Fabulous Army Life

         

After our excursion to the National Zoo, we decided to hit another Washington DC must-see location ... Ben's Chili Bowl.  It's tiny front room and long line made us a little nervous at first, especially since everyone else there seemed to know what they were doing.  I had a quick flash-back of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld and was momentarily concerned that I might be denied a chili dog if I didn't order it quickly and correctly. No need to worry, though, the line moved swiftly, giving us time to review the menu on the wall, and the ladies manning the front desk were friendly and accommodating.  Yelpers advised the half-smoke and chili-cheese fries so we decided to go with that.  Preteen Trey ordered a plain hot dog and nine-year-old Joshua ordered a cheeseburger.  Lots of greasy bites later, we were full and happy.  We enjoyed enlarged photos of famous guests to the restaurant and were pleased to check the block on visiting this famous DC spot.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore was a great way to spend our day today. Click here to view these pictures larger

Our family ventured out for our very first Civil War reenactment today to Sully Historic Site. We really had no idea what to expect but decided that since it was so close (down the road in Chantilly) and beautiful weather, why not? We had a great time. We loved the authentic cannon. Each Soldier explained his part in making the cannon work and we saw some live fire. Great costuming, really fun games for kids that required no battery or charger (ah, back to the simpler times!), and a slightly inauthentic (but tasty) lunch of hot dogs and chips. The boys were able to participate in rifle drill and learned how to properly handle their weapons.  They endured a short road march and planned a siege on the parental line.   They really seemed to enjoy that.  We also tested out some old-fashioned toys, shopped in a tent of Civil War memorabilia, and observed the campsites of both Union and Confederate Soldiers.  We watched a skirmish between the two sides, comple...