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We had exactly one goal today--to see the Arlington National Cemetery. Since this is a bit far to walk (even though it is shorter than the 8 miles we walked yesterday), we bought a day pass for the Metro and took the subway, which was a very relaxing ride. The Metro was very quiet today, being a Saturday, but we still felt very safe. This is in contrast with the New York subway which can get a little concerning when ridership is low.
The walk around the cemetery was very serene and solumn with lots of questions from the kids about names and who these people are. We toured the key sites and found ourselves finished just before lunch.
Since this was our last 'have to see' spot, we were free to explore without direction for the rest of the day, which ended up being a very relaxing afternoon walking down King St. in Old Town Alexandria, VA. The town is very quaint and less touristy than Annapolis. We found a little sandwich shop to eat lunch ($5 for a grilled cheese sandwich for the kids, but really good crab bisque) and found a station in a toy store
for the kids to play for a while.
The people watching was really good, but we soon looked up and saw the dark storm clouds and felt the cool wind, so we decided to catch the free trolley back to the Metro station. The storm amounted to nothing in precipitation, but it was a good break point for us to head back to the Mall.
For the rest of the afternoon, we picked up a snack at 4-bucks and then browsed a few exhibits at the National Museum of Natural History that were missed the first day before heading back to the hotel.
A few tips that we have picked up so far for the interested long-term vacationers:
• Washed clothes do not dry very well on those built-in dry lines in hotel bathrooms. Hanging on the luggage stand in the main room works much better since the A/C circulates air.
• Save plastic utensils from restaurants--they come in handy if you buy microwaveable meals. If you are in need at the last minute, buy a $1 side salad at McDonald's. These come with a utensil packet and the salad is usually a healthy addition to the
generally measly microwaveable meal.
• Bring a durable sippy cup for every kid, and refill with water at every opportunity. This has saved us from meltdowns too many times to count, and it saves in meals costs because we don't have to order drinks.
• Pick up a few extra instant oatmeal packets at hotels with continental breakfasts. These are useful at other times and locations. Use the hotel provided coffee cup as a bowl if needed.
• Need hot water and no microwave? Use the coffee maker without a filter.
• Hulu, iTunes, and Amazon.com video rentals are a great way to wind down in the evening (even for parents if you are stuck in a dark room with sleeping kids) or pass the time in other occasions.
• The Google Places App.
• Always pick up a local rail/subway map if available, and use Google Maps transit directions if supported where you are.
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