Day 36--Last day in DC: National Zoo

This morning the Welch family and the Perry family got up early and headed out to the National Zoo.  We walked to the bus station that took us to the subway station.  Jake was thrilled with the bus, but he was elated with the underground "choo-choo."  We took the first train to the Metro Station, and from there we transferred to the Zoo station (and somewhere along the way, Will lost a shoe...).  Jake and Emma were not so thrilled with the walk from the Zoo station to the Zoo...  Once we rented a stroller, all was well with the world again.

One of the first things we saw was a couple of orangutans traveling overhead on an "O-Line" --There's a video of it on Picasa...  From there  we checked out the petting farm, and then the lions, tigers, and monkeys/apes.  By then, the heat was getting to all of us, and we were all getting irritable and cranky, so we decided it was time to eat lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant.  That made all the difference in the world!  The kids and parents were happy once again!

After lunch we checked out the panda bears (so cute!) and then headed back home.  Again, the Metro and the bus was a big hit.  As soon as we got home, the kids got a bath, we watched Madagascar, ate some delicious spaghetti, cleaned up, and sent the kids to bed!

Now it's time to pack the van--headed down to Winston-Salem tomorrow!! 

Link To Today's Pictures:

July 18

Day 35- Baltimore, Lisa and the baby, the Orioles

Today we got to catch up with our old friend Lisa Dunham that Dane used to teach with at Mt. Tabor. She just had a son named Michael last month and Emma could not keep her eyes off him. Jen and I have always said that if Emma couldn't have babies of her own we would have to watch her, because she would steal one. We took all the kids down to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore for lunch and had a great time shopping in all the local stores. Michael was great the whole time as were Jake and Emma. We all started crying at one point though when we were casually walking through the Harbor and one of the "classic" ships fired off their cannon without warning. Thank goodness I was holding Jake at the time or he may have shot into orbit.

We can't thank Lisa and her husband enough for hooking us up on the Baltimore Orioles game. Vinnie runs a hot dog stand outside the stadium and scored us tickets and sent us in with plenty of drinks and dogs. Camden Yards is actually a state park in Maryland, so it follows all state park rules. You can bring in any food and drinks you want as long as it is not in a glass container or alcohol. The highlight of the day was when one of the Toronto Blue Jays outfielders turned to Jake and gave him a ball from the field during batting practice. You would have thought it was a million dollars. The cutest thing was actually how happy Emma was for Jake that he got a ball. Camden Yards is a great park for kids. It had a great kids baseball zone were the got to hit and pitch and every kids gets a certificate for their first Orioles game. We will definitely go back if we are in town again.

One more day in D.C. before we head back South. Zoo and the pool on tap and maybe a D.C. United vs. L.A. Galaxy game if Stew and I can convince the ladies.

Link To Today's Pictures:

July 17

Day 34- Playtime, Museum of Natural History, Museum of American History

The morning session was pretty low key today. We stayed home with all four kids while Stew and EJ went to Hebrew class. We decided to hit up the local playground for an hour or so, and I must say that sandboxes were created by bad people. It took quite some time to clean up all the kids and get them ready for lunch and a movie.

After our naps, we loaded up the cars and headed back to the Mall to check out a couple of museums. We began in the Museum of Natural History. The girls had a great time checking out all the jewels and the Hope Diamond. Meanwhile, the boys headed downstairs to look at the dinosaurs. It took a minute, but as soon as Jake realized the were just bones, he was okay. We all met back up to look at the ocean display and mammals. The giant squid was quite cool, although a little disgusting at the same time.

From there, we headed next door to the Museum of American History. We hit quite a few displays in a short time, Jake was in heaven as we entered the transportation wing. We got to see planes, trains, and automobiles for about 30 minutes. From there, it was upstairs to see the famous ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz. They were definitely her highlight.

Everything was great on the day, UNTIL, we returned to the cars and realized that Stewart and I cannot read traffic signs and parked in an illegal zone for rush hour. In the end, both cars had $100 parking tickets. Needless to say, Dane is in trouble at this point, but it must be stated that he wanted to take the Metro in the first place (although he never made his wish known--jp).

