Natural History - Part 2

 Back to the Museum of Natural History today!  Great parking again but we made the mistake of visiting in the afternoon instead of the morning. What a difference! It was so crowded but we did get tickets right away to see the butterflies and it was super cool!  We also walked through the early human exhibit - which is Aidan's favorite (but boring for the other kids) - so everyone was pretty tired by the time our parking ran out.
I love that we can make quick trips in to DC. It takes me less time to get to the Museums than it takes me to get Aidan to football practice in Arlington!!

The Library of Congress

This afternoon we took a short trip to the Library of Congress. It's on the other side of Capitol Hill from the Museums and other monuments so it's not one of our usual places.  None of us had ever been there and it was fun to explore together!  The inside of the library is beautiful - one of the most beautiful buildings in DC for sure!  We saw the first ever Spiderman Comic, a small exhibit of Wonderwoman, some very old books from Latin America and we even found the kids reading room!  We missed a bunch of stuff so maybe we can make it back again when we're in the area!

Walk along the C&O Canal

 This morning I forced everyone out of bed and made them march along the C&O Canal for about 20 minutes.  We really just needed to get out of the house and see something that wasn't on an iPad screen!  We saw some herons, geese, turtles, fish and lots of dragonflies.  The kids weren't impressed with the geese and the geese were NOT happy to have to move off of the path to let us pass!  It's a really nice place to walk but it was pretty hot.  Next time I think we should drive a little farther North and walk where the path is more narrow and shaded!

Snow Much Fun!

We had so  much fun at our little cabin in the woods this week!!  I would go back there in a heartbeat!!  Pet friendly, hot tub, grill, nice kitchen and plenty of beds!!  It is right by a small ski lift too - if we were so inclined to try to make the drive in the winter!!!  

Seneca Rocks - West Virginia Day 5

This morning was the day that we had reserved for climbing Seneca Rocks.  It was good to have had an easy day yesterday because it was a bit of a hike!  It wasn't that long - only a mile and a quarter up to the top but there was 1,000 foot elevation gain which made it pretty steep in some areas!!  The kids did a great job - especially Declan who did not complain even once!!  We brought lunch with us and at sandwiches overlooking the beautiful view from the overlook.  We explored a bit at the top and then headed on back down.  There was a historic site with a house and a garden at the base of the rocks that we explored once we were finished with the hike and then we went over and toured the science center as well - a nice end to the walk - and bathrooms as well!!