Road Trip!!

When we hired a summer nanny, we knew she was going to need the second week of June off for a family vacation.  Since we didn't get much time off last summer, I started hatching a road trip plan for the kids and me (Jeff claimed to not be able to get off work).  We left on a Saturday, drove to Washington, PA - random location but with a hotel/pool - and then completed the drive on Sunday to Rockville, MD to stay with Uncle John & Aunt Vi.  Sunday was spent at their club pool and cooking out.  Monday we took the train into DC for a day chock full of sightseeing; we got tickets for the double-decker bus that we could get on & off as often as we wanted, and saw just about everything there was to see!  We also went to the Air & Space Museum and Arlington Cemetery.  Tuesday, we took the train to the National Zoo, which was a great visit.  Wednesday, the kids and I drove into Baltimore to walk along the waterfront and have lunch, and then we went out to Bel Air, MD to visit with all of the Coreas - Tony, Kate, and Nick and their families.  We headed back on Thursday, stopping at a wonderful state park in OH for the night and completing our trip by returning on Friday to Zionsville.  The kids actually did quite amazing on the trip; of course I was nervous being outnumbered for such a long drive. I also had thought I'd wait until the kids were older to do DC - but quickly realized there is a different set of things they see/understand at each age, and I think they really enjoyed it. I'd definitely do it all again!

Random trip pictures - 

Backyard games with Uncle John

Joseph Pierce explaining something VERY important to John Pierce

As long as there's a pool, these kids are happy (this is at John & Vi's club)

Photographic evidence from the beginning & end of the trip

At least they carry their own weight....

View from the patio at the state park hotel

There was swimming at least one time a day nearly every day of the trip

State park arcade room

The state park hotel had an indoor and outdoor pool

Fun w/ Uncle John & Aunt Vi

Washington, DC

First Metro ride for the kiddos

We were trying to figure out what ceremony was going on at Arlington - we encountered this group, and also experienced a lockdown where we couldn't travel down certain paths.  We later realized it was D-Day, so there must have been memorials going on

National Zoo

Pandas!

Baltimore

Joey lost a tooth while staying at Tony's - luckily, the tooth fairy found us!