Spirit Of America August 7 - 14, 2009 & WDW August 14-22, 2009 Trip Report

[Bobo912]

A Little Pixie Dust, where did you go? You haven't posted in 3 days.

 

[HappyGrumpy]

I live an hour from Williamsburg! My husband proposed to me in front of the Governor's Palace and we celebrate 10 years this Dec 5th! I hope you love the "burg" and it's history as much as we do! Its a special place for sure!

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

A Little Pixie Dust, where did you go? You haven't posted in 3 days.

I am here! We have been so busy that we have been completely exhausted!

 

[sayhello]

I am here! We have been so busy that we have been completely exhausted!

I was just thinking you were having way too much fun to even *think* of us!

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

I am here! We have been so busy that we have been completely exhausted!

Glad to hear you're keeping busy. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventure after you've had some rest.

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

Hi everyone!

Ok..where did I leave off?

Oh right! WA, DC....our 2nd day! We started out the day with a buffet breakfast...lots and lots of fresh berries and other goodies. The Mayflower Hotel has the yummiest banana bread! We boarded our coach and headed off for the Iwo Jima Memorial...this is a very famous statue of the men on Iwo Jima planting the flag....very nicely done.

We then headed for a visit to Arlington Cemetary. We took a tram to see the gravesites of President John Kennedy and Jaqueline as well as thier 2 children who died in infancy. Buried nearby is RFK's site as well. This is a beautiful and yet moving location....amazing that so many are buried there. We also stopped at the Challenger Memorial. Disney gave us each a flower to place where we wanted to. I placed mine at the Challenger Memorial. 2 reasons...the first being that I am a homeschool mom and so I placed it for Christa McAuliffe who was a teacher and the other is that the Challenger exploded on the same date my Dad passed. We then went to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We watched the gun and uniform inspection. Disney's guide is very knowledgable and knew right where to stand. If you get a chance to visit Arlington..I would suggest that you take the time to see the changing..it is every 1/2 hour during the Summer...it lasts about 10 minutes but is something not to be missed. the guards are 1/2 hour on and half off..during the night - they are 2 hours on..2 hours off...24/7 365 a year...incredible!

Our guide also took us by the Air Force Memorial and showed us the Pentagon including the location the plane hit on 9/11...there is a color diffence so you know where it hit.

After the visit to the cemetary..we were treated to a BBQ buffet on the Marina. they were grilling burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken..salads..cookies..and ice cream! Yummy! I feel like all we are doing is eating and walking!

After lunch, we were on our own....we had a choice where to be dropped off. Our family was off and running! We chose to be dropped off at the American History Museum. We immediately got in line to see the First Ladies exhibit...gowns and other personal items of the First Ladies. My DD loved seeing the gowns. We took off to see the Entertainment section...we saw Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch, Archie Bunker's chair..etc...lots of fun! Only disappointment was that DD wanted to see Indiana Jones' whip and hat - they were off display. We then ran to the other side of the museum to see the desk that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independance on. We also ran by the technology area to see the first light bulb...and we were off...

We ran next door (which actually is a few minutes walk) to the Natural History Museum...saw Jumbo..this huge elephant in the rotunda...we immediately went to the 2nd floor to check out the Hope Diamond..fit for a We also checked out the other gems...beautiful emeralds and diamonds...tha was it..we have a really nice Natural History Museum at home so we didn't spend a lot of time.....

Out the door and on our way to the Ford's Theater.. (no..not that kind of theater!) We got our tickets for the 4 PM walk thru....in we went..they have a nice museum downstairs all about Lincoln and the final days before the assassination. We were then allowed into the theater to see it. We could only see the President's box from below...no one is allowed up there so we saw what we could.

One thing about this day..a lot of places were not allowed to take pictures...very surprised in some places. We did not take pix of Stitch as most places I felt it would be disrespectful...so although he traveled in my bag..no pix...

The Peterson House is across the street...this is the home where the President died. The line to get in was really long so we opted to skip it...they can only allow a few people in at a time so the line was moving slowly.

We headed over to the Spy Museum...we bought our tix and went on in..a little excitement here..as the movie started to explain what we were going to do...lights and sirens went off! We thought maybe it was part of the experience until we heard a recording to evactuate..there was a fire alarm going off..out the door and down 3 flights we went...the employees were telling us to move away from the building...we watched fire engines arrive and firemen go into the building...zip..zero..nada...someone had pulled the alarm....so..back into line we went...back into the museum. The museum is interesting but a word of warning..this museum is about real spys and the technology they use to do their work...my DD is 12 and although she was interested in quite a bit..the younger crowd was not interested at all..there is very little hands on and most of it went right over thier head.

