Fact: Day Nine

Today we left the Martines' house, traveled 50 miles to DC, used Colleen's super-slick trick for cheap/easy parking right near the Mall, walked and walked and walked until our feet were black (we all wore flips except Jim...our feet were FILTHY and tired!), rode the Metro until we were experts and I almost didn't freak out every time Matt got close to an incoming train and did some insane trick like stood on one foot, drove around the Lincoln Memorial until we figured out how to illegally stop to see it (without having to walk an additional 4 miles to get to it), drove over the Arlington Cemetery Bridge 11 times figuring out the above illegal stop (we think the traffic markings were more guidelines than rules), drove through Delaware (all 14 miles of it), and stopped at a Holiday Inn (we're earning points) where upon checking in, we discovered that we're 2.5 blocks from the Liberty Bell. Awesome!

The only other picture of the Martines Family...Jeffrey! He was pitching a fit about something and I asked him to hold Dwight as a distraction then proceeded to pepper him with questions until he was absolutely baffled by me. That's usually the effect I have on small children.
We had an easy 55 mile drive to THIS sign. Woot!

And Dwight saw all the important sights.

Dwight in his Presidential Pose--this is inside the Washington Monument waiting to go up the elevator.
We learned that the Washington Monument is 555 feet, 5 1/4 inches tall. When we rode up, however, we were a mere 500 feet off the ground. Weak sauce.
The spot Will wanted to visit more than ANY other.
And it's been closed to visitors since 9/11/2001. It was pretty disappointing, but he was happy to see it. And we went to the International Spy Museum around the corner as a consolation. That place was awesome and mind-blowing.

From the Spy Museum, we rode the Metro to what we THOUGHT was the closest station to the White House...we got there anyway.

Then we rode the Metro all the way to Crystal City for Michael Scott's favorite "local" New York food. Dwight enjoyed it, too.
A surreptitiously-acquired photo of Jourdan and Matt on the Metro.
Jim was ready to leave the city by the time we got back to our car--it was 8:30pm and we had essentially walked for about 9 hours. And he was wanting to drive at night to avoid traffic. So he was more antsy than the rest of us to get out. Will and Jourdan REALLY wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial. So he graciously agreed to try and drive over to it. We got TO it with no problems...it was figuring out where/how/when to stop so we could get out that was the tricky part. After circling Arlington National Cemetery five times (and accidentally getting on a freeway at least twice), we had that place figured out and we were on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial! The kids sprinted up to Lincoln himself, Dwight and I stayed down to get a picture, and Jim stayed with the van so it wouldn't get towed or blown up by security. He's just generous that way.
This photo doesn't have Dwight, but it really captures the mood of the evening--it was beautiful and calm and the perfect end to our DC day.
We made it to Delaware with no problems. By this point, only Jim, Will and I were awake to enjoy it (and Dwight, of course). But we have the usual proof that we were there.
I had more than a few people baffled by me taking this shot. It is the middle pillar in a REALLY busy all-night travel stop just past the Delaware border. There were at least 30 people at 11pm getting food at the Roy Rogers. It was like it was lunch here and midnight everywhere else. Odd.
PENNSYLVANIA!!!! Dwight must be extremely happy to be in his home state. If he were going to come to America, it would make sense that he would come to a -sylvania...like PENNsylvania.
Oh we're smiling. Never you fear!
It was a crazy busy day--but SO super fun. Day Ten will find us on the outskirts of New York City. Here we go.