On Monday, Paul and I finally took our first day trip of the summer. We went to our nation's capitol!
D.C. is only about two hours away, yet we rarely ever go. Paul and I took a tour of the White House several years ago but all my other school trips were so long ago. It was time we made some new memories!
So as not to overwhelm ourselves, we picked two places to visit that day. The National Zoo and the Museum of Natural History.
We left at 7:30am. I decided not to get up earlier and workout because I figured we'd be walking a ton. Boy was I right! The grand total on my Garmin by the end of the day was over 8 miles. Talk about an active rest day.
We parked at the Shady Grove metro station (about an hour and a half from our house) and took the metro right to the zoo. Admission to the zoo is free. How awesome is that?
Here are some of the cutie pies we saw...
Paul loves prairie dogs. He calls me his little prairie dog because I can never relax
and I'm always popping my head up and looking around when we are out places. He always says, "Quit prairie doggin'!" "Prairie doggin'" is a verb in our house.
This zoo had the best lion exhibit I ever saw. They were active- even running around at one point. It was a little scary!
It was extremely hot and we were literally soaked with sweat by the time we were done at the zoo. We were also getting pretty hungry. We shared a blue slushy at the zoo but that was it. (We love getting slushies when we go to zoos. It's like a tradition!)
We took the metro to the Natural History Museum. Before we went in, we treated ourselves to thick slices of meat lovers pizza from a pizzeria and a 32oz diet coke. Apparently we were not in the mood to eat anything healthy!
Natural History Museum
"Just the tip" of the Washington Monument.
Paul in some ancient shark's mouth.
Me learning about how the world is basically going to end if we don't start taking care of the ocean.
Every time I go to a museum, I am convinced that humans are going to become extinct very soon. Hopefully I will be dead before that happens.
The museum was beautiful and there was a lot of interesting exhibits. I particularly enjoyed the Hall of Human Evolution. However it was extremely crowded and it seemed like every adult and child left their manners at home. I can't believe more fights don't break out at the museum because there were several times I almost flipped the eff out on someone.
We could have spent more time at the museum than we did but we were just too tired. My back hurt, my legs, hurt, and my feet hurt. I couldn't wait to sit down. It was time to head home.
While we didn't hit any traffic or encounter crowds on the way into the city, we probably left to go home at the absolute worst time. We almost didn't fit on the train because it was so crowded and poor Paul had to stand almost the whole ride back to Shady Grove.
When we got home, I showered the funk off of me, poured myself a dirty martini, and got some serious stretching done while I read Big Brother message boards and caught up on what was happening in the house all day.
I can pigeon pose, read message boards, and drink a martini all at the same time!
I was so sore and tired from walking around that I was thinking maybe I needed a rest day to recover from our D.C. adventure! All in all, it was a fun day and we realized we need to take advantage of the fact that we live close to such a cool city with a million things to do.
Have you ever been to DC?
What's your favorite zoo?
Do you take advantage of cool cities around you?
I can only imagine how hot that was in DC! We went the Boston MFA yesterday to enjoy art, and air conditioning. I have always wanted to like martinis (real ones, not fru-fru ones). Every once in a while I try one, but nope. I do like "drunken" green olives though! (green olives soaked in vodka).
ReplyDeleteI have been to DC, and loved it. We want to take the kids next winter, maybe Feb or April. We go down into Boston a lot--my parents give us museum passes for Christmas.
My favorite zoo is the Providence Zoo in RI. I used to take the kids there A LOT.
That is an awesome Christmas gift!
DeleteYour olives pretty much sound like a dirty martini but in olive form rather than drink form! Dirty martinis are my fav.
I think walking leaves me more sore than running sometimes! I looove the DC zoo I went there 3 years ago and I remember loving the lion and panda exhibits. We also went to the holocaust museum which I still have no words for.
ReplyDeleteI really want to go to the Holocaust Museum but Paul doesn't want to be cause it's so sad. :( Hopefully I will get there someday.
DeleteEven though we are so close I never go to DC unless people are visiting! Or if I'm go to see my friend in northern VA but we don't even go sightseeing since she isn't in the city. Sounds like a fun day trip!
ReplyDeleteIs it because you went there a lot growing up and you're over it, or does it just not interest you?
DeleteI hate driving too! Taking the metro really worked for us so we didn't have to drive into the city. Maybe there is a station that would work for you guys??
ReplyDeleteI was in DC a couple months ago, I hit the Washington monument, Lincoln, white house, Vietnam war, and Arlington. I ran from my hotel which was about 7 miles but I'm sure the total for the dat was about 13 lol
ReplyDeleteSounds like a BEAUTIFUL run. :) I would love to run in DC sometime.
DeleteI have never been to DC but I have been to a wildlife park here in Nova Scotia, sort of a small zoo I guess. The lions are never running around. They are usually basking in the sun. :)
ReplyDeleteAh all cats are the same, whether they are big or small- just wanting to lounge in the sun! :)
DeleteAdam always says we live in the golden age because technology is pretty advanced and our lives are very comfortable thanks to it. We won't be around once the human extinction happens, but I bet it's not too far off!
ReplyDeleteThat is really cool that the lions were out and running around. I guess because it's so hot here most of the animals at the Miami Zoo just laze about in the shade and sleep all day. If you want to see them up and roaming you have to be there super early in the morning when the sun isn't too high yet.
I ran a 5K through the Miami Zoo once and that was a lot of fun because we ran right at the break of dawn and the animals were out and about!
I agree with Adam. I also think that people our age grew up at the best time. We remember life without the internet, cell phones, and texting. We remember having to call people on the phone. Life was simpler. But then by the time college rolled around, we had computers and other things to make life and studying easier. And now we get to enjoy the technology as adults but are still able to say, "When I was a kid..." I just asked one of my piano students if she had a music dictionary. She said no. I said, "Oh, but you have the internet, right?" and she laughed. I told her when I was her age there was NO internet and you actually had to look things up in books and she laughed.
DeleteWhen we were at the San Diego Zoo we got there right in the morning so the gorrilas and pandas were running around. They were all lounging inside at the DC so except for one baby gorrilla who was running around making himself a little fort. It was so freaking cute. :)
A 5k through the zoo was probably sooooo fun! That is cool you got to do that!
I LOVE DC! Oh man, there is so much history there and so much to do! I love museums, and all of the great parks and all of that. It might seem kind of morbid or twisted, but one of my favorite museums is the Holocaust Museum. That museum takes my breath away (not in a good way) every time I go.
ReplyDeletewww.slowandsteadykandm.com
Oh I totally understand what you mean about the Holocaust Museum. I have never been there, but I imagine it is truly amazing, but in a horrible, horrible way.
DeleteBlue slushies make the coolest poo! It's green. Figures that I'd say something like that, eh? And I definitely need to learn how to make martinis at home. Maybe my next Woozy Wednesday project!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Our lips and tongues turned blue buuuuuuut didn't check the poo ;)
DeleteThis is how I make my martinis: 2 shots vermouth, 1 shot vodka, 3/4 shot olive juice.