Ok..so now it is 6 PM (can you believe all this in only 4 hours! ) and our disney guide suggested if we wanted the National Archives..to go at the end of the day..they were closing at 6:30 so off we ran (ok..walked quickly) We got in with 20 minutes to spare. When you visit the NA..when they close ..they close...although we got in the building..they told us that we had top be out by closing. We went immediately to the 3 documents we came to see. It was very surreal to see the actual Declaration of Independance, Bill of Rights, and Constitution. They are so difficult to read and I wondered if my DD's children would be able to see them....

After we got done at the NA...we headed outside...my legs were about to give up! We grabbed a cab and went back to the hotel...dropped off our bags and grabbed a quick dinner.

The place we went was called Luna..it is on Conneticut Ave...really yummy food..definitely a hole in the wall kind of place!

We went back to the hotel and collapsed!


I will try and catch up tomorrow on our final day in WA and first day in VA....really tired tonight!

Night all!

 

[knewton64]

Hi everyone!

Ok..where did I leave off?

Oh right! WA, DC....our 2nd day! We started out the day with a buffet breakfast...lots and lots of fresh berries and other goodies. The Mayflower Hotel has the yummiest banana bread! We boarded our coach and headed off for the Iwo Jima Memorial...this is a very famous statue of the men on Iwo Jima planting the flag....very nicely done.

We then headed for a visit to Arlington Cemetary. We took a tram to see the gravesites of President John Kennedy and Jaqueline as well as thier 2 children who died in infancy. Buried nearby is RFK's site as well. This is a beautiful and yet moving location....amazing that so many are buried there. We also stopped at the Challenger Memorial. Disney gave us each a flower to place where we wanted to. I placed mine at the Challenger Memorial. 2 reasons...the first being that I am a homeschool mom and so I placed it for Christa McAuliffe who was a teacher and the other is that the Challenger exploded on the same date my Dad passed. We then went to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We watched the gun and uniform inspection. Disney's guide is very knowledgable and knew right where to stand. If you get a chance to visit Arlington..I would suggest that you take the time to see the changing..it is every 1/2 hour during the Summer...it lasts about 10 minutes but is something not to be missed. the guards are 1/2 hour on and half off..during the night - they are 2 hours on..2 hours off...24/7 365 a year...incredible!

Our guide also took us by the Air Force Memorial and showed us the Pentagon including the location the plane hit on 9/11...there is a color diffence so you know where it hit.

After the visit to the cemetary..we were treated to a BBQ buffet on the Marina. they were grilling burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken..salads..cookies..and ice cream! Yummy! I feel like all we are doing is eating and walking!

After lunch, we were on our own....we had a choice where to be dropped off. Our family was off and running! We chose to be dropped off at the American History Museum. We immediately got in line to see the First Ladies exhibit...gowns and other personal items of the First Ladies. My DD loved seeing the gowns. We took off to see the Entertainment section...we saw Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch, Archie Bunker's chair..etc...lots of fun! Only disappointment was that DD wanted to see Indiana Jones' whip and hat - they were off display. We then ran to the other side of the museum to see the desk that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independance on. We also ran by the technology area to see the first light bulb...and we were off...

We ran next door (which actually is a few minutes walk) to the Natural History Museum...saw Jumbo..this huge elephant in the rotunda...we immediately went to the 2nd floor to check out the Hope Diamond..fit for a We also checked out the other gems...beautiful emeralds and diamonds...tha was it..we have a really nice Natural History Museum at home so we didn't spend a lot of time.....

Out the door and on our way to the Ford's Theater.. (no..not that kind of theater!) We got our tickets for the 4 PM walk thru....in we went..they have a nice museum downstairs all about Lincoln and the final days before the assassination. We were then allowed into the theater to see it. We could only see the President's box from below...no one is allowed up there so we saw what we could.

One thing about this day..a lot of places were not allowed to take pictures...very surprised in some places. We did not take pix of Stitch as most places I felt it would be disrespectful...so although he traveled in my bag..no pix...

The Peterson House is across the street...this is the home where the President died. The line to get in was really long so we opted to skip it...they can only allow a few people in at a time so the line was moving slowly.

We headed over to the Spy Museum...we bought our tix and went on in..a little excitement here..as the movie started to explain what we were going to do...lights and sirens went off! We thought maybe it was part of the experience until we heard a recording to evactuate..there was a fire alarm going off..out the door and down 3 flights we went...the employees were telling us to move away from the building...we watched fire engines arrive and firemen go into the building...zip..zero..nada...someone had pulled the alarm....so..back into line we went...back into the museum. The museum is interesting but a word of warning..this museum is about real spys and the technology they use to do their work...my DD is 12 and although she was interested in quite a bit..the younger crowd was not interested at all..there is very little hands on and most of it went right over thier head.

