Wow - what a vacation we had in Washington, D.C.! Spring break was a great opportunity to re-connect with Mom and Dad in the Nation's capital. The kids had a great time being entertained by Gramps and Grandma Penne, and we saw lots of things we hadn't seen in the past.
Jim and Hope were gracious enough to lend us their big Chevy Tahoe that got us around in style. We spent the first night at their beautiful new home in Virginia, had a gourmet, home-cooked Italian meal, and even got to ride in Jim's vintage WW II Willy's Jeep!
Luke was in his element with the Virginia Laingens' Airsoft gun arsenal!
Everybody point North!
Dinner at Clyde's in Friendship Heights...
We went to a special memorial to the fallen from the Gulf War (Desert Storm - 1991). It was a beautiful tribute for the families who lost loved ones in that conflict. The two hour ceremony included music from the U.S. Army Pershing Band (known as "the President's Own"), tributes from flag officers of every service, speeches from such dignitaries as "Dear Abby" and the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.S., and gold medals presented by a Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient to the children who lost a parent in the war. Jim and I both served in theater during Desert Storm.
A special tour of the the U.S. Capitol was next up! Dad arranged a private tour through the office of his Maryland Representative, Congressman Van Hollen. The tour took us through the newly-opened Capitol Visitor's Center, and to the chamber of the House of Representatives!
Legos are everywhere! Even at a new exhibit of architecture at the National Building Museum...
Luke was a great helper for Gramps in the backyard gardens of Old Chester. Here, Luke is re-loading the bird feeders, with all of the gizmos in place to ward off the evil squirrels!
The new U.S. Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia was the next stop! This is a fantastic, interactive tribute to the Corps, and even included a live shooting range. Luke was - once again - in heaven!
But Dad was the only "Expert" for the day!
While we were "down South," we used the opportunity to visit with Paul Jaszewski and family - Glynnis, Taylor and Heather. They looked great, and we sat and ate pizza and talked for hours in Fredericksburg...
The new annex for the National Air and Space Museum, out at Dulles Airport was also a great experience. We saw the original B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, a full size Space Shuttle (Enterprise), and the SR-71 Blackbird, made famous in the latest Transformers movie...
Most of all we had a great time with Mom and Dad, who entertained us with fabulous meals, wild Bingo games, and amazing stories from our childhood and the more distant past!
