Camera FOUND!!!

Finally found the camera.  There are quite a few things that have happened since the last real post, so I will break this up into a few different posts, so make sure you read a few back to catch it all.

Cherry Blossom Festival 2013

We headed downtown again this year to catch the Cherry Blossoms and, most importantly, do the paddle boats on the Tidal Basin.  Owen thought it was pretty neat and we got our leg workout for the day.

The Washington Monument is currently being repaired of the damages made during the earthquake last year.    

"Scary" Japanese drummer guy that performed while we ate lunch.

Showing off some art work that he drew for the children in Japan.  Not really sure what he was going for here.

Getting our Passport stamped.  We have a passport of the National Parks and we can get a stamp in our passport each time we visit a park.  We have been downtown a millions times, but kept forgetting our passport.  So this time around, we were on the hunt for stamps for all the memorials and parks in the DC area.  We almost got them all by the end of the day!!!

We ran into this very helpful Park Ranger that helped Owen understand all about the Cherry trees (us too) and gave Owen an activity book to complete, so he could become a Junior Park Ranger.

Finished the activity book - no to get his Junior Ranger badge! 

We discovered this AMAZING garden behind the Smithsonian Castle.  It was full of Magnolia tress in full bloom and lost of other really beautiful plants.

The ride home - at the front of the train watching the "Star Wars".  When you are in the tunnels, there are lights on the side and they speed past like the lights in Star Wars when you go to light speed. 

Recreating the original picture from one of the first times we went down to DC.

The reflecting pool is finally done and so this part of the Mall looks normal again.  They are still doing some construction at the far end by the WW II memorial, but it is nice that the majority of it is done.  Now they just need to get the Washington Memorial done and the Mall will be back to "normal".