User:Managerpants/honeymoon

On our honeymoon, my wife and I went to Washington, D.C. for 6 days & 5 nights. This page will have a record of what we saw and did.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
We flew out of Cleveland Hopkins Airport and landed in Washington Dulles International Airport. We took the airport shuttle and connected to the Washington Metro, which we took to the Hilton Hotel on Embassy Row. After relaxing for a bit, we headed out to check out Dupont Circle and Embassy Row, and grab some Indian food for dinner. We finished the evening by watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the hotel.

Sunday, July 5, 2009
The main activity on Sunday was checking out the National Zoo. This was especially exciting because they have Giant Pandas! Other highlights included the naked mole-rats and the slew of Golden Lion Tamarins. We had a meat-tastic dinner at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. After that, we walked past the White House and Washington Monument, and then headed for the memorials. Seeing the World War II Memorial at night was truly awesome. It was getting pretty dark by then, so we only caught the Korean War Veterans Memorial before it was just too dark to see anymore. We finished the night at the Lincoln Memorial (which was just as cool as everyone says it is) and we sat and read every word of the Gettysburg Address on the wall.

Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday began with a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, which was a sobering experience to be sure. We then had a tour of the United States Capitol. It was very cool to see the Capitol rotunda, I must say. We then headed to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for a tour. We then crossed town once again to check out the International Spy Museum. After a delicious pizza dinner, we passed some time in Barnes and Noble before heading home for the evening.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday's first activity was ascending the Washington Monument and seeing the incredible view of the National Mall, the memorials, the Tidal Basin, and really the entire city. We then headed to Union Station for lunch and shopping. After that, we walked to the Supreme Court for a tour, followed by a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. An upscale dinner followed at 1789 Restaurant, after which we retired for the night.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday began with an awesome 3-hour tour of the Pentagon, where we got to see a heck of lot more than the average tour does. We went from there to Arlington National Cemetery. We didn't stay for very long, but we got to see the eternal flame at the grave of John F. Kennedy. After lunch, we headed to the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. From there, we headed to the Rayburn House Office Building, but were directed back to the Capitol to meet Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich! After that, we went to the National Archives for a quick look at the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Declaration of Independence. Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (facing the FBI Building!) followed.

Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday saw us basically just packing up and heading back to Cleveland for a bit of breather after our whirlwind of a honeymoon. We rewarded ourselves with a Wii.