Washington, DC and Williamsburg, VA

We've taken most of December off to travel and explore the east coast a bit, working our way South for the winter. Our first week of December was spent in Washington, DC and Williamsburg, VA. We had a great time exploring our nation's capitol as well as the heart of revolutionary Virginia at Colonial Williamsburg. Here are a few of the highlights from the week.

At the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History the kids loved the Insect Petting Zoo. Here, Ian is holding a millipede to show to his sisters.

Posing for a quick photo in front of the Washington Monument on the National Mall.

Korean War Memorial. This was a surprise favorite spot along our tour of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall.

Lydia and Ian reflecting upon the Truth that "Freedom is not free".

No visit to the National Mall is complete without a stop at the Lincoln Memorial.

Smithsonian National Sculpture Gardens. This exhibit was entitled "Girls". 

It looked an awful lot like headless zombies to me.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Ian and Lydia were intently looking at the vast number of names of soldiers lost in the war, and we had an opportunity to share with them about their grandfather who served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg. Everything was decorated for Christmas.

A favorite Colonial Christmas decoration. "Hey Diddle, Diddle". Can you find all of the pieces to this nursery rhyme in this window dressing?

We had a great time exploring our country's history and heritage in this region. We can't wait to go back, but have been spoiled by the mild weather and low crowds that we experienced by visiting in December. We would highly recommend visiting the area in late fall to anyone that is averse to heat and crowds.

We have traveled further south and have been on Hilton Head Island, SC for the past week. Stay tuned for more adventures, such as what "rest" and an island vacation means for our family. Hint: We don't sit still and do nothing very well, so our beach vacation has been a little more unconventional than most!