Playing Tourist

While we've been here we've spent a great deal of time getting acquainted with our surroundings. The boys and I have wandered through many a monument and park, many a museum has been perused, and a slight sampling of restaurants have been... well... sampled. Here are some of our findings:

Smithsonian Air and Space is the bee's knees. Since we visited the location on the mall, Q has been persistent in a new goal of being an astronaut when he grows up. When we visited the Dulles location we were amazed. Not just at all the fantastic and historic planes and rockets but also at Q's unrelenting excitement throughout the entire visit. Hell, even Ozzi dropped a bunch of, "Oh wow!"'s there. Of course we couldn't leave without getting Q his own orange astronaut jumpsuit.

The National Zoo is fantastic!!! Elephants, hippos, giant octopus, and naked mole rats, zoos don't get much better than that.

Visiting the monuments have been an interesting opportunity for me to try and explain aspects of American History to Q, some of which is a bit difficult. It's one thing to tell a 4 year old that Abraham Lincoln was the president a long time ago (and "No he wasn't that big when he was alive.") but a whole different thing to explain what the Vietnam Memorial represents and "Why is that man crying?"

I had to take the boys hiking around Theodore Roosevelt Island, Q being named after TR's youngest son and all. We even got up close and personal with a couple of young deer.

As for restaurants, 2 Amys has easily replaced Punch as my all time favorite pizza outside of Naples... especially with fresh Burrata on the menu.

A few other highlights thus far, Old Town Alexandria with this guy,

The National Gallery with it's underground passageway,

The Einstein Memorial,

And making some great new friends. Including our new next door neighbors who are from the Twin Cities and knew our neighbors in St. Paul and have a girl the same age as Q.