It has become a kind of tradition to visit Jennifer’s aunt and uncle in Davidson, NC to celebrate the new year. I’ve lost count of how many times we have spent it together. Davidson is a beautiful place and the Peterson’s hold a special place in our hearts.

I am not a good “relaxer”. I almost need to take 2 weeks off before I can really unwind – the first week to decompress, the second week to begin having fun. But, this trip usually expedites that process.

This year we wanted to do something a little different. Jennifer worked a rigorous retail schedule during the Holiday season. The hours were long, but she was handsomely rewarded for it. So, to celebrate we decided to extend our trip a few extra days.

At first, the plan was to go to Asheville, NC. We could tour the Biltmore, go snow tubing and do a little shopping. But after looking at ticket prices (and considering what the Biltmore tour with Max would be like) we decided to change directions.

For several years now, we have planned a trip to Washington DC. We have always been scared off by the fact we had young kids who either couldn’t walk or wouldn’t appreciate it. With Anna at 13 and Max at 6, we thought now might be the time.

As the pictures below show, we had a wonderful trip. Like much of the East Coast, DC was hit with record low temperatures but the kids were troopers. We even took Scout who behaved wonderfully.

A few highlights

For me, there was nothing better than seeing the monuments. I am a big fan of presidential history so I was in my happy place.

I also called Rep. Tom Rooney’s office who got us passes in to see the House and Senate chambers. His staff even walked us through the tunnels underneath the city that connect congressional offices to the Capital building. That was super cool. The Senate was actually in session so we got to hear a couple senators speak from the floor. No cameras are allowed in there so we have no pictures of that part. But, we did get to tour the other parts of the Capital.

We made it through 3 of the Smithsonian museums – Natural History, American History, and Air and Space. There were many more, we just ran out of time.

It was such a great trip. The kids got along for the most part. Seven days is a lot of family togetherness. I am so glad they got to experience Washington. We will definitely go back one day.

See below for a slideshow with lots of photos.