington sent a Courier with the intention that he'd be caught, with a dispatch saying Washington and his troops would be marching on New York. But, it was a trick, because Washington actually marched his troops to Yorktown and between Lafayette and Washington they prevented the English from leaving Yorktown.

Lafayette took his ships and blockaded the access to Yorktown by water, so the English ships could not rescue the English that way, and Washington's men were entrenched around the fortress walls. At night and they would move closer and dig new trenches until finally their cannons were so close they could get their cannonballs over the walls. Then Cornwallis gave up and the war was over.

We heard a ranger give a talk about the cannons and he chose Ryan to be the captain of the artillery brigade. Then we went out into the battleground and Ryan gave the orders.

ATTENTION!

ADVANCE SPONGE

TEND VENT

SPONGE PIECE

HANDLE CARTRIDGE

CARTRIDGE PIECE

RAM DOWN CARTRIDGE

PICK AND PRIME

TAKE AIM

FIRE!

That night we went to Williamsburg to have dinner at Shields Tavern. Everybody was dressed in colonial style clothing. Ryan had chicken. We were entertained by a fiddle player. And Isabella was asked to dance by a colonial gentlemen. They performed a traditional dance and she did a great job.

July 25, 2011 Williamsburg

2011-07-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

We were up bright and early to go to Williamsburg today. As usual, it was very hot and muggy.

Grandpa drove us right to Williamsburg Park and GG bought our three day passes. Then we went into the old colonial town to take the tour of the governor's mansion.

When we entered the mansion the first room was a reception hall. It was impressive with high ceilings and walls full of displays of swords and rifles and muskets and Derringer's. All of the weapons were arranged in artistic displays.

Each room at the governor's mansion was beautiful, and richly decorated in the colors and style of the times.

All of our guides and many people just waiting or standing around were dressed in colonial fashion.

When we left the governor's mansion we walked out into the village green. There we found some women telling and acting out stories. We watched the story of the eagle and the bat.

Next we learned how to play stickball and had a ball game. It was very hard to catch the ball in the little basket at the end of the stick.

The third activity was playing an Indian gambling game. We would make a row of five stones, with one stone in the first row, two stones in the second, up to five in the fifth row. Then two of the opponents would take turns removing 1,2 or 3 stones from the rows. The player who had to take the last stone lost the game

We went back to the storytellers to get our pin, a reward for doing all of the activities.

It was so hot we ate our lunch in the car with the air conditioning on, and we were so tired we decided to go back to our condo for a rest and swim.

MOUNT VERNON July 24, 2011

2011-07-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

MOUNT VERNON July 24, 2011

Sunday morning we were up pretty early and we packed up our suitcases and some food and got in the car to head south to visit Williamsburg and Jamestown.
Along the way we decided to stop at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. Last time I was there it was just a nice white house on a grassy knoll. For this visit we still saw a nice white house on a grassy knoll, but the landmark site has been furnished and fixed up and expanded greatly.
There is a very interesting museum to teach us about Washington’s life and accomplishments. We could see dishware and furniture, clothing and tools, wigs and rifles, and even George’s wooden teeth.The house is nicely refurbished and we took a guided tour of the sitting rooms, dining room, and 9 bedrooms. The kitchen was in a different building, apart from the house. This was the custom to avoid burning down the main house in case there was a fire in the kitchen.
We strolled around the grounds to visit the Washington family tomb, the gardens, the maze, and we sat on the front porch and enjoyed the view of the Potomac. After all of that touring we were hungry, so we stopped at the museum café for lunch. We ended up spending several hours at Mt. Vernon and it was wonderful to hear about the Father of our Country and learn what an honorable man he was.We continued our drive along the tree-lined highways, stopping for dinner because Grandpa saw an ad for a 16 oz steak for $9.99 and that got him to thinking about food. Too bad for him, the steak was at the restaurant on the other side of the highway and we were already ensconced in our booth and ready to eat. We ordered our meals and did without the steak.
Continuing our travels, we arrived at the Powhatan Resort as the sky was beginning to get dark. Grandpa checked us in and we went to our building to get into our room. There was another family there trying to get into the same room, but their key wouldn’t work. Our key did, so we went into our unit and shut the door. Kind of rude, but we were so tired.

Our unit is very nice. We have two spacious bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, a large living room and dining area and an open kitchen. There is wonderful air conditioning too. We were all exhausted, so we showered and hit the sack.

July 24, 2011 Drive south into Virginia to visit Jamestown and Williamsburg

2011-07-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to drive south into Virginia to visit Jamestown and Williamsburg. We will be gone three days, so we packed everything to take with us. The trip is about 120 miles and should take two or three hours.

