The kids have made it clear by now that the two qualities they like least in a vacation destination are 1) hot and humid weather and 2) crowded cities. So, it was only logical that we take them to… DC and New York City! But in all seriousness, as they had both just finished studying US History and learning about the functions of government, the timing made sense. New York City was thrown in there for a little extra torture. 😉

While I do not see the kids moving to either hyper crowded New York or muggy DC in the future, they had a great time seeing the capital and some New York highlights, such as the viewing platform at the top of the Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty. Some of the nice dining we had didn’t hurt either. We took a food tour of Greenwich village and tried authentic New York pizza (rating a ‘meh’ on the kid meter), great falafels (these scored high), and visited a real New York style Italian deli which put our California delis to shame. Topping off our trip, we ate at an excellent Lebanese restaurant, Ilili, which had the creamiest kenafe. Yum.

In DC, the top scoring attractions were the Library of Congress and the US Capitol. The Library of Congress is an incredible building on two accounts: it’s purpose and it’s aesthetics. The fact that our nation has a library dedicated to collecting all the media works produced by mankind is incredible. The fact that it exists in the world is incredible enough, but that we have it hear in our capital is something to be very proud of. On top of that, the building itself is an architectural and artistic marvel. There are murals and mosaics, marble statues and bronze carvings. Not an unadorned inch exists in that building. Even the floor is made of a beautiful polished marble pattern. Plus, the library has one of 4 complete Gutenberg Bibles. Pretty cool!

At the US Capitol, Robert and Cole observed a session of Congress. For Cole it was very interesting. He compared it to an assembly at his high school. Hmmm…

In New York, we buzzed around the Met, spotted turtles in Central Park, snapped photos on Wall Street, and spent time with Michele, Neil, Katherine, Michael, and Neil’s mother, Ann, for a New York city viewing and then dinner. On the last day, Robert and I took a day by ourselves to walk the Highline, eat at Chelsea market, and visit the Whitney. All of which were fantastic.

Next trip, I’m thinking… Cairo? Just kidding, I still want the kids to want to travel with me.