DAD Visit

I've finally stopped being a derelict and contribute something to our blog. My father came into town for a few days on really short notice, but it was a great surprise! He's retired so when he gets an email offering a great package on airfare and hotel rooms he can jump on it.

He came in Thursday night and I had to work all of Friday, and Saturday and Sunday morning, so we had to cram in visiting time around that. The three of us drove through DC, ate at Ben's Chili Bowl and stopped by the African American Civil War Memorial, walked around the Washington Monument just in time to see a new protest piece, went on an Old Town Alexandria Ghost Tour, and ate at numerous restaurants around the area. Saturday morning while I was stuck at work, Sarah gave my dad a tour around the National Zoo (one of the few places that he declared he had to see this time around) and he was thrilled. She can elaborate more on it, but he was particularly enamored with the "fancy pigeon."

Then on Monday when I actually had the day off, we went to Mount Vernon and toured the house and grounds, paying special attention to George Washington's farm animals. After a quick lunch we drove to Annapolis to check out the Naval Academy. We flashed our IDs and got free access to the grounds. The visitor center and campus are beautiful. We spent a few hours touring the grounds, stopping at the chapel to look at the crypt of John Paul Jones.

We returned, met up with Sarah, and my father took us to dinner. We dropped him at his hotel and said our goodbyes. It was a great four days of running around with my dad, at times very randomly. Above everything else, my father is a storyteller, and we heard many gems about his life. His stories are worthy of their own blog or book!