Spring Break 2014

It was a tough choice but in the end we decided to head to Baltimore/Washington DC for Spring break instead of Utah this year. In the past we've always headed out to Utah because we can kill two birds with one stone spending Easter with my family while also getting in some skiing but this year our Spring Break didn't time with Easter so since we had just seen my parents and since we will be out in Utah this summer we decided to try out a new place...so Baltimore and DC were it! Jack and I have done DC but had never spent any time in Baltimore so after hearing nice things about Baltimore we decided to do them both. The kids had never been to DC and this had always been on our list of places to take them. It's a surprisingly short 50 minute flight from Dayton which was a big plus! Ty made it clear he wasn't excited to see a bunch of monuments and museums but Sage had been studying Washington DC in school this month so she was quite excited to see all the things she had been learning about. Connor is Connor...just happy doing anything! So we told Ty that if by the end of the trip he felt it wasn't a good time we'd be sure not to spend another spring break there...which of course we wouldn't do anyways...haha!

So the trip started in Baltimore. We were actually pleasantly surprised to see that Baltimore reminded us a lot of Seattle with the exception of the missing mountainous backdrop. The area around Chesapeake Bay is quite nice with paddle boats, lots of cafes with outside eating areas, a submarine, nice marina, etc. Had the weather been warmer it would have been nice to spend more time around the bay but it was cold!!! Thankfully the Four Seasons was located in a perfect location right on the bay where we could walk to all the major sites.



Around the corner from our hotel was the Under Armour store where we managed to spend some coin getting everyone hooked up with new shoes...and a few other things...



Sage's favorite thing to do at the hotel? Work out with her dad at the gym. Clearly she doesn't take after her mom...but I think the new running shoes also helped!



Our first full day we spent going to the National Aquarium. It's actually quite impressive but for a family that spends so many vacations searching out top places to snorkel, I think we all wished we were the ones swimming in the large tanks with the fish rather than watching the workers in their wet suits feeding the fish! We tried to see how many fish we saw at the aquarium that we hadn't swam with in our snorkeling adventures and I think there was only like one!!! We've been fortunate to swim with some amazing sea life!



When my sweet mission companion Heidi learned we'd be in the Baltimore area she drove in to meet us and spend a day with us at the Science Museum! It was so sweet of her. The last time I had seen her was when she came to visit us in NYC shortly after the boys were born.




After a few fun days in Baltimore it was time to head to DC. We had rented a car and were again surprised at how close Baltimore is to DC. Within an hour we were checked into our hotel just a couple blocks down from the White House! What's not to love about DC?!? As far as US cities, I think DC has some of the best architecture around. The weather was cold but clear. It would have been nice for the kids to see all the cherry blossoms in bloom as it's amazing to see but with the long winter we've all had in the east, that wasn't going to happen.

After getting checked in we jumped in a cab and headed to see some of the museums! Top of the list were the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum. We all preferred the Air and Space.




DC is normally a place that you could spend most of your day walking from site to site but with it being so chilly we jumped in a cab to go the couple short blocks to see Capital Hill.



Seeing the monuments at night is really beautiful. Sage could hardly wait to tell her classmates about seeing them in person!



I had been wanting to see the Holocaust museum for quite some time. Finally after some luck I was able to get us tickets. I knew it would be a bit tough for the kids but I think it's an important part of history for them to know about. I also think it's good for them to feel sympathy and learn that hatred is shown in many ways yet is never acceptable and how important it is for them to always stand up for the things that are right.



The Bureau of Printing was more up their alley. It's actually quite fascinating to literally watch the money being made and all the steps that go into it to prevent counterfeiting and fraud.



Of course we had to explore the monuments during the day with Lincoln being the favorite!





It's always amazing to me how much smaller the White House looks in person. To think last time we were there we were actually inside the Oval Office...



On our way back to the airport we made a quick stop to show the kids the DC temple. It reminds me a lot of the San Diego temple. Jack and I joked though that our stop there reminded us of National Lampoons Vacation looking at the Grand Canyon. Got our photo and away we went. We had no idea what DC traffic was like getting to the airport and didn't want to gamble by cutting it too close. Next time we'll spend more time taking in their visitors center with the kids...



Aside from cooler weather than we would have preferred, the trip was a success. Ty in the end said he had a great time and it was a nice change from the typical beach or ski vacations we normally do! After realizing it's just a 7 hour drive, perhaps we'll make the drive next time!