Link To Today's Pictures:

July 16

Day 33- Holocaust Museum and Air and Space

Today was a great day in our nation's capitol. Jen and I headed to the Holocaust Museum. It is a very touching and well done memorial to the victims of a horrible event. It was Jen's first trip and very moving. I was much more attentive to some of the details than I've been in the past, and always leave wondering how the world allowed this to go on for so long.

After returning home on the metro and city bus (all by ourselves) we picked up Stew, EJ, and all the kids and headed back to the mall to catch the National Air and Space Museum. Will and Jake were immediately enthralled by all of the airplanes hanging from the ceiling. I have to say it was way too technical for me. I do not understand science and may as well been trying to translate Sanskrit. As a result, I fell into line with the boys by enjoying the shiny planes.

After the museum, we went to an excellent little restaurant, The Lost Dog Cafe, which also heads up a local animal rescue facility. They had over 50 different beers and some of the best pizza I have ever had. Everyone is exhausted and it is now time for a little rest.

Link to Today's Pictures:

July 15

Day 32--Heading to DC

The drive to DC was interesting. Although much of Pennsylvania is attractive, I feel that if I am going to pay $20 to drive across your state, I should at least be able to drive the speed limit instead of stopping constantly in construction.

There were no major stops on the way in, unless you count the forty-five minutes it took us to drive the last fifteen minutes. I though Emma might kill Jake and he took the time in the traffic jam to attempt to drive her crazy.

Once arriving at Stew and Elizabeth's, the kids hit it off like they had known each other for ages. Emma and Lydia were trying on princess dresses instantly as Will and Jake headed downstairs to make trains.

It was an especially exciting night for Jen as we ordered out food from a local Lebanese restaurant. She actually tried several things. If you know Jen you know this was a big step.

Off to see D.C. in the morning.

Link to Today's Pictures:

July 14

Day 31- Nature Center and Water Park

Josh and Jenny had to work today, so we were on our own in Lorain County with a trip to a great little Nature/Science Center. We got to see a variety of local wildlife and the kids had a great time looking at all the snakes and fish. Emma enjoyed putting on a puppet show for the crowd.

From there, we headed over to Oberlin, OH and went a place called the Splash Zone. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was a nice overcast day and we were the only ones there for a little while. The kids got to enjoy a couple of hours of just burning off some energy. Emma and Jake loved the slides and just seem to be at home in the water. They had a great time with the dump buckets and trying to trap daddy in "the cave." After a hearty nap, it was off to dinner and more fun for the kids. Emma and Jake have had a blast with Hunter and will miss him tomorrow when we head to Washington D.C.

Pictures From Today:

Day 30- Headed to Cleveland- Train-O-Rama- Fishing on Lake Erie

This morning we headed out of Ann Arbor around 11:00 after a good breakfast and a little more wandering around campus. On the way to Lorain, OH (outside Cleveland), we decided to drive through a little coastal community called Marblehead. It was a very pretty drive with many views of the lake and beaches. The highlight for Jake was when we stopped a small little attraction called Train-O-Rama. This building had over 50 electric trains running through a variety of little villages and scenic settings. Jake was in absolute heaven, and it was quite a feat to even get him to leave.

The only other stop on the drive was outside Cleveland at a story called "Woody's and Bo's" that was dedicated to the selling things for the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry. Jen said she liked the store but also felt a little nauseous with all the Ohio State junk.

The fun began once we got to Josh's house in Lorain, OH. Josh's brother Frank owns and runs a fishing charter out on Lake Erie. We decided to take the kids out for a boat for a ride and spent about the first 45 minutes letting them drive the boat. Emma drove in a straight line and was very concerned, but both boys wanted to speed up and drive in circles until we all got sick. Then we decided to drop in a few rigs and see what we could catch. Frank really knew what he was doing as we quickly caught two Sheepshead that were 16-18 inches long and then Dane landed a 22 inch walleye that was the catch of the day. If anyone is in the Cleveland area and wants a good fishing experience, just go to www.trophybajacharters.com and ask for Frank.

Pictures From Today:

July 12