We headed out and got through Washington DC and into Virginia. Everything was very green, with bushes and trees and grass growing along the freeway.

Our first stop was at Mount Vernon, the country home of George Washington. The Ladies Society of Mount Vernon have done a wonderful job on restoring, furnishing and presenting the mansion to the public.

First we went on a tour of the mansion where we saw the formal reception hall, the dining room, George Washington's bedroom and the guest bedroom, All rooms are furnished and decorated as they would have been in George Washington's time. The kitchen was in a different building, apart from the house. They did this so that if the kitchen caught on fire they might be able to save the house.

While at the mansion we also visited George Washington's tomb, We paid our respects to the father of our country.

After a while we went and sat on the front porch in the rocking chairs and looked at the beautiful Potomac River flowing along.

Then it was time to continue on to the visitor center, where we saw exhibits about the life at Mount Vernon and also exhibits of George Washington's life. We even got to see his wooden teeth!

Grandpa told us a lot about George Washington and what a great leader he was. We had lunch there at the cafe before continuing south to Williamsburg.

It was a long trip, but we finally arrived at the Powhatan Resort. Grandpa checked us in and we had a nice two bedroom, two bathroom condo with a big living room, dining room and good kitchen. We checked out the pool area. There are three pools. One is for adults only, but the other two are for kids. There is also an indoor pool. The water is pretty warm. Ryan and Isabella went swimming while GG watched. After the while the lifeguards came around and made us get out because they heard thunder.

July 23, 2011 Natural History Museum

2011-07-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we slept in. When we did get up we went to the Natural History Museum. Wow! What a place.

First we visited the interesting exhibit about evolution. We learn how animals using natural selection developed physical characteristics which helped them survive-

The white polar bear to blend in to the snow

The long necked giraffe to reach the leaves high in the trees.

There were interesting exhibits showing how humanoids developed and how some strains died off.

We also visited the gems and minerals exhibit where we saw the beautiful Hope diamond and many other pieces of beautiful jewelry.

Also on display were huge gold nuggets –the size of a pear, and many other exhibits of gold and other precious metals.

There was a lot more to see and grandpa wanted us to check out the bones section, but we were just zombies, so we headed home to rest our brains.

I forgot to tell about the visit to the butterfly Pavilion. Here we got to go into a room that was filled with small gardens full of all kinds of exotic butterflies. There were lots of orange and black ones-- not monarchs though – and big yellow swallowtails and huge bright turquoise ones. They were fifting around freely and sometimes would land on our clothes or our hands.

MAN, MINERAL AND BEASTS JULY-23-2011

2011-07-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

MAN, MINERAL AND BEASTS
July 23, 2001

Today we let the kids sleep in a bit before setting out for town again, When we did get up we went to the Natural History Museum. WOW111 What a place We went to the Natural History Museum. We like going to the buildings because they are air conditioned and cool. The museum is huge and full of all kinds of interesting displays. We started out looking at the mammals area, and moved on to a very interesting section about evolution. We learned how animals, using natural selection, developed physical characteristics which helped them survive--
The white polar bear to blend in to the snow.
The long-necked giraffe to reach leaves on high trees.
There were interesting exhibits showing how humanoids developed and how some strains died out.

From there we went to the butterfly room where we could walk through gardens full of interesting unusual butterflies flitting freely around. Sometimes we could get one to sit on our hand, but most of the time they were flying around and sitting on the colorful flowers in the gardens.
Next we went to the Gems and Minerals section. We saw the Hope Diamond on display, and there were many beautiful and fancy pieces of jewelry made of exotic and precious stones--diamonds, a huge emerald, rubies, pearls. There was a big room full of beautiful crystals of every color and Isabella was enchanted by the lavender ones.
Next we went into a room with a display of gold nuggets. Some were the size of a large pear. There was a room set up like a mine so we could see how precious stones and metals are mined and then we had to hurry through the rest of the display to meet Grandpa.
Ryan and Isabella went into the gift shop and Isabella drooled over the crystals, but they were too expensive. Grandpa wanted us to go into the Bones and Mummies section, but we were just too tired, so we went back to our car and headed home for chicken and pineapple and ice cream sandwiches Then it was a few phone calls home and off to bed.

July 22, 2011 Capitol Hill

2011-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Grandpa got us up early today even though we could have slept longer. Today we had an appointment for the tour of the Capital building.

