This post is the first of what I expect to be a six-part series documenting the action-packed road trip we took with the kids this summer. Our family spent two weeks driving up and down the east coast, visiting family and popular tourist destinations in addition to enjoying quality time within the close quarters of the Happy Van™.
Because we expected that I would take a few weeks of vacation after Eden’s birth in April, we didn’t think we would have an opportunity to get away this summer. The combination of Erika’s rapid recovery, assistance from her mom, and craziness at work resulted in me putting little dent in my paternity leave, let alone requiring me to use any of my vacation days. So, with a couple weeks to spare and being under pressure from grandparents to deliver our kids for a visit, we decided to set out on the open highway.
With the goal of breaking up the drive as much as possible, we decided to plan our first stop for Washington DC. After church on Sunday, we loaded up the van and set off for our nation’s capitol and home of my cousin Jana’s family. On the way we made a brief stop at a rest area in Virginia that had a playground. Though clad in pajamas, the kids welcomed the chance to play some tag and have a snack.
We arrived at the Bethesda DoubleTree later that evening and put the kids right to bed. I wanted to make sure we had a decent place for the night since we would have little time for sleep and eating before leaving first thing Monday morning. DoubleTrees have generally been reliable for me on business trips, but I confess that their chocolate chip cookie gimmick is what really keeps me coming back. The receptionist gave me four cookies for the kids that evening, but it of course would be unthinkable for me to give them sweets at that hour…