July 6-13

Yorktown- kids are wearing one of the signs that the soldiers would have worn if they were being punished for a minor infraction.

Outside of the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center

Trouble at Colonial Williamsburg

Jamestown

Mount Vernon

After July 6 my laptop lost its "connectivity"- whatever that is. To me it just meant I could not access the internet, and all of the pictures were on my computer. We left DC on July 7 and went to Williamsburg. We stopped at Mt. Vernon on our way down, and it was very nice. They have built a very nice museum and visitor's center there since our last visit 8 years ago. The kids enjoyed the stop. While we were at Williamsburg we visited Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg. We started running out of steam, so we took some easy days. We stayed at a nice campground, visited the outlet mall, and ate a good meal for our anniversary. A good time was had by all. I uploaded close to 600 pictures to Shutterfly yesterday, so our trip was well documented.

Now we are home. The trailer is unloaded, and we have a few repairs to do. At least this year we returned without any major problems. We need to replace a seal on the toilet, and the closet rod broke, but those are minor issues. We have had a couple of discussions about where to go next year, but noone is in agreement yet. It is time to stay in the house, hide from the heat and relax!

Fourth of July

We started off the day at Ft. McHenry, which is where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. He was on a ship out in the harbor watching the British bomb the fort in 1814 in the Battle of Baltimore. When the large flag was hoisted above the fort the next morning, they all knew that the "flag was still there" and that we had been victorious in battle. It was a great place to visit on the 4th. We got to unfurl a replica flag inside the fort, then everyone sang the Star Spangled Banner. It was very moving. We saw the original flag in DC the other day. The kids enjoyed walking around the fort. We had a mini picnic by the water, and we got to watch them fire the 18 pound cannon for the first time ever. I can't even imagine what a battle would have sounded like. By the time we left about 2:30 a crowd was moving in to stake out spots for the fireworks. We headed to Jeff and Becky's and spent the rest of the day at their house with her family. It was a nice day. The kids played in the water, and Becky had various fun things for them to do. They love her and had a great time. It was about 75 degrees all day with a breeze, so they turned a bit blue in the water, but we had to pull them out. They would have stayed in all day. It was nice. We were able to see the fireworks from the street out in front of their house, so it was nice to be able to do that without fighting the crowds. We got in late, and the dog was very happy to see us. She has been a good traveler, but she is not too happy when we leave her all day. Off for the next adventure!

Sparklers!

Pinata

Fun in the pool

Cannonballs at Ft. McHenry

Unfurling the Star Spangled Banner

Day 3 in DC was nice. We started out the day with a little Dunkin Donuts, then met Jeff, Becky and Kendall at the train station. We went to the Museum of Natural History when we got to the mall. The kids fought over who was going to hold Becky's hand, who was going to walk next to her, who was going to push the stroller, etc… all day. We were ready to strangle them, but we survived. The museum was pretty busy when we got there, and ridiculously crowded by the time we left. I have never been here when it was so busy. We saw everything we want to see, and they have a temporary exhibit about bones that was really neat. By the time we left the museum there were long lines out both entrance doors with people waiting to get in, and the mall was packed. You could tell it was a holiday for a lot of people. We walked from there to the Lincoln Memorial, and went by the Vietnam memorial on the way. No matter how many times I see these places, they still move me.

We had a really nice day and finished it off with dinner with Jecky (Jeff, Becky and Kendall- Serena and Keeg call them this) before we headed back to the trailer. The kids wanted to swim, but it was only 75 degrees and a bit breezy, so we talked them out of this. They spent about an hour at the playground instead. I think they will sleep well tonight.

We are not sure what our plan is for tomorrow. We had thought about going in for the parade down Constitution Avenue, but seeing the amount of people there today is giving us second thoughts. We are going to Jecky's for fireworks, etc… tomorrow evening.

It is amazing the variety of people we have seen this trip. DC is definitely teeming with tourists at the moment. We aren't leaving here until Tuesday, so I hope some of them clear out on Sunday. It is wild.