We got dressed and had our breakfast and headed down to the capital. We were going to try to park in the same "pay by phone" spot we used yesterday. We were running a bit tight on time because our appointment was for 9:30 AM. So, we drove up to our preferred parking spot with 10 minutes to spare and grandpa went to sign in to the pay by phone. But, even though he tried and tried, he couldn't get the right name and password pairing and now we were running late. GG and Ryan and Isabella got out of the car and started off for the capital figuring there would be less pressure on grandpa that way.

We walked up to the grand staircase for entry to the building, only to find big barricades blocking our way. GG explained that we when our dads came to visit this was the way they went in, so now she was flustered.

GG asked the maintenance guys how to get in for the tour and they directed us to the other side of the building and across the plaza and down the stairs to the visitor center.

We trudged up the hill – Capital Hill– and around the building. Luckily Ryan and Isabella spotted the stairs across the plaza because GG is not seeing very well, still no sign of grandpa.

We went down the stairs and found several guards and a line control area. We waited for grandpa and now we were late, but we noticed that they were not really checking times on papers, so we decided we could wait a little while longer for grandpa to catch up. It was of course hot and muggy.

GG called grandpa to explain where to go to get in. He was by the front of the staircase. But he couldn't seem to get the idea of coming to the other side of the building. GG was exasperated and so was grandpa.

So, we waited and waited. Finally we went back up the stairs so he could see us. Still no grandpa. GG called again. And at last grandpa appeared, hot sweaty and grumpy. We went through the security check and began to look around. We heard that the Senators were voting on a spending bill to raise the debt ceiling called Cut, Cap and Spend.

So we decided to go up to the Senate gallery to watch. But – whoops – we didn't have tickets. Grandma gave the attendant her sweetest GG smile and explained that she had brought her darling grandchildren "AAALLLL the way from California to learn about our government.” The attendant looked us over and decided we were not going to blow up the Senate, so he got us some passes and let us into the gallery.

The Senate gallery is the in the balcony and we could look down and see all of the Senators. There was a good attendance because of the importance of the vote.

We saw Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer,Joe Lieberman, Harry Reid and John McCain. It was very disorganized. No one was sitting at their desk. Instead they were all milling around the Senate floor talking, talking and talking.

Finally the roll call vote was over and the bill passed the Senate. The Senators continued to mix around and talk, and talk and talk. We gave up waiting for the verdict and left the Senate gallery to take our tour of the capital building. Later we heard on the news that the Senate had tacked on $30 billion of new spending and President Obama was not happy about it. Tomorrow it is back to the drawing board.

Next we went to the National Indian Museum. Everything here is presented from the Indian perspective. We took a guided tour. The guide, an Indian girl, told us that before1492 Indian life was very nice, with plenty of beautiful forests and streams, food for all and very nice life. When the Europeans came in1492 they brought three things that had a huge impact on the Indian way of life – Bibles, guns and disease.

We really enjoyed listening to the Indian stories about how the stars got in the sky and how the bear was the master of the forest.

We went to the cafe for lunch and there were lots of different Indian dishes to choose from. Ryan and Isabella had buffalo burgers, grandpa had black beans with crawdads and GG had Ceviche.

Next we went to the Air and Space Museum. There we saw the history of flight, starting with the Wright Brothers Flyer and ending with the Space Shuttle. We got to explore the cockpit of a 747 and go through a sample space lab and see the rockets and missiles that have been sent into space. We were exhausted after a busy day and we're glad to go home for dinner, a shower and bed.

LEARNING ABOUT Washington DC July 21-23

2011-07-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

July 21-23

Oh, my gosh! It is so hot we are dying. Washington DC is having a record heat wave. The temperature is 105 and the humidity is 90%.The kids woke up at the crack of dawn on Thursday, after being awake into the wee hours our arrival night. We had a light breakfast and headed out to get the lay of the land.

First we drove into the Capitol Mall area. We parked and took some pictures of the Capitol Building and then we began to walk along the big grassy Capitol Mall towards the Washington Monument. It was so hot. (102 degrees)

Eventually we got to the Smithsonian Castle, so we went in and took a look at the sampler display of artifacts from the different branches of the Smithsonian. It was nice and cool in the museum and we didn’t want to leave, but finally it was time. We hiked back to the car and headed home. After dinner of hamburgers and watermelon we took showers and hit the sack.

The next day we had tickets for the tour of the Capitol Building, so we got the kids up at 7, although they could have slept much later, I think. After breakfast we got in the car and went back down to the Mall. Grandpa has managed to find good free parking for us every day.

