Being There- Part 3- Tuesday

We went downtown and decided to go to the National Spy Museum. It was pretty fun. Seth LOVED it. We had to pick our identity and memorize everything. Here's mine

• Name: Jane Meyer
• Female
• Age: 13
• Country of Residence: USA
• Occupation: Student
• Destination: Dublin, Ireland
• Birthplace: Sweetwater, Tennessee
• Reason for Visit: Vacation
• Duration of Stay: 7 Days
• Mission: Go to the National Museum of Ireland- Meet Tommy Doyle (who is my contact and is also a guide in the museum)- Ask about the Vikings of Ireland- Receive a sheet about military actions, written in MICRODOT- Depart and return sheet to headquarters.

We met Nana, Aunt Kathy and Aunt Patty at the National Museum of the American Indian to eat lunch. It was really good and I had the best blackberry pie thing that was hard and the cream was really sweet and the blackberries were perfect! The rest of the Museum wasn't very good, except fot the VERY EXPENSIVE jewelry and the cased beadwork. Those were both really pretty!!!

That night, Jack and Clo took everyone from our part of Missouri to Old Ebbitt's Grill. Someone offered me $100 to eat an oyster. I WOULD NOT DO IT!!! I loved the ribs and fries and ate all of it.

We left for dinner at 7:30 PM and we didn't get back until 10:30 PM. We were glad to go to bed.

<3>

Being There- Part Dos (is that how you spell it?)- Monday

Our first morning in D.C. was not my favorite. We had to get up pretty early and I am not an early person. We got up and made our way to the subway. It took forever to figure out how to get passes. We finally figured it out and we were on our way from our stop, which was right across from our hotel, Woodley Park/Zoo.

We stopped at the National Mall. The Lincoln Memorial is 2 miles from the Capitol Building! I had NO IDEA that it was that FAR!!!! Here's what we saw (not necessarily completely all through the whole building, but kind of from the outside)

• Washington Monument
• WW2 Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial
• White House
• Capitol Building
• Smithsonians
• Library of Congress
• Supreme Court
• Potomac River

We walked ALL OVER tarnation (I just had to put that). So finally we decided to just find a place to eat because it was 2PM and we had not eaten. So we settled for the food court in the Ronald Raegan Office Building. Mom and I had Nachos. It was really good.

The subway ride back took forever and it was really crowded.

That night, we ate at Woodley Park Cafe. It was okay. I was glad when we got to the hotel and went to bed.

<3>

SO CUTE!!!

This is a youtube video and it is one of the funniest of these videos EVER. I love it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

But you kinda have to watch the whole thing!!
<3 Tay

Getting There- Part 1

It has been forever since I have posted. I'm really sorry.

On the way to Washington D.C., we stopped in Effingham, Illinois, for food and sleep. Our waiter at Lone Star was telling us about the schools there. It was SO funny. He left and I started cracking up. Effingham is the "Flaming Hearts." A town next to it are the "Pretzels" and another town is the "Wooden Shoes." We got the hotel and they didn't let me sleep on a bed! I had to sleep on a therapist couch thing. I mean, I know I have maybe a few issues (unbalanced, forgetful moments, unbalanced, talking too much. . . just to name a few), but that's not enough to make me sleep on a therapist's couch!! But I got over it. . . somewhat. (Leslie's edit - it was a chaise lounge and she volunteered!)

We got in the car the next morning at about 8:30 and I thought it was really REALLY cold!! I never thought that would happen again! But it did! I was happy.

When we hit Terra Houte, we were caught in an overwhelming cloud of horrible stink. Mothballs. That's what it smelled like. And we passed a white thing and Dad said that it really did look like a Giant Mothball!

Ohio was the worst to drive through! It was so wide and took almost 4 hours to cross! We were so bored! There was nothing there and I was in the middle so i could barely see anything and I was beginning to feel sick. When we stopped at McDonalds, I barely ordered anything and then ended up eating half of Mom's meal and my own small fries and milkshake. I felt better and we were back on the road.

When we were on our way to Montana, the clouds magically turned into really pretty snow covered mountains! So, it was almost twilight outside and I saw a "hill" in the distance. Only Nana believed me. Mom didn't say anything. Dad thought I was crazy. Seth. . . was Seth. It turned out, it wasn't a hill/mountain. Dad was kinda mean. When the moon came up, Dad said,"Hey, Taylor!!! Look at the big porchlight on the 'house' on top of the 'mountain'!" I was not very happy with him. Nana and I found our own mountains later.

Dad was telling us about when him and a friend were driving somewhere when they were 16. It was dark and Dad was driving while his friend, Brian, slept. After an hour of driving, Dad set the clock ahead about 4 or 5 hours and told Brian it was his turn to drive. I said that I am going to do that when me and some friends are on a road trip.

We were planning on stopping before we got to D.C., but we were so close so we got a room at the hotel in D.C. and stayed there that night. We got in at about 11. We were just glad to be there.

<3 Tay