Hikers...sort of

We travel together because we love being together.  In general we love to do the same activities and are on the same page about most things. Except two.  I don't mean like someone likes kale and someone else likes pizza, I'm talking big ideas here.  Life altering ideas.

One of us likes to hold and study and become one with the map. One of us likes to push a button and go wherever Siri tells her to go.

But the other difference is huge. And it rears its ugly head every time we set foot in a National Park. Hiking. One of us loves to hike, and sings a little chipper song while she's doing it. The other person is me. Once I'm hiking, I'm eight years old, wondering if I might invent time travel right that second. Considering what might happen if I hurtled my body down the hill.  Begging the universe to try teleportation on me right that instant.  But...I love adventure, and I want to see it all. And so I hike.  I complain, but I hike.

And with that, our Crater Lake adventure begins.

We parked above Cleetwood Cove and hiked down to the water. That's not really a hike -- it's more of trying to keep yourself from running because it's so steep. From Cleetwood Cove we took a boat tour of the lake. This is a must. The views from the rim are stunning, but from within the crater they are...indescribable. The water is so blue, and looking at the crater walls from below is magnificent.

The boat drops you off at Wizard Island which is a cinder cone volcano that formed after Mount Mazama blew. I would imagine this is a geologist's dream. When you get off the boat, you are immediately scrambling over volcanic rock, and as you go up the trail, the rock changes dramatically with elevation.  We had lunch with some very aggressive chipmunks (don't feed the wildlife!) and then started the hike up to the summit.

I'm not usually prone to being wary of heights. Possibly small spaces, but not heights. This, however, freaked me out. The trail was so skinny, and so steep. It seemed so easy to just tumble down the side. The nice ranger person was pretty sure I wasn't going to slide down the hill, but he's not really familiar with me.  He'd probably say that people don't fall off bleachers or in kickball games. Little does he know...

The other thing weighing on my mind (other than tumbling to my death while hiking) was that we weren't going to make it.  You are given three hours to explore Wizard Island, and then you have to be back at the dock. As we started getting closer to the top, I was getting hysterical that we'd been climbing for so long and that we wouldn't even be able to see the top.  I think that hysteria gave me the energy for the final push up the summit.

It was...wow.  It was actually hard to really focus on the last 100 yards of the trail because it became just a breathless view. From the top you have an amazing 360 degree view of the lake. This is a must do. It's dirty and long and I hated every minute, but it was worth it.

The thing we love about National Parks is that they are wondrous. They contain parts of the natural world that you don't see in your everyday life. We love that they are protected, and that we live in a place where these places are held above as special.  We also are always staggered by history of those that have come before us in exploration and recreation, be it people we have known or revered in history.

And so we sit in our pajamas eating pizza in our hotel room, fully satisfied with our day. We are dirty, swollen, in dire need of ibuprofen, exhausted and pretty happy.  I don't know if I will be able to get out of bed tomorrow, but that is a problem for another day.

The Road to Crater

We took two days to get to Crater Lake -- you know how we like to stop and smell the roses. :) First we stopped in Portland to see an old friend. I mean old in both ways.  And she would laugh at that, so it's okay.  ;) My favorite quote of the day was, "Dorothea and Charles' granddaughter has a medicare card. I MUST be old."  It's always nice to visit with someone who knows where your story started.

From Portland we began the long and arduous journey down I-5.   We stopped off at the Woodburn Outlets because... Well, does one need a reason?  We went in every shoe store, but guess what? We bought bags!!  You know what else they had (um, pretty much all over Oregon)? Harry & David's!  Remember when they had that dessert store next to the downtown Bellevue QFC?  Love. And yum.  Well, they don't have baked pears at the outlet, but still... 

From there, onward to Eugene for the night. When you are new in a town, one way streets are really a bear.  And for two girls that went to small colleges, wow.  

In the morning after coffee and a funky college-town breakfast, we headed south again. On our way, we stopped at several covered bridges.

My favorite was the Office Bridge in...oh my, where were we? Maybe close to Oakridge? The bridge used to connect the office to the mill. And of course, because it was like 90 degrees and we are ever in search of history, we searched around looking for signs of the long-lost mill.  We found the concrete pad, but not much else. Sometimes, people do clean up their "messes".  

We arrived in Crater Lake in time to catch a glimpse. Oh my. Tomorrow is going to be amazing. 

 Goodnight, travelers!

The Zoo and Favorites!!!

There really was a last day! Life got a little harried with the flu on Sunday, so this is a little delayed... 

Our plane didn't leave until Saturday afternoon, so we took off for the National Zoo in the morning. I know there are museums we didn't see, but we were on information overload! There is so much to absorb in DC!

Despite our best efforts, we did in fact learn at the zoo. Sigh. Their conservation program is quite impressive, and of course, so are animals! 

After compiling our "favorites" list it appears that all we did was go to museums and eat. Hmm...I'm pretty sure that's right!!

Here are our favorites:

Favorite museum exhibit:

Ann: Star-Spangled Banner

Erica: Me too!! 

