Washington, D.C. {2024} - Day 1

With what had become a family tradition, but had gotten interrupted for a few years due to several factors, we began our journey to Hubby's (and NOW the girls', too) run in the Army Ten-Miler on Sunday with a trip up to D.C. for the long weekend, much like years prior - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019...

After a FIVE-YEAR hiatus, oh, how GREAT it is to be BACK this year for the 40th Anniversary!

Finally, the weekend matched up with the girls' fall break, so we were excited to make a long weekend of it. Unfortunately, we are down one family member with B in his first year of college...

Reflecting on all of our previous trips, I really can't believe I'm writing that... It is bittersweet for sure, but I digress...

The girls attended a full day of school, and Hubby worked close to a full day yesterday, but we got a little behind with an inspector at our house, leaving early evening. We grabbed a super quick dinner along the way and made it to the hotel late last night (actually early this morning) around 2:30am!

Needless to say, we slept in before heading out to lunch at Oyamel...

It was so yummy!

From lunch, we headed over to the D.C. Armory...

to pick up the race packets for our runners!

We got to check out an old chinook on the grounds, as well!

At this time, it was about half time in the Clemson game, so we made our way over to one of the football watch parties for the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Clemson Club. It was being held at local a sports bar, Dudley's...

and we were thrilled to find our people in orange, and another Clemson WIN!

After the game, we headed back to the hotel to rest up before dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill...

where the runners all ate pasta, and I had a delicious soup and salad!

The girls discussing the menu in 2016...

and laughing at photos in 2024...

It was another lovely dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill!

From there, we made one last stop at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial...

Last time the girls were there (aside from M's Beta Club trip this past spring), they slept right through it!

{D.C. Trip 2012}

{D.C. Trip 2024}

Good night, Capital City...

Race Day is tomorrow!

{Road Trip} Day Twelve - Going Nutty and Covering A Lot of Ground

We woke up this morning in New Mexico, and decided to make a stop at local Alomogordo pistachio farm, PistachioLand. Long story, but Hubby visited here years and years ago when he was in town with the army and really wanted to back!

I felt a little bit like we were living in the National Lampoon's Vacation movie when I asked the kids to pose for a picture with the gigantic pistachio...

but really, who am I kidding? Our whole trip is like a National Lampoon's Vacation movie...

Hubby spent enough money buying pistachios that they gave him a free totebag and a free coffee mug, and we all enjoyed some (not free) ice cream!

From there, we continued east and finally hit Texas where we made a stop in Midland to check out a few of President George H.W. Bush's and President George W. Bush's homes...

{405 East Maple Avenue, Midland, TX}

{2703 Sentinel Drive, Midland, TX}

{1405 West Golf Course Road, Midland, TX}

but only this one is a museum...

{1412 West Ohio Avenue, Midland, TX}

At least I didn't make B jump out and take pictures with all the houses above...

We made a stop in Fort Worth for dinner at Velvet Taco...

and, it was yummy!

Driving through the night to one last stop tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!

More {Road Trip} 2024 Fun

Day One - Meet Me in St. Louis, Later on Tonight?

Day Two - CITY Fun in St. Louis!

Day Three - A Prime Time in Kansas City

Day Four - Denver to Salt Lake City, and Beyond

Day Five - Operation #CapitolStepsChallenge Completion

Day Six - San Francisco, What a Treat!

Day Seven - A Beautiful Drive

Day Eight - A Univerally Good Time

Day Nine - Heading South and Then East

Day Ten - A Day at the Burning Bush...Errr, I Mean the Joshua Tree(s)

Day Eleven - Four Corners, Four States, and a Four Gazillion Hour Drive

Day Thirteen - A Little Bit of Elvis and HOME!

{Road Trip} Day Six - San Francisco, What a Treat!

This morning, we took the Bay Bridge and headed in to San Francisco... 

I was immediately reminded of my first time in the city. I went with a couple of friends, and we stayed aross the bay in Alameda, at a Bed and Breakfast owned by friends of my parents. Only one of us was 25 (and able to rent a car), and I was so glad it wasn't me! My friend, B, had to drive us in and out over the Bay Bridge each day! Fast forward to today, and I did it for the first time at 49! You better believe I had Hubby videoing it to send to my friend, B!

While I have visted the city a couple of times before, most recently for a conference back in 2012, I was excited to get to show just a bit of the city to Hubby and the kids. We started off with a couple of things the kids wanted to do (and that I had never done before). We made our first stop at Alamo Square Park...

to see the famous view of the city's Painted Ladies...

This view has been used in various media, but is most recognizable to my children and me from the opening credits of both Full House and Fuller House...

We quickly realized that we couldn't see the actual Full House house from there, so we made our way over to it...

as well as the house from the movie, Mrs. Doubtfire...

From there, we headed over toward the famous Golden Gate Bridge...

and crossed it...

where we continued over to a beautiful overlook...

that got more and more beautiful the further we drove on it!

After crossing back over...

{...and, how about this google map of the bridge???}

we enjoyed lunch at Sears Fine Food...

got to see a cable car pass by...

and enjoyed walking through part of Chinatown...

on the way back to our car...

We drove down the famous Lombard Street...

also one of the most beautiful, in my opinion...

and drove by the Plaza Hotel where Preisdent Warren G. Harding passed away...

before heading into the Silicon Valley...

{again, the google maps were quite stellar here, understandably}

and swung by the home of the San Francisco 49ers...

before continuing south to Carmel-by-the-Sea for a delicious dinner at Cultura...

The churros game was STRONG!

More California tomorrow...

More {Road Trip} 2024 Fun

Day One - Meet Me in St. Louis, Later on Tonight?

Day Two - CITY Fun in St. Louis!

Day Three - A Prime Time in Kansas City

Day Four - Denver to Salt Lake City, and Beyond

Day Five - Operation #CapitolStepsChallenge Completion

Day Seven - A Beautiful Drive

Day Eight - A Univerally Good Time

Day Nine - Heading South and Then East

Day Ten - A Day at the Burning Bush...Errr, I Mean the Joshua Tree(s)

Day Eleven - Four Corners, Four States, and a Four Gazillion Hour Drive

Day Twelve - Going Nutty and Covering a Lot of Ground

Day Thirteen - A Little Bit of Elvis and HOME!