Road Trip to Washington, DC
We just returned from our family vacation to DC. Get ready for the endless vacation slideshow.
It took 12 hours to drive one way. When I was going to grad school in Baltimore, I used to manage that route alone in 10 hours with minimal stops, but with kids, it took longer.
Through Pennsylvania:
Through Maryland:
If you take the 401 to the Gananoque border crossing, then the I-81 and I-83 to Baltimore, the halfway mark is approximately at Binghamton, NY. Here we are at the Binghamton Ponderosa steak house by the interstate. There used to be Ponderosa restaurants all over Ontario when I was growing up, but almost all have closed (I think there's still one in Belleville). The decor hasn't changed since the 70s, and neither has the food, featuring charred, leather-tough steaks - very nostalgic.
This is our first day, Sunday. We stayed in College Park, Maryland, because I used to live there and am familiar with the area. My older child is crazy about Lego, so before we could do anything touristy, we drove to Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, and made the pilgrimage to the Lego store.
Here we are at the Barnes & Noble bookstore before the mall opened.
I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more knitting books, since I have all 5 Elizabeth Zimmermann works and the Barbara Walker Treasuries (and really, what else does a knitter need?), but they had such an expansive collection, that I couldn't leave without Andean Folk Knits, which features this llama purse.
College Park has really changed since I lived there 12 years ago. The main strip used to have greasy-spoon diners, mom-and-pop liquor stores, and auto repair shops. Now there are big box stores (IKEA, Home Despot), sushi restaurants, and fast food franchises. We had lunch at the IHOP - sadly, everyday - because although the mid-Atlantic is filthy with them, we don't have this chain in Canada and my spouse likes the food.
Waiting for a table at IHOP:
The bushes spell, "IHOP":
We bought Halloween costumes at the local mall, Prince George's Plaza, which now has a Target (a Zellers-like American chain).
My oldest son's teacher actually assigned (a ton of!) homework during his vacation, so we went to the University of Maryland's undergrad library so he could get cracking.
The next 2 days, Monday and Tuesday, we took the subway to the National Mall. I used to go only to the National Gallery and Freer Museum of Asian Art, and sometimes the Hirschhorn. With kids, it's quite a different experience. For example, this was my first time visiting the Smithsonian castle, and the Air and Space Museum.
The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History:
If it looks like a bigger version of the Royal Ontario Museum, it's because the latter is modeled after the former.
The Smithsonian Castle:
Capitol Hill:
Some tourists were taking pictures and feeding the seagulls. It was interesting to see how something so mundane to us could be exotic to others.
Air and Space Museum (huge building, a giant among giants):
They had the best gift shop for kids.
Library of Congress (their gift shop was library geek's dream):
The Washington Monument:
Lincoln Memorial (I didn't walk up to see Abe, but the spouse and kids did):
White House:
Fellow Canadians, they don't do public tours. If you want to go inside, you need to apply for a ticket from your embassy ahead of time. Also, "hello" from the security detachment. When I enquired about the tour, a security guy said, "Say hello to everyone in Canada for us." I found it charming, because he was so earnest about it.
The National Geographic Building:
The next day, Wednesday, we went to Baltimore.
Inner Harbor:
National Aquarium:
Maryland Science Center (we got in for free - they have a reciprocal agreement with the Ontario Science Centre, where we're members):
This place had the friendliest staff. The boys are holding model dinosaur bones.
The kids tried on real astronaut gloves and a helmet. I think they look like the Lego spaceman minifigures.
Johns Hopkins University, my alma mater:
The family looks as happy as I was when I went to JHU.
For our last night, we splurged and stayed at the Sheraton hotel across from the Towson Town Center, another big shopping complex. When we left for Canada on Thursday, fall had really settled in. It was grey and chilly. Little did I know that this was like summer compared to the cold snap - and snowstorm in some places! - awaiting us in southern Ontario.
When we got home that night, there was a little package waiting for me from blogger Bittersweet.
Isn't the bunny cute? And it's knitting too! Bittersweet sent it as a thank-you for some old books I gave her. I think I got the better part of the deal.
Addendum: Here are some month-old photos fom my eldest son's birthday party last month, at a laser-tag place.
