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