March 19, 2023-Spring Break in D.C.

(click for today's pictures)

When we went to sleep last night, our plan was to kind of leave around 8ish, but we knew there was no hurry since check in wasn't until noon. In fact though we didn't leave at 8, it was most like 10 when we started getting up.

Anderson and Graham asked if we were trying to wake them up this morning. Usually, on early mornings we try to sneak out and get in the front. This morning, Robby pulled out the toaster to toast my bagel while microwaving his sausage biscuit. I put my shoes on and then stood eating my bagel as Robby drove us to the nearby gas station. When they later asked us this, Robby did remind them that it was after 10.

The drive this morning was without incident-the tv did not fall on Anderson again. We had about 3 and a half hours to drive today. We hit traffic near the campground, but soon found our way to Cherry Hill Campground in College Park, Maryland.

This campground is so neat. It just makes me think of what a campground in Virginia should be like-not that I have stayed in a campground in Virginia (that I remember right now). It is pretty big-at least 2 playgrounds and an 18 hole mini golf course that is on the plans for sometime soon. There is even an event center where we saw a bride about to get married tonight on our way back to the camper.

We made it to the campground and started to unload and set up. We have a pull through site which would have made things easier, but we missed the turn and had to come in at an odd angle. Robby fixed that all though with one more loop, and then we went to work taking off the car.

And it didn't start! Ugh. Thankfully, Robby was quickly able to jump it with his handy dandy jumper thing. Once the car was off, I moved it and left it running while Robby hooked up the camper. I went to work on the inside-making beds and sweeping.

Once everything was settled there, I made sandwichies for lunch while Graham had his shower. We ate while Robby showered, and then all went on a walk. We have the bikes so everyone except Graham and Reagan rode their bikes. This is the thing about camping-if I asked at home, "who wants to go on a walk?" No one would go with me.

When I asked today, everyone went. Well, I didn't give Whitman a choice though. Robby caught up with us, and we walked the half mile or maybe even a bit less to the front of the campground. The kids played on the playgrounds some, and we explored the mini golf.

We watched a bit of one basketball game-the tv is always on around here with the kids comparing their brackets constantly. We then loaded up with plans to see 3 different things today-Iowa Jima, Roosevelt and Jefferson.

We stopped at the Iowa Jima which is actually a momument honoring the Marine Corps. We took a few pictures and went to the other side of the Potamic to park. 

We had to find the traffic a little bit to get there, but Robby was able to whip us into a parallel parking spot. When we did get out of the car there, we told the kids that we were just seeing those two more things. The temperature was in the low 40s with a pretty good breeze so we were moving pretty quickly.  

Since we were right nearby, we walked right through the Cherry Blossom Festival. We really had no idea that we would be here during the cherry blossoms. 

I feel a little bit like we hit the firefly lottery. Remember last year when we arrived at the Great Smokey Mountains right before the firefly lottery happened, but the fireflies were still out in full force. Well, these Cherry Blossoms were just as unexpected to us. This is something that I have always heard about but never thought we would see.

After that we walked to the Martin Luther King Monument followed by the Roosevelt Memorial. Then we started our walk around the Tidal Basin under the blooming cherry trees. That was so neat to see. About half way around, we made it to the Jefferson Monument. 

From there, we headed on towards the Washington Monument. We walked by it, and we really debated walking on to the White House. However, that was still a bit in the chilly weather, and we were trying to beat the sunset since we knew that it would get a lot colder (I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, light jackets, flannel shirt, and tshirt and I really would have liked a knit hat and gloves like Robby was wearing.)

We will see the White House tomorrow or another day. It is supposed to be 10 degrees warmer each day that we are here for the next few days. The next stop was the World War 2 Memorial. Then we made it to the reflecting pool didn't have any water in it-I have read that they possibly are cleaning it. Since we have never seen the reflecting pool empty, we walked in it like everyone else was doing. 

Then we hustled on over to the Vietnam War Memorial and Lincoln Monument. After Lincoln, it was just a quick walk to the Korean War Memorial. Then back to the car. My watch said that I have walked 7 miles today so at least 6 of those were this afternoon in D.C. So yes, instead of just taking the kids to 3 stops we made it to 9 different sights today. 

We were all glad to sit down in the car and warm up on the drive back to the campground. Robby and I made fried rice (microwave) and orange chicken (air fryer) for supper. Then folks started taking showers. I think that Keaton is the last one, and then I might have a shower. 

The camper was freezing when we came home tonight, but I have since been pulling off layers right and left since it is warming up with the heater now on along with 2 space heaters. The tv is with basketball playing and everyone just had a Little Debbie for the snack. Another pretty perfect day.

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