Boston and Washington - Spring 2016 - Final Thoughts and Washington, D.C. SHOPPING REPORT

[Zomax25]

Thanks for a great report. I have been reading your new one so followed the link to this one and read it all.
I especially love Poot's pieces. He writes really well for a nine year old. My eldest is nearly nine and I really should get her to do something similar as r would be so insightful! I often find I am amazed at what goes on in her head.
I last spent time in Washington when I was 15 which was a very long time ago now. I remember it being quite unsafe compared to NYC and Boston which we visited on the same trip. I would love to go again but our youngest is a bit small for city breaks. I took both of them on the Eurostar recently and controlling a toddler and several bags with an excitable 8 year in the Gare du Nord was an adventure I don't wish to repeat in a hurry!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Zomax25

Thanks for a great report. I have been reading your new one so followed the link to this one and read it all.
I especially love Poot's pieces. He writes really well for a nine year old. My eldest is nearly nine and I really should get her to do something similar as r would be so insightful! I often find I am amazed at what goes on in her head.
I last spent time in Washington when I was 15 which was a very long time ago now. I remember it being quite unsafe compared to NYC and Boston which we visited on the same trip. I would love to go again but our youngest is a bit small for city breaks. I took both of them on the Eurostar recently and controlling a toddler and several bags with an excitable 8 year in the Gare du Nord was an adventure I don't wish to repeat in a hurry!

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Lol...I really admire people who travel with infants and toddlers. I can still remember the time that we were stuck in an hours long jam (bouchon ) on the A6 in France. Poot was 2 and a a half - and needed the potty.

Good times. Sounds like you know them well (hehe).

We had to take him back and forth to France - but otherwise made the decision to save "proper travel" until he was older. It was great - when he turned about seven - to realise that we could now go just about anywhere. Love it!

In the tourist areas Washington never felt unsafe - but wherever you go there, I feel a strange dynamic - which if you are sensitive to that sort of thing - can really make you feel uncomfortable. My DH doesn't notice stuff like that at all, but I DEFINITELY do - so I think I get what you're saying...

And many thanks for your kind words - I will pass your lovely compliment on to Poot (he's with Julius Caesar right now, lol). It's such a noisy world - so often kids' little voices get drowned out, so it's always enlightening to hear what's going on in their heads.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[Zomax25]

Oh goodness! I am not a fan of driving with children. One hates her car seat and the other has horrendous car sickness. At least on trains and planes you have loos and can move!

[Guest]

Ah, but Poot had a pathological fear of airplane lavatories (the toilet is just SO LOUD). On long-haul flights when I had to take him, you should have seen the looks people gave me when he came out of the lav screaming bloody murder - I think they thought I was beating him in there!

So I'll take a road trip ANY day - ah, the joys of motherhood!

[RachelM]

Thank you for writing. I have enjoyed reading it.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by RachelM

Thank you for writing. I have enjoyed reading it.

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I have enjoyed reading your comments!


Thanks so much for coming with us on our funny, lovely and infuriating holiday. If you ever schedule a D.C. trip for yourself, do feel free to PM me if you think I could be of any help.


Happy Easter to your family! And enjoy these last few months of anticipation before your Florida trip...

[disney owl]

Really enjoyed the addition of Poots reports.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by disney owl

Really enjoyed the addition of Poots reports.

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I will tell him you said that - tonight I've been working on the next post for my Florida trippie - and he wrote quite a bit for that post. I never imagined he would want to contribute, but I'm glad he did (it's enlightening for me AND it helps to improve his typing skills ).

It was so very kind of you to take the time to reply day-by-day. Many thanks -

[CMFewkesHarrie]

I have really enjoyed reading both of your trip reports... Another one that went looking for this one after finding your Florida 2017 report... !

You have a lovely style of writing that is both informative and 'laugh out loud' funny! And your descriptions and observations of people and places is brilliant!

As for Poot, what a delight. You must be very round of him. He is obviously being 'brought up proper'... Your mum (the Queen ) must have had a positive influence on you as you were growing up. My mother always said that manners cost nothing nor does speaking the Queens English,( no 'slang' in our house ) and good table manners will take you anywhere!

My DH and I have just done a road trip starting in. NY, then onto Washington, Richmond, Wilmington, Charleston, Savvannh, and them a week in Orlando to recover. We loved Washington and will be returning. We stayed at the Hilton in DuPont circle and yes it was good for bars and restaurants but we felt it a bit out of the main places we wanted to see. We walked miles and like you it was freezing! This was the beginning of March and it was below 30f.

Many thanks for taking the time and effort to share your travels. It has made for a lovely Easter weekend read!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by CMFewkesHarrie

I have really enjoyed reading both of your trip reports... Another one that went looking for this one after finding your Florida 2017 report... !

You have a lovely style of writing that is both informative and 'laugh out loud' funny! And your descriptions and observations of people and places is brilliant!

As for Poot, what a delight. You must be very round of him. He is obviously being 'brought up proper'... Your mum (the Queen ) must have had a positive influence on you as you were growing up. My mother always said that manners cost nothing nor does speaking the Queens English,( no 'slang' in our house ) and good table manners will take you anywhere!

My DH and I have just done a road trip starting in. NY, then onto Washington, Richmond, Wilmington, Charleston, Savvannh, and them a week in Orlando to recover. We loved Washington and will be returning. We stayed at the Hilton in DuPont circle and yes it was good for bars and restaurants but we felt it a bit out of the main places we wanted to see. We walked miles and like you it was freezing! This was the beginning of March and it was below 30f.

Many thanks for taking the time and effort to share your travels. It has made for a lovely Easter weekend read!

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Happy Easter, CMFewkesHarrie!

I am feeling a little bit nosy about your username - DH has an old, old friend called C.M. Fewkes -and said friend got so utterly BLOTTO at our wedding that he nodded off at one point - only to wake up later and ask loudly, "Are we at the CINEMA?"

And yes, Poot is (usually) a delight - now I love a good Freudian slip, me - but I can't help but wonder if you saying that I'm "round of him" isn't a slip about my weight! To answer - YES, I am PROUD (and round, sigh).


Ah, thanks for the D.C. advice - good to know you found that area a little buzzier after dark. It sounds like we'll have to choose between "good for nightlife" and "convenient for museums". Hmm...

Though I'm sorry to hear that you also had rubbish weather in D.C. - all the weather gurus said "80" - if they'd said "ruddy freezing" I'd have brought the right clothes with me (though I wouldn't now be the proud (?) owner of those stormtrooper gloves, would I?).


And many thanks for the lovely compliments - I will see you back in Florida next week for our final Sanibel Island post. Don't be a stranger!