DC Days 2 and 3 - Roosevelt Island, the Zoo, and the International Spy Museum

Monday morning we went to Roosevelt Island.  The leaves were a little past their prime, but it was lovely.  We followed the Rob and Annas there.  Mamo and Papo joined us later. 

 

 

Ever was overdue for a shenaniquin shot:

 

She refused to keep up and has no fear of being left behind (you have to blow up this picture to see that she's the tiny black dot):

 

 

In the center of the island are giant stone monuments with quotes by Teddy Roosevelt on manhood, nature, youth, and the state:

 

 

 

 

I liked the one on nature - "There is delight in the hardy life of the open . . ."

Clarice is in a studious phase.  She carried around a notebook and pencil everywhere and took notes on her observations:

There's also a bronze statute of Roosevelt:

 

The kids enjoyed the leaves:

 

 

Dolly and I on the bridge:

We hooked up with Mamo and Papo and took a shortcut back to the center of the island so they could see the statue and monuments.  Dolly took Jim on a stroll around a little rock wall:

They're in this picture; they're just little because they're very far away:

After Roosevelt Island, we followed Rob all over Georgetown trying to find the National Zoo.  (Sometimes a GPS isn't all it's cracked up to be.)  We made it eventually.  The Rob and Annas met up with Anna's friend, Jeannette Fennimore, and her family and did the zoo with them.  We wandered with Mamo and Papo at a leisurely pace to accommodate little Chava.  First up was the merry-go-round, which kind of scared her:

(Love the tree in the background.)

The only other picture I took was of this lion with amazing two-tone locks:

After the zoo, we went back to Ray's to the Third for burgers and shakes with the Ann Maries and the Fennimores.  The toffee explosion shake did not disappoint. 

 

Tuesday we didn't get the earliest start.  We rode the metro to the International Spy Museum, where we had an hour and a half or two before we had to head back to the hotel and on to the airport. 

 

On the metro:

 

 

I thought the International Spy Museum was really fun.  I was a bit distracted trying to keep Dolly out of trouble, and I'm just way too slow in museums because I want to read everything and am the slowest reader on Earth.  So I felt as if I really only saw a fraction of the museum, and I wouldn't mind going back one day.  We had to say our goodbyes to the family there and head out early. 

Dolly fell asleep sitting at my feet on the metro.  It was crazy.  I can't imagine how tired she must have been to be able to sleep like that.

 

We made it to the airport in perfect time.  The flight back was so much better than the flight there.  Dolly started off hyper, and I wondered how we'd survive.  But I kind of rocked her and sang to her like I did when she was a little baby, and I managed to get her to sleep.  She was out for about an hour, and that little nap made all the difference.  She woke up calm and good.