Five years ago, we took a five-week vacation to the east coast. We drove across to Niagara Falls, then stayed with my cousin in his 300-plus year-old house in Pennsylvania. We visited the local sights - Hershey, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Indian Echo Caverns, a cute little Amish tourist area in Intercourse, PA (!).
We made his home in Parkesburg our home base and drove into Manhattan, NY (yes, drove... what a hoot!) and Washington DC. Of course went to the Empire State Building, ate great pizza, walked to Central Park where our youngest went ice skating, visited the site where the towers once stood- very sobering. Spent $40 on McDonald's at midnight while walking around - our hotel was only a couple of blocks from Time Square.
Spent a couple of days in Washington DC. Visited four of the Smithsonians, went to the Supreme Court building, saw Ford's Theater where Lincoln was shot, took pictures in front of the White House, took a trolley tour that ended at the war memorials - incredible, especially the Korean War Memorial.
Did I mention we did this during the month of October and watched the colors of the leaves change all across the country? Wow! Took a slightly more southern route home to visit family in Southern Indiana. More beautiful colors all the way home!
Our kids still talk about that vacation. My husband and I plan to visit DC again by ourselves some day!