Day One: Alexandria
We snagged a fabulous hotel located within walking distance of the Metro and old town. That afternoon, we loaded up Elizabeth in the stroller, and enjoyed walking up and down the old section, along King Street, and all the way to the water front.
It was warm, but very windy and overcast, but fortunately no rain. It was fun to soak up the sites and sounds and smells of a bustling little-big city! And although totally different, something about walking among the busy traffic and crowds of people made me totally nostalgic for our days in San Francisco! 
As you can see from the two pics above Elizabeth spent most of her sightseeing in our new umbrella stroller. Busy streets + lots of traffic + one fast toddler + one slow, pregnant mama = lots of stroller time! Elizabeth was none too thrilled with this formula!
Of course, Elizabeth was allowed to get out some. In this little square (pictured above) she got out to chase the ducks and check out the fountain! It was a really pretty part of the city!
Once we made it to the water front, Elizabeth was free to run around some more. She chased these two pigeons around for nearly an hour... giggling all the while, and entertaining all the people on the dock in the process! It was really cute! 
Above is daddy and Elizabeth enjoying the water front, but as you can tell it was really windy! As a result, it was time to find a place to have dinner...
And here we are enjoying the tastes of Alexandria!!! Naz Drave!!! Chin-Chin!!! On to day two...Day Two: Family Time
The main reason we picked the DC area for our little trip was so we could also get the chance to visit with family. On Saturday we met up my family for some fun time on the Mall. We had hoped to catch a glimpse of the Cherry Blossom Parade and Japanese Street festival... but the second we got off the Metro we realized that might not be possible... the winds were Biblical! So we quickly decided to head over to the Museum of Natural History, and enjoyed a nice time together indoors!
Here's Elizabeth with Lucia and Cecilia. Lucia was a big help with the stroller, and Cecilia (who just turned two) was an absolute doll! Constantine was quite the character, letting me know about all about Buzz Light year AND (in the same breath) about the new baby in his mom's tummy (due in October)! Elizabeth also enjoyed meeting her uncle Guy and aunt Rachel (especially Rachel... who provided her with her first taste of "gummies," which she's still asking for--lol!)
We were happy that Aunt Molly and cousins Zach and Addie were all able to come along, too! Despite hectic high school/college schedules (Addie stars in all sorts of plays and is studying to be a drama/theatre teacher; Zach is a freshman in college, but already halfway finished with a double major in Physics and something equally impressive, but which has escaped me at the moment)! Above is a picture of aunt Molly explaining to Elizabeth how a giraffe has to bend his legs to eat food on the ground! Below, a fuzzy picture of the group. We were so happy to see everyone and to catch up! A fun afternoon!
For part two of our family time, we traveled to Gaithersburg to see Vassil's family. Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed her time with Baba and Dedo (Grandma and Grandpa) and followed them around saying things like, "Read to me, Baba!" or "Where did Dedo go?" She also took to Louie (the chiuaua), chasing him under tables and sofas, even asking, "Louie, what doing under there? Get out!" 
But best of all was getting to see the new addition to our motley crew... Liana Scarlet. And what a little "cherry blossom" she is!!! So far, the general consensus is she looks like Joe, Kalina's fiance. However, I see Kalina... especially in those dark, piercing eyes. I suppose time will tell. 
If you remember from my post back for Thanksgiving, Kalina "had" been expecting a boy, who they'd planned on naming Dominick. Well, in typical dramatic form (surprise!) a girl it was! 
Anyway, as you can see, Elizabeth even got a chance to hold her sweet little cousin for a bit! I was very proud of how careful she was... what a great big sister she will be!Day Three: Cherry Blossoms
On Sunday the weather was just spectacular and the three of us thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the Cherry blossoms and walking around more of Washington.
Not only were we blessed with beautiful weather, but we happened to visit on the "peak" day for blossoms, which should be evident from the pics! 
It was beautiful walking in the area around the Jefferson Memorial. The entire path around the water basin was lined with Cherry Blossoms--a spectacular canopy of pink! And best of all was when the wind would pick up a bit, it felt like it was snowing cherry blossoms! So beautiful! 
If there hadn't been about five thousand tourists (3K of which looked to be Japanese-lol!) then I would have stopped to write a haiku.
Here's our little Cherry Blossom! She had so much fun that day... especially when we let her get out of her stroller to hang out in the cherry trees a bit. 
In the two pics above you'll see our whole family under the soft pink canopy of a cherry tree! And the second is a picture of me looking nearly as big as the Washington monument--lol! 
In the two pics above you'll see the Jefferson Memorial (no, the paddle-boaters are not us--but how pretty, eh?), and then a pic of Elizabeth inspecting a cherry blossom up close!
Washington is really an amazing place... we've been exploring in the Mall area maybe 3x now, and each time I learn so much and see so many different things. I thought this little monument (above) was awfully pretty!
Here's Elizabeth and Daddy checking out the ducks... daddy had to run and stop her several times from chasing a duck straight into the reflection pool (which actually looked quite deep). I even heard one passerby say, "She's goin' in!" Well, fortunately, she didn't... but she sure did come close! 
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed some pool time! I just HAD to put Elizabeth in her patriotic swimsuit... after all, "When in Washington..." 
The pool was great, but Elizabeth (having not been swimming in quite some time) wasn't a huge fan of the water! But DID enjoy frolicking on our bed (which is where she decided to sleep during our trip)! Note to self: next vacation--book room with two king-sized beds (guess who ended up on the pull out couch one night?) Day Four: Colonial Williamsburg
We headed down to Williamsburg the next day. That morning there were thunderstorms, but by noon it was "only" spotty downpours... so we headed out!
