Celebrating the 4th- in the shadow of Washington DC...

Jason and I are at it again.

Since meeting at Dixie State two years ago, we have been on more adventures together than most married couples do. We've wrestled alligators in the Everglades, hiked the red rocks of Zion, chilled with Elvis in Memphis, enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in Idaho, endured the strip of Vegas, explored Universal Studios, gotten seasick on our way to Catalina Island, floated Lake Powell, compared Disneyland and Disneyworld, and bartered in Atlanta.

Lucky for us, Jason's job with Pinnacle Security sends him to a new location every summer. This keeps us on our toes, and eager for new surroundings and exciting journeys. This summer, Jason was sent to Cherry Hill, NJ, and I moved back home to Ogden, UT. We have focused heavily on our jobs since that parting, but even with nine hour working days, it's difficult to ignore the suffocating feelings of heartache for the person you spent every moment with. In an effort to alleviate this pain, Jason bought me a not-so-cheap plane ticket to come see him on my favorite holiday- the 4th of July.

For one week, we enjoyed every minute we were given. Somehow we made it to Ocean City, Atlantic City, Washington DC, New York City, and Philadelphia, in a whirlwind of speedy events. With 550 pictures snapped and enough stories to fill a novel, you could say we are at it again, this time full force.

Instead of a single massive post about our escapades, I've decided to split the trip into four manageable posts. Beginning with.... Washington DC.

Considering we've never been to DC, I opted for an old town trolley tour to ease us into the city. After a single day of the tour, we vowed to stay faithful to city tours from now on. Our open air trolley glided through the traffic in a loop of downtown and stopped at major sites for riders to hop on as off as they please. Jason and I got in a good enough groove that we never waited for the trolley longer than 10 minutes. We spent ample time at the spots we really wanted to see, and skipped the places we don't mind coming back to one day.
Our first stop was the White House. Neither Jace nor I paid attention to the directions of the trolley driver as to how we get there exactly, so we followed the crowd. On the way we passed the U.S. Treasury- a gigantic building with beautiful columns and steps leading to the large doors. Jason was convinced it was the White House, but I knew better. Upon discovering the real home of our forefathers, I was proud to show him I know a little something about the city. ;)

Our trolley glided through the traffic on to our next stop. Sadly we had never heard of Union Station before, but soon we found out! In 1907, this incredible building was the largest train station in the world. Seventy pounds of 22-karat gold leaf adorned the vaulted ceilings, and the white granite and classic lines set the stage for Washington's classic architecture. Special events such as the Presidential Inagural ball are held here, and US presidents often grace the halls with their presence. While Jason and I didn't have time for window shopping or exploring here, we enjoyed our lunch in the stunning beauty of the timeless Union Station.


Next we admired the monument in DC that would be nearly impossible to avoid. Jutting out from our capitol stands the Washington Monument- not surprisingly, a monument built to honor George Washington. It was once the world's tallest structure until the Eiffel Tower swiped the glory from under it. However, the monument is the tallest stone strucure and the world's tallest obelisk. Still impressive, you've just gotta clarify. ;)



Despite my extreme itinerary-planning, my organization was no match for such a history-soaked city. It seems we learned something new every corner we turned. My favorite surprise? Who guessed it? The Newseum. I was delighted to find a museum dedicated to news! The holocaust and indian museums sound interesting, but the Newseum threw them out of the ballpark. I was thrilled to find a line of newspapers surrounding the building and representing a major paper from each state. Even better is the fact that they update them daily for the actual front page of each paper! I was absolutely crushed to find that my beloved Newseum had closed by the time our little pedicab made it, but I look forward to coming back to DC one day not for the Capitol, or the White House or the politics, but for the Newseum. :)

The one museum we did get to see in the single day we visited DC, was the Smithsonian of American History. Jason reminded me that this museum housed Julia Child's very own kitchen, and we ran off to find it. He was astonishingly supportive of my enthusiasm, and soon after he followed me to examine the ruby slippers of Dorothy herself. Julia Child and Judy Garland are definitely up there on my list. Jace earned a few kisses for that one. ;)

Although I wore my best Nike's, my feet were in a great deal of pain after the Smithsonian. Jason hailed a pedicab and we rode through the streets, dodging traffic and examining buildings up close. Our awesome driver reminded us that DC is home to Ford Theater, where President Lincoln was assasinated. I was eager to see the box where Lincoln sat during his show that terrible night, but the theater's tours were closed for the evening. I remember hearing all about Abraham Lincoln in elemetary school, and it was fascinating to stand in the actual place that made history. Shoot, the entire city makes you feel like that! Like you are a part of the history.

The Jefferson memorial was profound- water lapping at its steps, and the Washington memorial standing guard nearby. These memorials really put you in awe of the amazing men that did so much for the country we enjoy. Jason particularly liked the four quotes that were etched in the walls surrounding the statue of Jefferson. His words ring out loud and strong, making you wish you could have known him.

The Lincoln Memorial was breathtaking. People were scattered up and down the steps of the memorial and around Lincoln's feet, almost as if they were waiting for something. The quiet sign reminded me of the reverence inside a temple, and hit me that this also, is considered a place of respect. Heavy with so much history and power, it was surreal to stand in a place of such national signficance.

As the sun began to sink, we completed our trolley tour of downtown Washington DC. I was eager to find a cupcake shop in Georgetown I had researched, so we retired to nearby Georgetown where we walked up and down the quaint streets, stepping into shops and sampling flavors of intricately decorated cupcakes. (I loved this place so much I'm planning to dedicate a whole new post in its' honor)

We finished the night with a trip to a restaurant we discovered in Florida a year ago- our adored Longhorn Steakhouse. (Sadly, only available on the east coast) It was an incredible day packed with momentous locations, but smooth enough to allow us a sample of the good our nation's capitol has to offer.