Thanks to a certain Mr Jeff, I was persuaded to finally go into the big city of Washington D.C. and do it in a way that avoided the traffic and parking issues, and take the metro.
Getting to the New Carrollton Metro station was the first issue, as for some reason I had two sets of directions from google, and I had to pick one. Once there, I have to say, there was a lot of help in the purchase of passes, and we were soon on the platform waiting for the metro.
Waiting being a key word.
Mr Jeff kinda took the wrong line to meet us.
I was just thrilled we were finally getting to DC, and had made it to the station safely. Waiting was not an issue!
Kids kinda felt different, hehe, so we passed the time taking photos.
Our first stop was the National Building Museum.
There we saw the Prarie Skyscraper Exhibit,
The Greenhouse Exhibit, and the
Cityscapes Revealed Exhibit.
Looking at Frank Lloyd Wright’s actual
drawings was a true highlight but I think
we all favored the Greenhouse.
After going to the Greehouse Exhibit,
I was almost wary to come home to my toxic house!
Perhaps most inspiring was the inside of the National Building Museum itself.
On a side note, we could see that
they were setting up for some kind
of filming. We were told they were
getting ready for the filming of the
season finale for the television show,
Treasure Hunt.
Next stop, was JALEO. A restaurant I told Mr Jeff about, and then he treated, and was treated to some of the most exquisite tapas of Spain.
We all tried:
Pan con tomate y jamón serrano
(Spanish imported cured ham with
traditional tomato bread)
Boquerones en vinagreta
(Marinated anchovies, Spanish style)
Pipirrana Andaluza con ‘Mojama’
(Salad of peppers, cucumbers and
tomatoes with imported cured tuna)
Mejillones al vapor
(Mussels steamed in their own juice with
fresh bay leaves and olive oil)
Codorniz con allioli de miel y salsa de romero
(Grilled quail with honey alioli and rosemary sauce)
Pollo asado relleno de frutos secos
(Chicken stuffed with fruit, onion confit and sherry)
Pimientos del piquillo relleno de queso y setas
(Sweet peppers stuffed with goat cheese and mushrooms)
Cazón en adobo al estilo de Cádiz
(Marinated fried shark like people do in Cádiz)
And for dessert…Sopa fría de frutos del bosque con helado de queso fresco
(Chilled mixed fruit soup with berries and fresh cheese ice cream )
(Chilled mixed fruit soup with berries and fresh cheese ice cream )and
Helados y sorbetes caseros con “carquinyolis”
(Ice cream and sorbets made in-house with traditional Catalan crisp)
If the quantity of food puzzles you, perhaps you can learn about tapas HERE
Next, we walked towards the Mall, but not without a stop looking at some very BLUE water in fountains.
After frollicking through the blue waters, we continued on to the Mall.
Our view of the Capitol Building.
The front of the Smithsonian Building, the Castle
Next, going towards the Lincoln Memorial, we came across a fascinating tree.
The Washington Monument by the Reflecting Pool
Here, Laura finally got to see her buddy, Abe. It was a nice reunion. 
It was a glorious day, even with the heat and humidity that usually makes up Washington D.C. in the summertime.
Thanks to a little prodding, I will now be able to make the trip out again!