July 1 and 2 in Washington DC

We have spent the last 2 days walking all over Washington D.C. The weather has been nice. Thank goodness it is not as hot as home. We got here on Tuesday around 4, and I headed straight to the laundry. It is just not good to go more than a week without doing laundry. I spent a couple of hours doing that while Coley entertaind (tried to keep from killing) the kids. This RV park is really nice. It is close to DC, yet you don't feel like you are in an urban area. We have about a 5 minute ride to the metro, and about 30 minutes on the metro lands us downtown.
Wednesday - On Wednesday, we ventured off early to get the lay of the land. We found the metro lot, and of course, we had to park way out! Serena likes riding the "train" and thinks we should take one wherever we go. We managed to find our way to Union Station, and we rode the DC Ducks. The tour was not bad. It was an hour and a half, and I saw streets and buildings I had never seen in DC. You also get to go out in the Potomac, and that was neat. We went right by the Pentagon, and we were right in the approach path for Reagan International. The planes went right over us when they were coming in for a landing. That was wild. The kids enjoyed it, and their quackers have already been hidden. We did lunch at Union Station, then decided to check out Ford's Theater. There was a long line, so we headed to the Museum of American History. Thank goodness they are all on summer hours and don't close until 7 because we were in there until 6:45, but we saw everything. Serena slept on me through part of it. Keegan loved it. It is really nice since they redid it. They have the original Star Spangled Banner displayed in it's own special display now, and it is really touching. We were beat by the time we got back to the trailer, and Riz was very miffed that we had been gone all day. Jeff, Becky and Kendall came out to visit, and we had a good time. 4 adults, 3 kids, and one confused Chiweenie barely fit in the 5th wheel!
Thursday- Today we had timed tickets for the Washington Monument. Ihad forgotten to turn the alarm on when I set it last night, so we all slept late and woke up refreshed. The monument was neat. We had never been up in it before. The views were fabulous. Then we walked up the mall making our way to the capitol for our tour there. They have a folk festival set up on the mall for the weekend, and they are getting everything set up around the capitol itself for the 4th. I am not sure if we are going to venture in or not on that day. A new visitor's center has been open at the capitol, and it is very nice. The tour was way quick and the guide was condescending, but the building itself is as impressive as ever. When we were hear 10 years ago, we walked wherever we wanted and never had to stand in a line. Times have changed.
We decided we would try to "pop" into the Archives to see the documents, and of course there was a line. It moved fast, so we were able to check that all out before heading back around 6:30. We actually had dinner, and the kids watched a movie. Coley carried his GPS with him today, and we walked 5 miles. No wonder they were tired! Tomorrow we are going back in to DC and taking the kids to the Natural History Museum. Jeff, Becky and Kendall are going to join us. I hope they are up for a day of touring Dobbs style. Time for bed....it is finally catching up to me!


I can't get pictures to upload tonight....sorry. I will have to try again tomorrow!

Last Hurrah in the Big Apple

Last Day in New York City

Our last day in NYC was a great day. It started out great because we actually found a parking place in the commuter lot at 7:30, and we made the 7:45 train to the city. It was pretty full, but it was not a bad trip. I would hate to make it every day though. We got to the city, found some coffee and walked up to Rockefeller Center. It was just after 9:00 when we got there. We did not realize they were cutting the Today show short because of Wimbledon, but we got to see them cleaning up the set. We saw a lot of tv/movie action yesterday. They were filming a Harrison Ford move- I think the little fella that ran me off the sidewalk said it was going to be called Morning Glory- down from Grand Central. I did not get to see Harrison, but we walked by the huge trailers they had parked on the side street for the talent and saw them rehearsing the “background”. Later in the day we saw a Mariah Carey music video being shot in the front of the Plaza. We actually have a bunch of pictures of her. Then when we pulled into the park here last night they had a bunch of movie trailers set up over in a parking lot that is close to the RV part. We never did find out what they were shooting though.
The rest of the day was not as star studded. I bet we walked 5 miles. We never even got on a subway. The kids did a great job and never complained….they are tireless! We walked back down to the Empire State Building. Luckily I had gotten our tickets online so we did not have to stand in the long ticket line. The kids really enjoyed seeing the city from that vantage point. They have done a great deal of interior work on the building since the last time I was there. It looks very nice inside. Coley did have to stop and buy a new pair of shoes yesterday. He had brought a pair of coaching shoes that were totally worn out. So he got new shoes and was as fresh as a daisy! After a very fancy lunch in the basement of Wendy’s, we walked up 5th Avenue. We “strolled” all the way from 33rd to Central Park..trust me-that is a long way. Serena and I went into the American Girl store. I have never seen such chaos! There were little girls carting dolls everywhere. We enjoyed looking at all of the dolls and accessories, but I managed to convince her that such a doll should come for Christmas! Coley and Keegan walked in and walked out. It was wild!
We also went into Tiffanys. Serena really enjoyed looking at all of the “pretty jewelry”. The kids were not as impressed with FAO Schwartz as I thought they would be. They carry toys that are different from the ones at the gigantic Toys R Us. Keeg was not happy with there Star Wars Lego collection. Then we went into the Apple Store, and it was a wild scene. The line of people waiting for phones was staggering. The Plaza was across the street, and that is when we watched the video being made. After that we took a horse and carriage tour through Central Park- my feet needed a rest so we splurged! We had promised to take the kids back to Toys R Us in Times Square, so 5 o’clock found us “strolling” again down Broadway. There were lots more people there than there had been before noon last week. We happily tiredly arrived at the toy store, and the kids picked out what they wanted. Keegan had some money he had made from saving up change, and it was burning a hole in his pocket. He was dying to buy a new Lego Star Wars ship, and Serena found a Ni Hao Kai Lan game for her Leapster. They were happy campers, and we resumed the walk death march to Grand Central. After picking up some black and white cookies for a snack on the way home, we hopped on a train for our last trip back to the campground.
I am honestly very surprised how much of the city we were able to see in 3 days with the kids. They were troopers. I never imagined they would be able to walk that far. We made serious tracks!
Favorite Moments-
Keegan- Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building
Serena – The tv’s on the buildings in Times Square
Coley- West Point
Shawna – seeing it all with the kids

