"I just want to see the White House"

That's what I've been saying for the last month as Andrew and I have been planning our trip to Washington, DC. I've never been, so I've been anxiously looking forward to it. And every time Andrew asked me what I wanted to do while we were there, I said that as long as I saw the White House, everything else would be gravy.

Mission Accomplished

We drove up for the weekend, so it was a short trip, but well worth it. Andrew's Aunt Anne was kind enough to host us and be our personal chauffeur, tour guide, chef, etc. I'm certain that the trip wouldn't have been nearly as fun without her! She's lived in DC for decades, so it was interesting to hear her take on history as she's watched it unfold over the years. To be honest, I'm completely fascinated by her and could listen to her stories for hours!

Saturday was spent touring the city. It was HOT, but the shade offered some relief and we were able to seek refuge in the National Gallery later in the afternoon. We had dinner with Aunt Anne at a great Italian restaurant and by that point, it had cooled off enough to eat outside. I wish I thought to take more pictures at dinner because we had a great time! And our lemon sorbet was served IN a lemon, that was frozen with the sorbet inside. That was definitely picture-worthy. I also really like how there's a view of something, no matter where you are in the city.

See the Capitol in the distance?

The Capitol Building

Korean War Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

The Thinker

This sculpture of a mother and child is called "Premiere Impression d'Amour" (The First Impression of Love). Isn't that beautiful?

On Sunday, we walked around town for a little while and then Aunt Anne took us to the Smithsonian American History museum where she worked for over 30 years. It was so fun to have an insider's tour! She took us through the highlights since we didn't have a ton of time and I hope to visit there with her again.

This was my first trip to DC and it was the perfect introduction. We had the best time and I absolutely can't wait to get back. Thanks, Aunt Anne, for being such a lovely host!

And yes, we went to the White House twice.