Ok..so now it is 6 PM (can you believe all this in only 4 hours! ) and our disney guide suggested if we wanted the National Archives..to go at the end of the day..they were closing at 6:30 so off we ran (ok..walked quickly) We got in with 20 minutes to spare. When you visit the NA..when they close ..they close...although we got in the building..they told us that we had top be out by closing. We went immediately to the 3 documents we came to see. It was very surreal to see the actual Declaration of Independance, Bill of Rights, and Constitution. They are so difficult to read and I wondered if my DD's children would be able to see them....

After we got done at the NA...we headed outside...my legs were about to give up! We grabbed a cab and went back to the hotel...dropped off our bags and grabbed a quick dinner.

The place we went was called Luna..it is on Conneticut Ave...really yummy food..definitely a hole in the wall kind of place!

We went back to the hotel and collapsed!


I will try and catch up tomorrow on our final day in WA and first day in VA....really tired tonight!

Night all!

.....the spy museum. That is definately a must see 4 me nxt mnth.

oh, and about the walking? WHEW! I hear ya! In Jan 09 at WDW, I walked for approx 8 1/2 to 9 hrs a day B 4 I got anything to eat or drink.

in another words, I was having tooooooo much fun takin in the sites.

oh, yes...thats what i was thinking too about "no pics" policy....that stinks! ah well, glad to see u r havn fun.

one thing I learned just this week is that George Washington's home and the White house are patterened alike since it was him who had the White house made and his influence is all over it.

anywho, get some rest and be sure and "fax" me some of those mini cinabons. Those sound delicious.

ps. how is the rest of the group?

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

Hi there!

The Spy Museum is very interesting..just a lot of info..we enjoyed it.

The rest of the group is good..like any group - some people you make great connections with and some you just say hello. We have 11 kids out of the 27 of us...unfortunately, only 1 is near our DD age...DD is the oldest at 12..she is having a great time. The kids have been great troopers..lots of walking etc...

I am hoping to catch up my trip report tonight after we pack up for WDW! (the 2nd half of our trip)

 

[knewton64]

Hi there!

The Spy Museum is very interesting..just a lot of info..we enjoyed it.

The rest of the group is good..like any group - some people you make great connections with and some you just say hello. We have 11 kids out of the 27 of us...unfortunately, only 1 is near our DD age...DD is the oldest at 12..she is having a great time. The kids have been great troopers..lots of walking etc...

I am hoping to catch up my trip report tonight after we pack up for WDW! (the 2nd half of our trip)

... sunday.

 

[knewton64]

question: are you going to do any laundry while on the trip?

and how was the President's house (in Philadelphia)?

 

[OC_stacylace]

Des! Been thinking about you guys! Hope you are having a great time in WDW. I am so jealous, have I told you that lately? We got home okay, just an hour later than planned due to normal flight delays. Weather is great back here in So Cal, been in the mid 80's.

Both Mike and Milca were so helpful all the way up to security. Saying goodbye to friends like you and to the guides was definately hard to do.

Have a great time, and I'll give you a call in a few weeks to set up our Disneyland date!

Take care!

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

Ok..I am completely behind!

We did not have internet during our WDW stay due to issues with thier servers..we finally got it today and I am to tired to take care of it..we go home tomorrow so I will catch up!

Iceman..I tried to reply to you but it said that you can not rec. private mails? Not sure...

Stacy..glad you got home okay..it was really nice meeting you! Will talk to you soon.

 

[tchrrx]

We just booked our Spirit of America trip today. We'll be in DC for the 4th of July. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome report. I'm still trying to take it all in, but I'm sure I'll have questions later.

We are hoping to arrive in Philadelphia a day early. I know DH really wants to go to the US Mint. Were you able to take even your purse or cell phone or anything? What other places were you limited on what you could carry? I don't want to carry a camera with me if I'm not going to be able to use it places.

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

We just booked our Spirit of America trip today. We'll be in DC for the 4th of July. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome report. I'm still trying to take it all in, but I'm sure I'll have questions later.

We are hoping to arrive in Philadelphia a day early. I know DH really wants to go to the US Mint. Were you able to take even your purse or cell phone or anything? What other places were you limited on what you could carry? I don't want to carry a camera with me if I'm not going to be able to use it places.

You will love the trip! I am still trying to catch up from getting homeover the weekend...sorry I have not completed the report..I was blessed with several clients wanting travel info so I have been busy doing that and trying not to let jet lag do me in.

As for the Mint - we were not allowed to bring in anything in a bag/purse etc. DH had ID in pocket and some money..no cellphones, cameras etc...if you had something they made a member of your party wait outside with everything. What we did was leave it for the end of our afternoon.We took everything back to the hotel and went back to the Mint.

As for other places....I could bring in my backpack everywhere but be prepared..they check it everywhere! As for the camera....I got to take pictures most places. A few places were no pictures but mostly just no flash. I videotaped everywhere pretty much.

I will be back..I promise!