Now the weather was gorgeous on our first trip there; bright blue skies, temperatures in the 70's, and tree leaves were just beginning to show off their autumnal colorings. The only hold-up in our trip getting there was the rush hour traffic in the Wilmington, Delaware area ... they have a toll road set up and right before you get down the 3 lane interstate to it, they have 6 others lanes merge in with you!! Talk about your tie-ups!! *still shaking head here while looking at less than 2 inch section of Delaware in the Rand McNally* We decided to stay in a hotel in Fairfax, Virginia that FP- has stayed at before and liked, lucking into one of the last rooms available due to a girls soccer tournament taking place nearby -- so we had giggling girls and their siblings going up and down the elevators and halls while they visited. *chuckle*

We packed up the Robby gear -- diaper bag armed with plenty of formula and diaper rations for a day out, stroller, punkin' seat (in case we stopped to eat on the way to the motel), pacifier in fast retrieval location, sweater in case it cooled off, and a toy in case he got bored. Then we packed my gear -- camera, umpteen rolls of film, and a bottle of diet cola for me to sip on while out and about. Lastly, FP- packed his essentials -- map of the DC metro area. At last we were ready to take the rental car into DC territory!!!

We didn't know about "A Taste Of DC" going on that week-end, so after two hours of circling the area we finally wound up parking about a mile from where we had planned on touring first. I got to take pics of the back of the White House, and Robby even got to pose with 2 of the security guards who even offered to autograph his stroller. We walked around to the front of the White House but I was told I couldn't take a picture at that time due to the tour line having predominance and thus "you can't go near the fence while the tour is going on". We posed FP- and Robby at one of the Welcome to Washington signs at the side of the White House for a couple of quick pictures while we were making our way to the front of it ...

We walked around the Eclipse area after finding out that we were too late on getting in on the tour package, FP- insisting we had to go to the left while I said we had to go to the right. He said "no, no, we want to go to the left to see the Lincoln Memorial" while I turned the map the right way ... then he said "oh wait, no, no, we want to go to our right ...."

While FP- and I were trying to figure out our right and left hands ... Robby decided it would be a great time for a formula break. Well.... I had left the diaper bag at the White House's side entrance. FP- looked at me incredulous and then turned to race back to the White House to hopefully retrieve. Robby and I followed at half-speed behind him, the woman who had told me I couldn't take any White House pictures flashing me a dirty glare as I passed by her -- I guess she thought I was going to try to get up close to her section of the fence using Robby as a shield of some sorts. *shrug*

FP- came around the corner shaking his head solemnly as he held the diaper bag, "Gawd, I don't know how you always luck out ... leaving a bag near the White House like that!!!" I looked at him puzzled and he said, "I am surprised one of the security or parameter patrol guards didn't notice it sitting there and treat it as a bomb of some sorts ... not knowing that the bottles were actually bottles of formula!" I cracked up laughing as I deepened my voice to imitate a security official going up to the President, "You are safe, sir. It was only Enfamil ... with iron... with Huggies as padding." A few of the folks standing in the tour line chuckled. FP- stood there and looked at me, saying "you wouldn't have found it funny if they had taken the bag off somewhere and destroyed it while thinking it may have held a bomb ..."

We gave Robby a bottle as we once more started around the Eclipse, this time taking a break to grab a cold soda pop. Finally we made it the Mall area ... walking by the Washington Monument and taking some pics of it as we meandered towards the Lincoln Memorial. A little brown squirrel came out onto the path and posed for me, I waited and waited and waited for the green light to come on my camera so I could take his picture. He played and tumbled and posed once more ... and I waited and waited and waited for the green light to come on. Folks walked by and commented on the squirrel posing for me ... and I waited and waited and waited for the green light to go on. Finally the green light came on ... and the squirrel by that time had enough of posing for me and scampered off and climbed a tree!!! *eye roll* FP- cracked up laughing over this and teased me about it as we made our way along the Reflecting Pool.

Finally we made it to the Memorial, Robby and FP- waited for me at the bottom while I trudged up the steps to take pictures. A sea gull decided that Lincoln's hand made a great perch while I was in there, posing regally for the cameras. As I left the Memorial, a wedding party was lining up in front of it on the edge of the Reflecting Pool. I waited patiently while the photographer got the happy couple lined before he and I took our separate collection of pictures of them. *chuckle*

We trekked off to the Vietnam War Memorial that was off to the left of the Lincoln Memorial ... then back tracked to the Korean War Memorial that was off to the right of the Memorial. Of course I took a lot of pics of both ... and they are both very moving tributes to the men and women of the armed forces during those times. I also took a picture of the World War I Memorial ... a simple small marble gazebo looking out of place as the area in front of it was used for a makeshift parking lot for people using the soccer field area.

We walked towards the Jefferson Memorial, watching the folks out on paddle boats in the Tidal Basin as we walked along the path. For some reason we stopped halfway towards it and back tracked to look for the FDR Memorial instead, which FP- thought was around the Lincoln Memorial area. (I should known better huh?). We didn't find it (and since it was dedicated only in May of '97, it wasn't marked on FP-'s map) but by this time the sun was starting to set and we had to start to head back towards where we parked the car. Of course this didn't stop me from snapping pics along the way ... the Daughters of the American Revolution office, the Old Executive Office Building, the front of the White House (finally!!! I got to go near the fence!!!), the Concordian Museum (only cause of the gargoyle on the rooftop), and typical skyline shots when my camera permitted me to do so. Yep folks, the battery was fizzling out.

We contacted Peppr, from #30plus, to make dinner arrangements over in her neck of the woods (Crystal City area) before calling it a night. *hugs sent to Peppr* We had a lovely visit also with this woman!

The next morning, we headed back into DC for a mini-tour. To take pictures of the Jefferson Memorial (I later lost the roll of film through as we trekked about) and the FDR Memorial that we finally found out was in between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials on the *other* side of the Tidal Basin. The FDR Memorial was a long walking tour homage of his four terms of office and highlights of those years. We couldn't stay long though as we had to head back to the New Jersey state line so FP- could get a good night sleep before heading into work the next day. He was already hem-hawing the idea of maybe (after 4 years of promising her he would try to) attending Kimba's annual Halloween gathering if his work schedule allowed us to and maybe squeeze in a bit more touring at that time.

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