On to DC

After we left Beckley, WV we headed into DC to National Harbor.  We stayed at the Wyndham and it was gorgeous!  We found a really good deal on Ebay 3 weeks before we left for a 3 bedroom 2 bath condo for a really really good price.  All thanks to a new friend "Sue" in Tennessee!  We really didn't need that much room but wasn't going to turn such a great deal down.  Not to mention that the kids thought it was just great to have their own rooms for the week.  National Harbor is a new little area about 10 miles south of DC and located across the harbor from Alexandria.  We absolutely loved it here.  The waterfront was beautiful, the restaurants were delicious, and all the lil specialty shops were super cute!  So in the evenings we would just walk down to wherever we landed, eat supper, and head back to the condo.

Our first night into town we ate at Ketchup.  I was a little under the weather and didn't get to eat but it all really looked good.  If I had felt better I would of had ordered the french fries with 6 different flavors of ketchup!

Our home for the week!

So it was a crazy busy week in Washington.  Spring Break, Cherry Blossom Festival, and the government was on the verge of shutting down.  But it was so worth the hustle and bustle to see the blooms on all the trees.

The next morning (Sunday) after arriving in DC the night before we headed out to the National Zoo and to get groceries for the week.

And what would a trip to the zoo be without little brother buying a Panda Bear hat just to embarrass the big brother.

My favorite at the Zoo, Giant Panda Bears!!!!!

After the zoo we headed to the grocery store and ate out at T.G.I.Fridays.

Monday morning we went to Mount Vernon, one of my favorites on this trip.  This was George & Martha Washington's home for over 40 years.  It was purchased from the decedents of The Washington's about 150 years ago by one of the Mount Vernon Ladies clubs.  Today it is has been restored and is still a working farm.

The home was absolutely beautiful!

Wouldn't you just love to sit on the porch all day long????

Especially with this view!  It was so grand!!!

The first tomb.

2nd Tomb.

Whiskey Distillery

We loved our day at Mount Vernon, so relaxed and a great start to our vacation.  We (myself included) learned so much about The Washington's that was unaware of.  It'll will be on my list to visit again whenever we come back to Washington.  I highly recommend making dedicating a whole day or at least 6 hours to really enjoy the property.

Tuesday morning we slept in late, got up at lunch and headed out to one of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum.  It was about 25 miles out located by the Washington Dulles Airport.  So worth the drive!
The boys really enjoy their day here.

Some kinda of really fast jet.  I don't really know but my boys did.

Lane's favorite - Guns!

Notice NASA below making repairs.

 The Observation Tower

After we left the museum we headed back to National Harbor and ate at Grace's Mandarin.  It was Delicious!

Also home of the largest Buddha I've ever seen.  33' tall to be exact!

After Dinner we settled down for a few hours to relax and watch tv before bed.   The busy days are coming up, Capital & Monument picts in next post!

April Social

Yesterday was The Real House Wives of the Underground April Social.  We were a lil short in numbers  but still had a great time.  There were 8 of us today and enough food to feed 25.  The food is always good & conversation is always great!  I just love these girls!  There's so many of us who are so different but are brought together by a special bond.  Feel as if I've know them forever.

 Thank You Beth for hosting and having us in your home.  And tell Brian Thanks for letting us invade on his territory.  We missed all of you couldn't make it yesterday.  Now who's ready for the May's meet on the river?  ME!!!!



Roadtrip! to D.C.

Yeeeeee-Hawwwwww!  Last week was Spring Break for us Hillbillies so we loaded up the car and headed to Washington DC!  A 9 day/8 night road trip started last Friday evening.  After about 4 hours of travel, we stayed somewhere around the KY/ WV state line, got up Saturday morning and headed into WV Coal Country, Rayleigh County - a lil town called Beckley WV. 

There we stopped at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.  Over 200 years old, this coal mine is the largest and most popular coal heritage destination in the region.  It includes a company store, visitor center, coal museum, fudgery and gift shop.   The main attraction is a tour that takes visitors below ground.  Carried along track, riding authentic man cars, you travel to old working areas of the coal mine.  Also visitors can explore the historical coal camp situated through the grounds.

Headed underground with our guide (40 yr coal mine veteran) Sonny!

200 years ago two brothers mined this hole.  They would use a pick ax and shovel to remove 4 ton of coal a day.  That would be 4 of these carts.

The old Canary cage.  Miners used Canaries to signal the presence of hazard gases before more precise measuring instruments were developed.

 
Riding the old carts through the old mine.

 Setting pins for roof support.

 The old coal camp was really interesting.  The City of Beckley moved these old coal camp structures to the museum and mine grounds.  Had them restored and decorated in original furniture and accessories from the late 1800's and early 1900's.

A Bachelor's Shanty was a one room shack for the bachelor man or any man working out of town away form his family.  Had all the basics!

The Miner's House was a 3 room house.

 The Superintendent's House consisted of about 10 plus rooms.  Along with his free rent he would also receive free coal to warm the house.

Old Post Office

The gentleman in the photo's below is a 95 year old retired school teacher who taught in a very similar school.  At 95, he still comes to the old school house for daily tours and still has his original paddle from his teaching days.

A lot of old photos and really cool "old"stuff.

 After we left Beckley, we stopped at Grandview Mountain Lookout.  It was an amazing view!  Just wish we had better weather.

Now off toWashington DC!

Ok, enough pictures for one post, I'll be posting picts of our DC trip soon!