Favorite National Monument:

Ann: Lincoln. Despite the hoardes of middle schoolers, it was so moving. 

Erica: This one's tough. The WWII Monument was so beautiful with the wreaths and the state names--it really invited lingering. But Lincoln--his words engraved on either side of his huge form were so powerful. 

Favorite Appetizer:

Ann: I liked the various "chips" at Cubra Libre--taro and plantains. 

Erica: Those toasts with mango butter at Cuba Libre-yum. I think they were double buttered which is never bad. 

Favorite Entree:

Ann: I really loved the shrimp thing at MXDC. It was spicy spaghetti and unexpectedly delicious. 

Erica: I, unbelievably, liked the molasses pork belly risotto at Lincoln. So creamy and flavorful!!

Favorite Dessert:

Ann: Key lime pie at The Lighthouse on Solomons Island. 

Erica: That crust was so good--chewy and crunchy... I also liked the peanut butter thing at Lincoln, though it was extremely challenging to maneuver with a spoon. 

Favorite Beverage:

Ann: The Gettysburg Address at Lincoln. Oh, but...

Erica: Too late--that's mine!! The ginger pear juice at MXDC. Yummm. 

Favorite March Madness Game

Ann: Really?

Erica: I crack myself up. 

Favorite Historical Fact (yes, this is a teacher-esque question):

Ann: That the lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner reflect exactly what Francis Scott Key was seeing as he looked on to Baltimore during the War of 1812. 

Erica:  I loved learning Dolley Madison's story--her name just kept popping up! 

This was another amazing trip!!!

Thelma & Louise Visit The White House

You know how you get amped up for something and the actual experience falls flat? This was nothing like that. 

Somehow the inside of the White House was ornate and simple at the same time. I love the presidency as a general office and seeing where dinners and meetings and receptions have been held was amazing. Walking in the footsteps of these great men--shivers. 

Beyond the history, we loved the rich colors. They were bold without being  overwhelming. I wish we could've have taken pictures, but at the same time I'm grateful that we weren't allowed to; the memory is much more special than the pictures ever would have been. 

Really, that's the big event of the day! We spent the afternoon lolly-gagging around. Vacationing is exhausting! ;)

We did have an incredible meal at "Lincoln". It's a trendy place inspired by some of Abraham Lincoln's favorite foods. 

Tomorrow we head home, but not before hitting the zoo!

Arlington and a Lost Apostrophe

This morning we drove to Arlington National Cemetery. Yes--drove! More on that later. Arlington was everything you think--ominous, overwhelming...heavy.  

We went with the crowds to Kennedy's Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, and then on our own to section 35 to visit a friend. 

Dave was awarded the Purple Heart in Korea--he and AJ became part of our story when he and Dad shared a law office in the 80s. 

We were glad to visit Dave and can't wait to tell AJ. :)

Also? We were very very wet. 

That's not a weird Druid hood, or a plastic bag that Mom is wearing. In real (dry) life that is a cute shirt!

After Arlington we headed to Solomons Island. All day the lack of an apostrophe has really been getting us down. Well, it might be nagging one of us a little more than the other.  The island was named for Isaac Solomon... therefore isn't it his (possessive) island? I digress. 

It was amazing to get out of the city and see some water! We found a great restaurant looking out over Chesapeake Bay. 

We managed to drive back in to the city during rush hour!! Well one of us was driving and one of us was repeating everything Siri said. "I have one job to do...!"  Galaxy Quest anyone? While stressful (the ambulance, the tailgating, the shoulder driving on the freeway 😳), it was no big deal. This fearless traveler once drove us out of Rome!!

White House tomorrow!

Elevators & Drinking Fountains

I don't know of a public school teacher that would recommend drinking out of a drinking fountain, and yet, I have drunk out of several this week. I figure I caught all the germs on the first one, so what the heck? :) Drink-drank-drunk? I'm losing it!!!

Today we went back to the Museum of American History to do the 2nd floor. We had the stair/escalator/elevator think worked out this time!  It's a little convoluted in how you get around. Or it could be us. Yesterday we rode up and down in the elevator in the Madison Building and finally gave up and just got out. No tourists on that floor...we just flashed our LOC cards around and looked official. 

The American History Museum is in need of updating and remodeling, except for one part: Star-Spangled Banner. Ack--welling up just remembering the exhibit. This flag was raised at Baltimore's Fort McHenry to claim victory over the British. Francis Scott Key saw the "broad stripes and bright stars" in the "dawn's early light" and our National Anthem was born. We walked through that exhibit twice. 

And then we hit the gift shop where we bought...books. Very excited about all the purchases--sad that we bought them in the beginning of the day and hauled them around!

We spent the second part of the day at the Museum of Natural History. We spent a little too much time in front of the Coral Reef Aquarium--we do miss the ocean. ❤️

Other random details:

--You have between 12 and 80 seconds to cross the street depending on the intersection

--We've only been almost run over twice

--Our motorcade count is up to 4

--Ther are roughly 1 million middle schoolers loose in the city

Tomorrow we drive!! 