We hurried over to the Capitol only to find big barricades in front of the regal marble staircase. So I asked around and learned that now we had to go all the way to the other side of the building and down some stairs to get to the new Visitor Center. In the meanwhile Grandpa was parking the car and couldn’t understand what I was talking about when I told him to come to the other side of the building. He kept asking me if it was the north side and since I can’t see a thing, I couldn’t tell him much.

Finally Grandpa arrived, and although we were several minutes late for our appointment no one seemed to be checking times, so we went in, through the rigorous security checks and into the building.

We decided to go up to the Senate Gallery, but didn’t have tickets. I gave the attendant my “I’m a poor little granny from California, with my grandkids, just trying to give them some exposure to our wonderful politicians.” and the attendant graciously got us some tickets. He could tell we were not going to do anything unseemly in the Senate.

The Senators were all there because they were voting on the debt ceiling, and we spotted Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Joe Lieberman and Harry Reid. As usual, no one was sitting at their desk. Everyone was milling around the Senate floor and talking. It all looked very unorganized.

After leaving the Senate Gallery we went to the Visitor’s Center for our tour. Our guide was a nice little old grandma and she had some good stories to tell as she lead us around and pointed out interesting statues and paintings. One story she told us was about being evacuated on 9/11 and looking back at the beautiful capitol building and wondering if this was the last time she would see it standing. It was very emotional.

After our tour we went to the National American Indian Museum, which is a new facility. There we had lunch before exploring the moccasins, gold masks, and other artifacts and hearing some of the Indian myths about the stars, rocks and trees.Our tour of the facility was lead by an Indian girl and she explained that Indians lived a very good life before 1492. They made impressive gold masks and jewelry, but gold was not considered very important in Indian life. Corn was the valuable thing.

After the Europeans arrived Indian life was adversely affected by three things they brought--Guns, Bibles and Disease. This is the Indian perspective. The museum was interesting, but the whole tone didn’t set well with me. It was the typical “You stole our land and our way of life and now we are poor and can’t help ourselves” routine.
We had lunch at the very busy Indian Museum Food Court. There we could choose from different foods from various Indian cultures. Ryan and Isabella had buffalo burgers, Grandpa had black bean and crawfish soup and GG had ceviche.

After lunch we moved on to the Air and Space Museum where we saw all about the Wright Brothers and their successful flight at Kitty Hawke. We got to see their Flyer and other airplanes they developed later. The museum is full of all kinds of airplanes, rockets and space ships. We got to explore the cockpit of a 747, with hundreds of dials and controls and monitors, and we visited a sample sky lab like the one in space. It was very busy at the museum, but we got to see everything.By late afternoon we were all zombies, suffering from information overload, so we went off to the car for our trip home. It was still very hot as we headed home. We thought about stopping at a public swimming pool, but we read in the paper that attendance at the pools is way down because the water is too hot, and not cool and refreshing. So the kids used the hose in the back yard and had a good time spraying each other.

July 21 Getting Acclimated in Washington

2011-07-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

We woke up pretty early considering that we didn't get to sleep until 1 AM. Grandpa drove GG to the grocery store. There was supposed to be a Safeway but we couldn't find it, so we went to a LIDL instead. We dropped her off and went back to the house. When she called us on the phone we went to pick her up, but grandpa got lost. Finally we found the store and rescued GG and the food.

Our exchange host had left some milk and cereal, so we did have something while we waited.

When we got home we put away the groceries, packed a lunch and headed off to the capital area.

Grandpa found a great parking spot and spent a lot of time in enrolling in a "pay by phone" program.

We parked with a good view of the Capitol building so grandpa took some pictures. Then we walked down the long, grassy park called the Capital Mall towards the Washington Monument.

It was really hot, and we were very sweaty, so we stopped at the building called the Smithsonian Castle. This was the first building for the museum, but after a while there was so much to display that additional buildings had to be constructed. It was very cool in the castle so we took our time looking at the exhibits.

Finally we bit the bullet, went back outside into the sweltering heat, and returned to our car. Home for dinner and off to bed we went. We were all exhausted.

One thing we saw at the Castle that was impressive was a huge tarantula, at least 10 inches long and a body the size of an orange.

July 20, 2011 Going to Washington DC

2011-07-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Grandpa, GG, Isabella and Ryan are going to Washington DC for a two-week exploration of our capital.

Uncle Don took us to the airport. Grandpa was very excited and rushed us off, through the security check and on to Gate 18. Oops! Wrong gate. Hurry, hurry, time is short. We rushed back to Gate 10 and ran down the gangplank, grandpa shouting "Hold that Door! Don't close it. Here we are!" The attendant crossly ordered grandpa back to the waiting area. Grandpa tried to explain that we were supposed to be on that plane, but the lady kept demanding that we return to the waiting area. Finally grandpa got a clue and remembered what happens to the people who argue with airline personnel – they get hauled off to jail, so he decided to shut up and obey orders.

