Yup, we be tourists for sure!

We have been doing the tourist thing in DC this week.  Our niece Elisha arrived Tuesday evening to spend some time with us (unfortunately she left yesterday).  I had a blast with her here.  So easy going she is.

We started our tourist jaunts on Wednesday (in the pouring, bone chilling rain).  Elisha and Rick have both been to Washington before, I had not.  I did want to see Arlington National Cemetery and the Mall.  We saw the cemetery and "changing of the guard" on Wednesday.  It was quite impressive.  It would have been nice to be there on a sunny day, but I imagine that's what the guard was thinking also, about every five steps he took.

Anyway, the first photo is Elisha, Rick and Arlo in front of, you guessed it, the Washington Monument.  Below is a shot of the White House in the distance.  That is as close as we've gotten to it. 

Above is a photo of the eternal flame at JFK's burial site, below is Bobby Kennedy's site.

Above and the two below were, obviously, taken at the "tomb of the unknown" and during the changing of the guard (the two below).

Above, the monument and the "mall" looking down from the Lincoln Memorial.  

The three below were taken at the new World War II Memorial.  The middle one was taken as you approach it from a distance.  They were taken on Thursday, which was bright, sunny and just a perfect day to be a tourist in Washington, DC.

Below, two of the Korean War Memorial and one of the Viet Nam Memorial.  Surreal places to be .... thought provoking and surreal.

Next are two from the Lincoln Memorial.  One with Chad and Patrick (no public comments boys!) in mind.  It was absolutely mobbed when we were there.  

We ended our tourist day in Georgetown.  Elisha had only two things on her "I want to do/see list" and Georgetown was one of them (thank you Elisha).  We had lots of fun there ~ having a terrific little lunch and people watching, and a little bit of shopping (it was too high end for this shopper).  Great people watching the entire day, but Georgetown was especially good for it!

Is that a cherry tree in the photo below?

Today (Saturday) looks to be another beautiful day here.  Rick and I thought we'd try to take in a Washington Nationals game (would be a great day for it too) but I don't think it will work out for us.  I had called a dog day care (Paradise 4 Pets) place down the road a couple days ago, but apparently they don't return phone calls.  There is a "dog walker" here at the "campground" but Rick has issues with someone coming into the house to take Arlo for a walk so with those two things I think we won't be doing much in the way of site seeing for the remaining time we are here, unless Arlo can go with us.  So much for a ball game or any of the Smithsonians.  With that said, it may be time to move on.

This has been a great "campground" for doing the DC thing.  Yes, as Rick points out, the sites are very close together, but the place just really seems to have "their act" together and the staff is a wealth of information and very helpful.