It took 12 hours to drive one way. When I was going to grad school in Baltimore, I used to manage that route alone in 10 hours with minimal stops, but with kids, it took longer.
Through Pennsylvania:
Through Maryland:
If you take the 401 to the Gananoque border crossing, then the I-81 and I-83 to Baltimore, the halfway mark is approximately at Binghamton, NY. Here we are at the Binghamton Ponderosa steak house by the interstate. There used to be Ponderosa restaurants all over Ontario when I was growing up, but almost all have closed (I think there's still one in Belleville). The decor hasn't changed since the 70s, and neither has the food, featuring charred, leather-tough steaks - very nostalgic.
This is our first day, Sunday. We stayed in College Park, Maryland, because I used to live there and am familiar with the area. My older child is crazy about Lego, so before we could do anything touristy, we drove to Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, and made the pilgrimage to the Lego store.
Here we are at the Barnes & Noble bookstore before the mall opened.
I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more knitting books, since I have all 5 Elizabeth Zimmermann works and the Barbara Walker Treasuries (and really, what else does a knitter need?), but they had such an expansive collection, that I couldn't leave without Andean Folk Knits, which features this llama purse.
College Park has really changed since I lived there 12 years ago. The main strip used to have greasy-spoon diners, mom-and-pop liquor stores, and auto repair shops. Now there are big box stores (IKEA, Home Despot), sushi restaurants, and fast food franchises. We had lunch at the IHOP - sadly, everyday - because although the mid-Atlantic is filthy with them, we don't have this chain in Canada and my spouse likes the food.
Waiting for a table at IHOP:
The bushes spell, "IHOP":
We bought Halloween costumes at the local mall, Prince George's Plaza, which now has a Target (a Zellers-like American chain).
My oldest son's teacher actually assigned (a ton of!) homework during his vacation, so we went to the University of Maryland's undergrad library so he could get cracking.
The next 2 days, Monday and Tuesday, we took the subway to the National Mall. I used to go only to the National Gallery and Freer Museum of Asian Art, and sometimes the Hirschhorn. With kids, it's quite a different experience. For example, this was my first time visiting the Smithsonian castle, and the Air and Space Museum.
The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History:
If it looks like a bigger version of the Royal Ontario Museum, it's because the latter is modeled after the former.
The Smithsonian Castle:
Capitol Hill:
Some tourists were taking pictures and feeding the seagulls. It was interesting to see how something so mundane to us could be exotic to others.
Air and Space Museum (huge building, a giant among giants):
They had the best gift shop for kids.
Library of Congress (their gift shop was library geek's dream):
The Washington Monument:
Lincoln Memorial (I didn't walk up to see Abe, but the spouse and kids did):
White House:
Fellow Canadians, they don't do public tours. If you want to go inside, you need to apply for a ticket from your embassy ahead of time. Also, "hello" from the security detachment. When I enquired about the tour, a security guy said, "Say hello to everyone in Canada for us." I found it charming, because he was so earnest about it.
The National Geographic Building:
The next day, Wednesday, we went to Baltimore.
Inner Harbor:
National Aquarium:
Maryland Science Center (we got in for free - they have a reciprocal agreement with the Ontario Science Centre, where we're members):
This place had the friendliest staff. The boys are holding model dinosaur bones.
The kids tried on real astronaut gloves and a helmet. I think they look like the Lego spaceman minifigures.
Johns Hopkins University, my alma mater:
The family looks as happy as I was when I went to JHU.
For our last night, we splurged and stayed at the Sheraton hotel across from the Towson Town Center, another big shopping complex. When we left for Canada on Thursday, fall had really settled in. It was grey and chilly. Little did I know that this was like summer compared to the cold snap - and snowstorm in some places! - awaiting us in southern Ontario.
When we got home that night, there was a little package waiting for me from blogger Bittersweet.
Isn't the bunny cute? And it's knitting too! Bittersweet sent it as a thank-you for some old books I gave her. I think I got the better part of the deal.
Addendum: Here are some month-old photos fom my eldest son's birthday party last month, at a laser-tag place.
posted by ax174 at
3:35 PM
