A Page Is Turned: Washington, D.C.: Day 3

On our second full day in Washington, the rain stopped and we saw blue skies! (It was the first time we'd had a non-rainy day in a LONG time since it rained all before we left as well!)

We were able to leave a little later on Sunday morning and we headed up to Union Station to catch a D.C. Duck Tour! This was one thing the boys had requested we do. Mom and I love a bus or trolley tour (you get to see so much of a city that way!), so we were happy with this request. It was a 90 minute land and water tour in a "duck." These vehicles were built in World War II as amphibious military vehicles and they've been restored for tours. It was SMALL, but they leave every hour so there are plenty of opportunities to get a spot. We didn't even book ours until the night before so we could be sure it wouldn't be rainy. I would advise getting there early to get a spot. We got there fairly early and were still seated about 3-4 rows back. There are just two seats per section so get 'em while you can! (Four seats across with an aisle between...hope that makes sense) and the further back you are, the less shade their is! This was a fun tour. We started at Union Station and went all the way over to the Potomac where we entered the water, cruised a bit, and then rode back to Union Station. I highly recommend it. The worst part is that they hand out duck "whistles" halfway through and you have to tolerate the incessant duck calling the remainder of the trip. Lol!

From the Duck Tour, we made our way to a Metro stop and tried our hand at riding public transportation. It saved us no time, but we thought we needed to let the boys see what it was about. (Mom and I did WAY better in NY than on this trip...it seemed more complicated to me here!) We hopped off at a stop near the Air and Space Museum and headed there for the afternoon. (We had lunch in Union Station at a Johnny Rockets - do not recommend...but it was quick and close.)

Will LOVED the Air and Space Museum because it was very interactive. My mistake was pulling them away from what they were doing for a docent-led tour. Our docent was AMAZING and had been there for longer than I've been alive. He was VERY knowledgable, but he took FOR.E.VER to tell about everything and it wound up being not child-friendly. The boys were so bored. After two hours we finally broke away from the group to see a little more of the museum alone and then let the boys make dog tags (a souvenir we got when we were there as kids) and let them ride in the flight simulator.

After Air and Space, we hiked up to Old Ebbitt Grill where we had a supper reservation. It was good, but VERY crowded (we waited a bit even with a reservation) and we were tired and cranky. We NEVER allow devices at the table, but we did that night!