Labor Day in Washington DC

For Labor Day weekend we decided to road trip down to our nation's capital to spend a few days checking out the sights.

Disclaimer:  As is quite common with us we realized 2 hours into the road trip that we had left our camera at home.  So, I'll apologize now for the low quality pictures as we had to rely on the use of our iPhones.

One of the gates you see as you enter China Town.  Our hotel was actually in China Town.  Our first night in the city we ate at this great restaurant called Matchbox.

Matchbox is best known for their pizzas but their sliders were also incredibly delicious.  Each slider was unique and they covered them with onion straws.  YUMMY!!

We spent Saturday checking out as many of the amazing sights throughout DC as possible.  Here is the front entrance to the Treasury Department.

Here we are in front of the White House.  The grounds are simply impressive.

In the background you can see the Congressional Administration Office.  The picture doesn't do justice to just how massive this building is.  The architecture is beautiful and is currently undergoing an exterior renovation, so this was about as close as we could get.  The monument in the front was built to honor the US Army.

We made our way down to the WWII Memorial but had to take cover for a short while as it started to rain.

Once the rain subsided we made our way down to the Lincoln Memorial.  We struck out this weekend as the famous Reflecting Pool was completely drained and is undergoing renovations.

Next we stopped by the Vietnam War Memorial.

The Washington Monument was closed off due to the damage that occurred from the recent earthquake on the East coast.

Saturday evening concluded with a ball game at Nationals stadium.  Our ticket included a free concert by Lifehouse after the game.  These guys rocked!  A great end to a fun filled day.

On Sunday we headed to a couple of the Smithsonian Museums.  First up was the Air & Space museum.

This is a replica of the plane first flown by the Wright Brothers.

Another replica of the Wright Brothers plane. 

The Smithsonian Museums are sprinkled around the National Mall, which divides the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.  It's a beautiful area and we were blessed with great weather on Sunday.  A lot of people were out and about with their families enjoying the day.  Here is a shot of the Capitol building from the National Mall yard.

For lunch we went to this great Italian restaurant called Carmine's.  Like most traditional Italian restaurants the food is served "Family Style".  We ordered a 4-entree plate that had lasagna, ravioli, pesto penne, and bowtie pasta with meat sauce.  Needless to say it was amazing!!  We couldn't finish it all but we enjoyed every bite.

We concluded Sunday evening with a free concert on the steps of the US Capital building.  The National Symphony Orchestra performed many traditional patriotic songs.  A really nice end to another great day.

On Monday morning we headed over the Potomac to Alexandria, Virginia.  One of my co-workers recommended a restaurant called Jackson 20 for brunch.  We gave it a shot and this place is now one of our favorite restaurants.  We started brunch with biscuits & gravy.  A bit different than the southern style biscuits & gravy we grew up with but they were delicious nonetheless.

Jody ordered the Eggs Benedict and hashbrowns.

Cace ordered Jackson 20's signature plate - Eggs Chesapeake (poached eggs, virginia crab cakes, and old bay hollandaise) with hashbrowns.  This was the most amazing breakfast I've ever had and I look forward to going back someday (hopefully soon).

We ended our time in Alexandria with a walk on the Chesapeake Bay and stopped in to a local bakery for some cupcakes.  The weekend together in Washington DC was a lot of fun.  We didn't get to see nearly all of the sights and museums this city has to offer but we will likely go back to DC as it's only a few hours from New Jersey.

Seeing the history and monuments throughout the city really brought home the rich history laid by our forefathers.  I'm so grateful to live in this great country and am deeply indebted to the lives lost to provide and protect our freedoms.  If you have the opportunity to spend time in Washington DC I would highly recommend you do so with your family.