d.c. tourists {part 2}

June 2012- We didn't slow down too long since we had such a long list of things Pecos wanted to do and Jamie was sweet enough to make sure we did them all.  For a boat ride we went to Old Town Alexandria.  At first we were really just going to ride the water taxi across the Potomac to D.C. and then back but we found something that was better, a leisurely sightseeing tour aboard the Admiral Tilp.  The boat is named for a lifelong resident and friend of Alexandria, Fred Tilp.  Tilp was best known for writing books on the history of the Potomac River and has even been referred to as the Mark Twain of the Potomac for his unique story telling.

The flight path for the day for incoming flights to Reagan was right down the Potomac and we got to see several planes landing.

Mini-golf was a fun little adventure.  Pecos was so excited to play with Jamie and Julie.

On our final day as D.C. tourists we visited Jamie's office.  She works for Senator John Cornyn and although I'll probably never understand exactly what her role there is, from my estimation she's a pretty big deal in his office.  

Our Senator's desk:

Jamie took us over to the Capitol building for a quick look around, mainly to see the rotunda.  We tried to see the Senate floor but it was closed for a police training exercise.

This marker directly below the rotunda ceiling is the geographical center of Washington D.C.  (I think!).  It is also the place for important ceremonial events including the lying in state of prestigious public servants (and a tourist photo of us!).

We had two more quick stops to make before heading off to the airport.  One of them was the Smithsonian Museum of American History to see none other than Kermit the Frog.

And Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

The last stop was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  They had a really neat hands on exhibit area for kids.  Pecos had such a great time flying airplanes and doing a few hands on experiments.

Here's a picture of Pecos at the airport after our return. Please note that even though this appears to be a cart full of luggage, I did manage to pack us into ONE carry-on sized suitcase (but we still checked it since that is easier when traveling with a kid, plus we had to check his booster seat so waiting on one more piece of luggage wasn't too big a deal).  Pecos had a backpack for the plane and I had my Consuela bag.  The only additional item that made the trip was some Julio's chips which went with us as a gift from home for our two favorite hostesses. I think Jamie was impressed with my packing!

We had a great trip and Jamie made sure we had fun and got to see everything on Pecos' list, and then some.  She even gave up her bed and bathroom for us (thanks Julie for sharing your room with her!!) I haven't really had any extended one on one time with Pecos since Brazos was born and it was great to spend time with him and can't wait to do it again sometime.