My Gecko Does Tricks (And Other Nail Colors)

Today we have been to a law library, attended the funerals of eight presidents and had our nails done -- big day. 

The day started, thankfully, at Starbucks. Our casual conversation was thwarted by the massive amount of passionate conversation going on around us. There may or may not have been a revolution brewing next to us. In Warrenton (our home Starbucks), you are likely to hear about the latest razor clam dig. Some of these people could benefit from beach life!

Our next stop was back at the Library of Congress in the Madison Building. This is not the tourist stop from across the street, and the guards very curiously asked if we were in the right place. What makes us look like we don't belong? Pink lip gloss, beachy jewelry, sparkly shoes? Ha! 

Our requested materials were right where they were promised to be. 

1986--2002.  :) What a gift to see it and touch it outside of our own offices. 

 It even has a LOC call number and binding. 

Is it wrong to take a selfie in the Law Library? 

We figure it's our history- why not?  :)

After pretending to finish up our legal research, we headed to the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. We didn't have time to see it all, but we did see American Presidency and the First Ladies' Dresses. The take away? Michelle Obama's inagauration dress is truly beautiful and Dolley Madison kicked butt. We also learned random presidential facts which I hope to regurgitate into random conversation later.  ;)

We got our nails done (gecko green for me), and I got  a much needed haircut (several inches!). Another great day. But then, isn't every day on Spring Break great? 

We Cannot Live Without Books

What else is more thrilling for a couple of literarians than a giant library?  The Library of Congress was so...epic.  The building itself is gorgeous. The colors and the details are truly amazing. You're already in awe before you even think about the fact that it is a library. 

Our favorite part was definitely Thomas Jefferson's library. 

Two thirds of what he donated was destroyed by fire and they have worked to replace those lost pieces so the original collection is in tact. That leads me to wonder if I should begin keeping a record of my library. You know, so years after my demise one of you can work to keep the collection in tact. Ha! 

 

One of my favorite features was the apparent whim in organization: "sometimes analytical, sometimes chronological, and sometimes a combination of both". What a relief! As many of you know, I am emphatic about the alphabetization of my books, but there are exceptions I can't quite explain. Me and Jefferson--great minds? 😉

After our tour, we went across the street to get our Library cards. Really-how cool!! I was unamused with the worker (she had a slight attitude), and am unfortunately displaying a teacher face. Yikes! 

To be fair, Mom's is the same, but I won't embarrass her with publishing it. 😊 And then, here's the coolest part of the day. We made our way to the Law Library Reading Room and used our freshly printed cards to request materials. It was late in the day, so we will go to do our "research" tomorrow.  What did we request?  Yes, it's what you're thinking. More on that tomorrow. 😉

We had dinner at Cuba Libre--so good. We ordered the tasting menu to try a little of everything. Probably won't order yellowfin tuna anytime soon, but it was good to try!  We've had such good food here. Starbucks every morning doesn't hurt--happy girls!!

Archives and Portraits

I'm sure that every day will be like this: today we felt immersed in history.  We started the day at the National Archives visiting the Charters of Freedom. Isn't that just cool to say?  Did I already say I'm a Revolutionary War nut? The whole idea and process of a new nation gives me shivers.   I loved seeing the Declaration. My favorite part is that it is "united States of America" with a lowercase "u". Ironic that as a proper noun "United" has lost some of its weight. I know, blah, blah -- we're not in 5th grade (and yes, this is what it's like in my class in the Spring!).   No pictures of the inside, for obvious reasons, but the outside is not too shabby!

Because we slept late, we literally were running to get to our allotted time (although apparently my fitbit wasn't impressed with that little jaunt).  After roaming the the rest of the Archives (go Suffragists), we were in need of a sit-down lunch. We both ordered "Eggs Benedict".  It's weird, right?

And then we went on to the Portrait Gallery. We didn't even come close to seeing everything, but we enjoyed the galleries of American Origins and Presidential Portraits.  Around president 26 (Teddy Roosevelt) we petered out.  Being a tourist is hard work! We were so happy to find the atrium for a little snack and a seat. Well, and a selfie (or two).  Can you tell we're a little rummy at this point? You know, without actual rum?  ;)

We finished up the day with a twilight tour of the Monuments (thanks Marisa for the rec!!).  Two ideas have settled firmly in our hearts. One -- wow.  What a great nation. How lucky are we that there were people who came before us who were idealists and visionaries that held fast to those beliefs.  Whew. The Monuments were so beautiful at night, and the weight of history was heavy -- in a good way.

The second idea that we agree upon whole heartedly is that middle school is too young for a DC tour.  OMG -- they're everywhere! I myself went on a DC tour in 8th grade. Please, please tell me I was less of a hooligan.  I didn't do anything embarrassing and teacher like, but it was oh so close. ;)

Tomorrow? Library of Congress! And...who knows what else!!  Good night!