After taking 8 weeks of maternity leave earlier this year, it was just implausible that we would also go on a family vacation this summer. First, I don’t think my boss would be crazy about the idea of me taking more time off, and secondly, vacations just aren’t the same with a newborn in tow.
So, instead I reminisce.
Normally I would reminisce about our week long trip to the beach in Sanibel, or our two week trip to Asia that we took last summer. But with the heat here in Dallas ringing in between 111 and 113 for the past week, I am reminiscing about a colder place.
Washington D.C.
Chris, ChellBell, and I took the week of Christmas a couple of years ago and headed to D.C., one of my favorite cities in the US. It was the Christmas before Obama was inaugurated, so the place was a ghost town. Seriously, everyone was saving their vacation days for the inauguration, and we pretty much had the city to ourselves. We stayed at the newly opened National Gaylord hotel, and one night we were the only guests in the hotel. If you have ever stayed at a Gaylord property, you know how big they are and how it would be a little freak-ish to be the only people there. And it was.
We had a blast that week. We brought construction paper and made a Christmas tree with cut-out ornaments on one of our walls. (We ate at the same restaurant several times, and the owners ended up buying us a little Christmas tree for our hotel room and giving it to us one night at dinner!) We introduced ChellBell to all the notable things in DC, went to the National Cathedral for the Christmas Eve service (sigh….), and then went snow tubing in Pennsylvania on Christmas Day.
Ah, to be back in snow right about now… I think I will go crank the air conditioning and live in this memory a little longer.
My favorite picture of the trip? This one of ChellBell in front of the Smithsonian’s massive doors: 
Want to tell all about a great vacation or a place that makes you reminisce? Come join us at Friday DayDreamin' over at RWeThereYetMom (click the button -- it will magically take you there!!):
I tried to comment a minute ago but it told me this page doesn't exist. So lemme try again...
ReplyDeleteI've never been to DC! Isn't that crazy? It's on my list of places to visit right under Vegas and NYC. I'm a sheltered girl. =/
Your daughter is beautiful and I'm so glad you had the city all to yourself!
That is a fabulous picture!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to take my kids to D.C.!
One of my most fav pics of ChellBell - thanks for linking up!!
ReplyDeleteColder temps sound heavenly right now!
~Becca
Ooh what a great time to go to DC...sounds great. I'd love to take the kids to DC when they get older because there's so much to see and do there. Great picture of your ChellBell :)
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like a blast. I can't wait till Lila is a little older and we are going to DC. Donnie was a history teacher before he beacame a principal so this is a must see on his list.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
The only guests at the hotel? Oh, that would be freaking. I hear the Twilight Zone music playing now.
ReplyDeleteVery cool pix. BTW...made you new blog of the day.
ReplyDelete