Washington, D.C.

Eliza and I took a trip out to D.C. to visit my Dad and Marilyn in November. We flew out there just the two of us, and I prayed for weeks that the flights would go smoothly. It wasn’t Eliza that I was worried about, but rather that I wouldn’t have enough hands along the way. I traveled with a large rolling suitcase, three shoulder carry-ons, a car seat, and a large stroller…and a walking child! My prayers were answered in so many ways, but the greatest was that for each flight there was an empty seat next to me so Eliza didn’t have to be a lap baby! It went better than I could have hoped for, and Eliza had fun reading on the plane. Marilyn had to work while we were there but dad, Eliza, and I went out each day to see the sights. I love being with my dad and it was great to see Eliza take in new things and play with her grandparents!

We took the subway everyday and really got the hang of it with a stroller. It’s not always easy when you don’t know if you’ll find an escalator.

Ford’s Theater

Marilyn and I saw a ballet, Romeo and Juliet, at the Kennedy Center. I had been to the Kennedy Center before but this was the first time that I got to see an actual performance. The ballet was well done and I enjoyed watching it with Marilyn who studied ballet in NYC when she was younger.

Eliza loved having a dance party at the townhouse each night. She learned how to spin and bounce on her knees, and she would point at the floor and tell us exactly where we should be dancing with her.

The Lincoln Memorial is probably my favorite monument in the city. The week brought AMAZING weather. I certainly didn’t expect it to get in the upper 50’s in November! Eliza did great with simply her coat, hat, and bundle-me blanket!

I had never seen the Korean War Memorial before and it was really powerful. I loved the faces that they engraved on the wall and that you could see the reflection of the statues as well.

Eliza loved seeing the dog at the Roosevelt Memorial. This was one of my Dad’s favorite memorials of the trip.

One night Dad and I took a few hours to walk around the city after Eliza went to sleep. Kirk’s a big fan of this picture (and a bit jealous he wasn’t there).

The last few days of the trip we spent at the Smithsonian, which was quite new to me since the last time I was there, I was an 8th grader and didn’t have as much interest in history. We were able to see Julia Child’s kitchen, the first American flag, the Hope Diamond, and so much more. The picture below is of Julia Child’s cookbook shelf from her kitchen. As you can see, a majority are her own cookbooks but on the top shelf is one of the Davis/Smiley favorites! The Victory Garden Cookbook is hard to find now that it is no longer in print but we highly recommend it if you ever come across a copy. Dad gave me a copy a few years back ,and now that Kirk has become a gardener it has been very informative…and as you can see I think Julia would agree!

We had heard great things about the cafe at the American Indian Museum. “The Mitsitam Café (Mitsitam means "Let's eat!" in the native language of the Delaware and Piscataway tribes) offers various foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Mesoamerica, and the Great Plains. Each food station features cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors found in both traditional and contemporary dishes." Dad loved that you could sample so many different regions of food, some more obscure than others. I would highly recommend it for a lunch while at the Smithsonian.

I really loved the Presidential Portrait Museum and since we only spent an hour there I will definitely go back on my next visit. This sculpture of George Bush (the elder) playing horseshoes continues to make me laugh.

Eliza still talks about our time in D.C. She loved the subway and playing with ice every night in her grandpa’s travel cooler. It’s amazing what kids find entertaining and interesting! I have always loved the city, and this trip only added to that feeling.
More pictures can be seen on our flickr site.