As it turned out, they were trying to open the door of the airplane so they could deboard the plane, which had just arrived. In the meanwhile Ryan, Isabella, and GG were huddling in a corner, pretending that they didn't know Grandpa, but he found us and came and sat down with us.

Finally we boarded our American Eagle flight to LA and takeoff went fine. Ryan and Isabella were both calm and cool.

The trip to LA went by so fast it hardly seemed like 15 minutes and then we were landing.

Since we only had carry-on luggage –grandpa was very adamant about this – our transfer was very quick and easy.

The flight to Washington DC took forever. Ryan and Isabella passed the time watching a movie and TV.

When we finally landed grandpa rushed off the plane to get the rental car. Our plane landed at 10:35 PM and he had to take a train and then a shuttle bus to the rental office. But he made it with time to spare.

In the meanwhile GG, Ryan and Isabella collected their luggage and made their way to the train and then to the shuttle. We caught the last shuttle to the car rental office and grandpa was waiting with the car.

Grandpa brought two GPS units – Maggie and Trixie-- to direct us to our exchange home. We thought we would stop for a bite to eat but we didn't see one restaurant along the way.

So we made it to Greenwood Street and grandpa found the key and then we went in. The house was very hot, even though it was midnight. Grandpa found some pizza in the freezer, so we had a snack of that and by then it was 1 AM. We went straight to bed and fell asleep with the air conditioners going full blast.

THE BEGINNING July 16-20, 2011

2011-07-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

July 16-20, 2011

Isabella and Ryan and Grandpa and GG are going on a trip to Washington, DC. All week Grandpa has been getting more and more excited. He did his requisite fretting and stewing for several days in advance and finally the departure day arrived. Uncle Don took us to the airport and calmly drove away and that was the last calm moment we had for the morning. Grandpa hustled the four of us into the airport and pushed us through security and rushed us on to Gate 18. Oops, wrong gate. Back we went along the busy corridor until we finally got to Gate 10. There was no attendant there, so Grandpa led us all down the gangplank calling out, “HOLD THAT DOOR! WE'RE. HERE! WE WANT TO GET ON THAT FLIGHT!“
At the door to the plane the attendant was just shutting the door and she turned and scowled at Grandpa, and told him to return to the waiting area. Oh No! Grandpa excitedly explained that we needed to get on that flight, and demanded that she let us on. But, no, she again insisted that we return to the boarding lounge. Grandpa began to argue, but then he got a clue and remembered what happens to passengers who argue with airline personnel--the cops are called and they are thrown in the pokey until they calm down. So grandpa and the rest of us returned to the boarding lounge, as instructed. Later the woman explained to us that the arriving flight was late and had just arrived and she was trying to deboard the passengers. We finally heard our boarding call and got on the plane to settle into our seats for the flight to LA. We all had only carryon luggage--strict orders from Grandpa. Ryan and Isabella were a bit apprehensive about the takeoff, but it was smooth, as was the flight, so their worries subsided quickly and they settled in to look out the window at the landscape. The short flight went well and then in LA we caught our long flight to Dulles International Airport and Washington DC. This was a very long flight with no food, just a few beverages, but we had some Subway sandwiches to snack on. Ryan and Isabella watched movies and TV shows for most of the flight and when we finally arrived it was 10:30pm and as hot and muggy as a steam bath. Grandpa was worried about getting the rental car because the agency closed at 11, so he rushed on ahead to catch the shuttle out to the rental lot. Ryan, Isabella and GG made their way through the airport and caught the airport train to the terminal where we were able to get the last shuttle to the rental office. When we got there Grandpa had the car all handled and we put our luggage in the trunk and headed out onto the streets of Maryland, Virginia or DC., we aren’t sure which.

Grandpa brought both Trixie and Maggie, our two GPS guides. We used Maggie because she has a big screen that is easy to see at night, and turned Trixie on to record our drive to our home exchange in Topeka Park. After a few directional misses we made our way into the narrow streets of the residential area and arrived at our house for the next two weeks. It is a two story, traditional house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and comfortable living room, lounge, dining room and kitchen. It is hot, hot, hot and very humid. (102 degrees)
We were starving, so we raided the freezer and came up with some pizza and watermelon. Too hot for the oven, so we nuked the pizza and had a late dinner. After we ate everyone selected their bed for the night.

It was 1:30am by the time we crashed. What a day!