Funny moments-
· Serena loudly announcing Mama Mia any time she saw a sign for the Broadway show…everyone on the street always went awww…..
· Serena walking through Chinatown holding her nose
· Us getting caught out in the rain and looking like drowned tourists
· Me getting caught in the subway door and some lady pushing me into the train
· Serena pushing through the turnstile on my subway day pass, so I could not get through and had to get another metro card. The rest of the family was on the other side just looking at me.
· Serena amusing the business people by marching up the stairs at Grand Central at rush hour by herself
· Who knew how heavy M & M’s were, or that we could eat so many!




Serena's favorite poster.

The carriage ride

We have a million pictures of Mariah Carey now

Empire State building - I think Keeg would have stayed up there all day.

I would not want this guys job!

Where they were shooting the Harrison Ford movie

The closest I got to Matt Lauer

My goofy kids!

Rockefeller Center

Slower Sunday

A Slower Pace for Sunday
After our two day marathon in the city, we took it easy today and slept late. I am so sore from yesterday it is pitiful! We decided to explore the area a bit today. This is a very beautiful area. It doesn’t feel like we are in an urban area because it is so green and the trees are gigantic. We went up to Newburgh to the Orange County Choppers store/shop. It was fun to see the choppers that we have seen them build on tv. You can tell that a lot of planning and craftsmanship is put into each one. We ate lunch at a diner that was pretty good, except they need lessons on how to make sweet tea up here! After lunch we went to West Point. We took a bus tour of the Academy. I was there 20 years ago with a friend and her family to visit her brother during spring break. It was a little strange seeing it again from a different perspective. They have a very nice Military Museum there now, and we spent quite a bit of time there this afternoon. After that, we drove over to Greenwich, Connecticut just because we were only 20 miles from there. We saw some very nice houses, and drove on a very rough interstate. We always appreciate Texas roads after we get home. Tomorrow we are going to get up early and fight the commuters to get into the city early . Keegan wants to see where they do the news (Today show), so we are heading to Rockefeller Center first, then the Empire State Building. There is also hopefully a bit of shopping to be done ! The kids lost their minds at Toys R Us the other day. I hope they make it through FAO Schwartz without really losing it! We are having a great time.




Sleepy Hollow cemetary

Oops. Hitler's pistol

West Point - Statue of George Washington

Upperclassmen practicing for the ceremonies the next day. The next class of freshmen were reporting on Monday.

Cadet Chapel

OCC trailer and truck

Spiderman bike

New York City firefighters bike

We watched the episode where they made this bike a couple of weeks ago.

Crossing Bear Mountain Bridge

Day 2 in the Big City

Day 2 In the City
We spent a very long Saturday in the city. It was a bit different than our usual Saturdays! We had tickets for the Statue of Liberty at 11:00 a.m., so we had to leave on the 8:30 train this morning. Since Saturdays are not work days, we were not crammed in on the train. We got to Grand Central with time to get Starbucks and muffins before hitting the subway. We did have to cram ourselves in to the subway car downtown, but off we went. Serena likes to stand up on the train. She thinks it is cool when there are not enough seats. Luckily we did already have our tickets because our security line was shorter. This first run through was standard airport security. Later, when we had to go through security again to go into the pedestal, we had to stand in an air puffer thing.It checks for explosives, and we were all clear, but they did confiscate my package of crackers in my bag. I felt like a criminal! It freaked Serena out. It was pretty cool to go out to Liberty Island and be in the statue. We walked up 275 steps so we could go out at the top of the pedestal. The steps almost killed me. The kids were troopers and ran off and left me! They are opening the crown back up on July 4, but they are only issuing 200 tickets a day. We left there and went to Ellis Island. It was really interesting. I can’t even imagine the feelings the immigrants had when arriving here.
When we finished that part of the day, it was 4:30. We started walking uptown. We went by the Trade Center site…it is very strange to see this huge empty space where there used to be two buildings that dominated the skyline. Keegan has been full of questions about terrorists and what happened, etc.. Just as I was fixing to make a deal on a “genuine” Coach purse, it started to rain and the little man had to cover up his merchandise! We ran in to St. Paul’s chapel to get out of the rain. This is the chapel that is closest to the Trade Center site, and George Washington worshiped there after he was sworn in as president. We finally found Chinatown, after a nice side trip through the center of government for the city. There are some beautiful buildings there. Chinatown smelled like China, and Serena walked down the street holding her nose. The real thing would probably send her over the edge. We were caught in a downpour before we could explore much further. We looked a bit like drowned tourists before we finally found the subway station. Who knew that the trains would be full at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night. We were cramming onto one train to Grand Central, and Keegan and Coley had already gotten on. I pushed Serena on and the door started to close on me. I think the lady behind me pushed me in. It was interesting! We grabbed very quick pizza at the station and got on the train to come home.