When it would pour, we'd huddle under our umbrellas and press onward. When it would stop, we'd let Elizabeth walk on her own (suffice it to say that this girl could have definitely benefitted by some galloshas! She LOVED running strait for and (if we weren't careful) right through each puddle!). 
Above is a pic of the old church... we even got to sit in the pews where Washington and Jefferson sat. Pretty cool.
It was so neat to experience colonial life... to walk into an old general store or an old church or an old farm house, and see what life was like then, complete with people dressed in costume and all! Kinda reminded me of Cow Town in Wichita--lol... except way bigger, way nicer, and way more important (historically speaking). I wish it hadn't been pouring rain, as I think we'd have done (and learned) more! I guess that means we'll be back!
Elizabeth was not a huge fan of the horses. We tried to get her to pet them to no avail. Lately, my fearless girl has been developing some fears. I guess horses are one of them.
Not much to say about this photo... except, how stinkin' cute is our little colonial babe?!
At any rate, after a morning of ducking in and out of structures to avoid the spurts of pouring rain, by afternoon the rain had completely cleared and the sun came out... just in time for a cranky toddler to be ready to head back to our hotel (go figure!) 
Part II of our day in Williamsburg was spent back at the hotel (pic above). Our hotel was another highlight of our trip. Here's a pic of the club house and villas.
We scored a room at this resort for $75 per night... and along with a nice, albeit small room (we stayed in the "commons" which is not pictured here--lol) were 3 outdoor pools, 1 indoor pool/jacuzzi, tennis/basketball courts, a huge golf course, a movie theatre with free family movies each night, a game/aracade room, several playgrounds (indoor and out), free wine/cheese served nightly, lots of scheduled activities for the kiddos, and a spa with reasonable rates! Needless to say, if I can ever get a room that cheap again, we we will DEFINITELY be back! After all, I think we've paid a lot more to stay at the Super 8--lol!
Elizabeth enjoying the gardens at the hotel! She fits right in with the tulips, dontcha think?
A few gazeboos at the hotel... 
We enjoyed a bit of chess... on this Elizabeth-sized board!
And we took lots of walks around the golf course/trail area. Here is Elizabeth (perhaps my favorite picture), which seems to embody her toddler-independence right now... as you can see, she MUST walk just to the side of the path--has to do everything "her" way!Day Five: Busch Gardens
Okay, so when I was a teenager I had visions of traveling the world... visions of seeing new and wonderful things! Not much has changed! When I heard that Vassil's brother and family will be taking a trip to Europe this summer... I couldn't help but dream of a trip as well. Of course, then I was slapped back into reality. With a mortgage, a difficult toddler, and another one on the way... traveling to Europe and beyond just isn't feasible right now. What a predicament!!!
So, what does the typical American family DO when they can't manage a trip to Europe? Why, like any good American, we did the next best thing of course... Busch Gardens Europe! BTW, you have NO IDEA how funny and ironic that is to me! I'm talkin, NO idea!
We began our "European" vacation, with a stop in London. Here's Elizabeth and daddy posing (above) at a red booth and a fountain near "Big Ben" - lol! 
Above: Can't forget about Ireland! 
Above: We also saw a bit of France!
Above: A carosel ride and an arial view were lots of fun!
Above: Elizabeth fell asleep in Italy!
Above: Here we are in Germany! We took in a good show and enjoyed Oktoberfest!
Above: How true these days! I know Europeans don't understand why something like 85% of Americans don't have a passport... they think that's proof of how uncultured we are--how dismissive we are to the rest of the world. But SERIOUSLY, I think Busch Gardens is the only way to go (with Las Vegas as a close second)! You get to see the world, minus the transatlantic flight, the expense, the time, the frustration... you can do it all in one day without the fuss! Plus, it is WAY cleaner than any place I've ever been in Europe-lol!
Part II of our Busch Gardens trip included time at Sesame Street Forest of Fun! It is a small section of the park with rides for kiddos her age... along with a show every hour with the main characters. When the show began, Elizabeth's face lit up in one big smile! That smile was SO worth every penny of the ticket price! 
Here we are posing for a picture after the show. Elizabeth gave each character a high five... and didn't want to leave! I was a tad surprised since I'd heard most kiddos this age are terrified of these life-size characters.
Daddy surprised us by getting us dinner-theatre tickets to "Dine with Elmo." It included an all you can eat buffet (Vassil's main motivation for the gesture, I'm sure-lol) a stage performance with the characters... and then afterward, they walked around greeting everyone as they ate their meal.
Elizabeth was in hog heaven. She literally hugged (I'm talking grabed hold of and wouldn't let go) of several characters... but mainly Elmo! And when the music was playing, you should have seen her rocking out in her highchair!!!
Above: Elizabeth hugging Elmo... and refusing to let go! 
Above: One of Elizabeth's favorite characters, Bert! 
Above: Elizabeth and (as Elizabeth puts it) "Cookie [pause] Monster" Will you check out that smile?!?!The saddest part was when the dinner-theater was over and the characters were saying goodbye... Elizabeth hugged Elmo, refused to let go, and we practically had to pry her off of him! They waved goodbye, got up on the stage to leave... Elizabeth pouted her lip and started crying "Bye-Bye Elmo, Bye-Bye Bert, Bye-Bye Ernie... etc." in the saddest little voice! Too precious! She really and truly loves those Sesame Street characters!
After the day was over and we were heading back for home... even Vassil said that the best part of the entire trip was the dinner-theater with Sesame Street... worth every penny to see that look on her face!!! And I have to admit, I totally agree! What fun! This is definitely a trip we will remember for a long while to come!!! Good food, good family, good fun, good times, great memories! I can only imagine what our next vacation will be like with two little ones through which we get to see the world again! Here's to the next trip!
