Rise and shine in Durango, Colorado! We were up by 4:30 am on Saturday morning throwing the last of our belongings into our carry-on bags and kissing Clover goodbye. We hopped in our neighbor's car thirty minutes later (thanks Bill!), drove through our toilet paper start line that we always make for each other at the commencement of a trip (thanks Gretch!), and were on our way to the Durango airport! First stop as we head to Portugal: 48 fast and furious hours in Washington DC.

Straight to the Wharf!

We arrived at Reagan International by 4 pm and checked in to the Hyatt Place which was smack dab in-between the Wharf and National Mall. All within walking distance (or to our pleasant surprise, electric scooter/bike distance). We wasted no time, threw our luggage into our spacious hotel room, then headed straight to the Wharf for dinner, refreshments, and New Orleans style shave ice (not as thinly shaved as Hawaiian shave ice apparently) .

The National Mall at Sunset, and on Scooters? Yes, Please!

In our 48 hours in DC, we visited the Wharf three times because it’s welcoming, cute, and has a variety of restaurants plus tons of things to do. It’s right along the Potomac River where we watched a beautiful wedding (every guest donning white attire) take place, and boats and jets skis came and went as the sun dipped below the DC skyline.

Near the end of the first night we thought it a great idea to head to the Lincoln Memorial, but stumbled upon a slew of Uber and Veo electric bikes/scooters. When in Rome, we said! We downloaded the needed apps and hopped on two to a bike. What a bike friendly city it was. We felt so safe zooming along the city streets in the ginormous bike lanes. The boys were like kids in a candy shop. Once we arrived at the National Mall (just after a colorful sunset, by the way) we looked in awe at the spectacle on either side of us. The Capitol to the right and the Lincoln Memorial to our left. Wow! It was breathtakingly beautiful and also a lot taller than I expected. The boys continued to blaze around us on their bikes, weaving this way and that, while Chip and I took in the sights seated on the plush green grass of the national mall. A night I won’t forget. Everyone on a high. Doing new, fun, exciting things together and in a city that runs so deep with history. We were happy.

Museums, Museums, and MORE museums!

The rest of our time was dedicated to ALL the museums. There is no shortage of incredible, informative, and well put together museums in DC. We started off our second day with the Air and Space Museum (free!) and way cooler than I thought it would be. Cooler, as in neat but also cooler as in ‘damn, the A/C felt good.’ This is definitely a museum for boys of all ages. But bonus, I loved it too! To get your advanced free tickets here, just pick your day and entry time (we chose the earliest), and voila! You are all set. Then just show up at designated time. We walked straight in!

After exiting Air and Space, we were greeted by a colorful row of food trucks. With growling stomachs, we lined up at the one that looked the best and grabbed an Indian dish to share. Reid also found a panda hat where when you squeeze its paws, the ears pop up. He insisted Bennett needed it and even offered to pay. Chip and I cringed because we hate that kitschy crap but Reid was so adamant (and gasp!, it was something he wanted for someone else and not himself) so we bought it. See hat below, the boys in the gem and mineral room at our second museum of the day, Museum of Natural History, which by the way was also free and no need for advance tickets here. Just show up when you want to visit!

US Capitol Tour

Day three was another good one. We fueled with our free Hyatt breakfast, then walked to the Capitol for a tour. It wasn’t a very long tour (a short movie and a few main rooms lasting a total of an hour) but we were honored to be standing in a building steeped in rich American history. The National Statuary Hall was our favorite room where a collection of statues sit. We learned each state can donate two statues to honor persons notable in their state's history. Favorites for us included Thomas Edison (Ohio), Chief Standing Bear (Nebraska), and Rosa Parks (not representing a specific state because, well, it’s Rosa Parks after all). Statues can come and go as new ones are added too. Here’s a full list if youre curious about your state: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/statuary-hall-collection-by-location

Capitol Tour information: The Capitol Visitor Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tours begin every 10 minutes until 3:20 p.m. All tours are led by professional tour guides and visit the Crypt, the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall. The tour does not include the Senate and House Galleries.

Reservations are recommended, but not required. Visit the schedule a tour page to select a day/time for a reservation. Same day passes may be available. And yet again, all tours, programs and activities are free of charge.

International Spy Museum!

We had five hours left until our red eye to Lisbon, Portugal so we dropped in one last museum, and it ended up being a true highlight: The International Spy Museum. Holy smokes, spies have demanding, life-threatening, and exhilarating jobs! We were each given our very own secret spy name and mission when we entered which we got to use throughout the museum. We learned about real life people, operations, and tools of spyhood. We tested our spy senses and “hung from buildings” like James Bond, as well as snuck through wall ducts. The whole museum was interactive and informative, we were blown away (and ended up spending over three hours there! A record for us in a museum). Definitely go if you’re in DC! All ages and genders and ethnicities and….will love it!! While this museum isn’t free, it’s definitely worth the price of admission.

Like last year in NYC, Washington DC was the absolute perfect kick off to our summer trip. The story continues as we hop over the Atlantic on our seven hour flight to Portugal where we are so grateful to spend a month touring the colorful countryside and beachside communities. We have Palace tours lined up, surfing in a world surf reserve, grandparent visits, Porto tasting in Porto, and a special flight to a stunning, mountainous island. Plus all the spontaneous goodness in between that fulfills my traveling soul. Stay tuned for more!

-Lindsay, Chip, Reid, Bennett

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