Washington, DC

We've wanted to take Patrick to Washington, DC for a couple of years now. We felt this year was finally the right year. He was old enough to appreciate our capital's rich history. So many things to see, not enough time though!

1st stop: Capitol Hill. A bit disappointed that the Capitol Rotunda was undergoing renovations but still an impressive building to tour.

2nd stop: Amtrak's Union Station. Yes, it was a must-do for Patrick. He read every line on Amtrak's board celebrating its 45-year anniversary. Every.Line.

3rd stop: The White House. It was pretty cool to get on the White House grounds, including the Briefing Room.

Media area for live shots

Getting ready for my live shot

We also decided to book a private tour of all the main monuments with PTW Tours. We had so little time in DC, we thought it would be a smart use of our time. The tour was expensive but we did think it was worth it. We traveled in an SUV with a guide and a driver. Since parking is at a premium in DC, the idea of a driver along with a guide is a really smart one. We'd recommend doing the tour if you can spring it. 

We also visited the Pentagon Memorial as well as Arlington National Cemetery where we witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

We wrapped up our trip with a baseball game at Nationals Park. The Nats lost unfortunately.

Kansas City, MO

Patrick graduated from junior high! We are so proud of him and can't believe that high school is next! As a graduation present, we decided to take him to a Royals game in Kansas City and ride back home on Amtrak's Southwest Chief #4. And so begins Patrick's excellent adventure to KC.

Landing in Kansas City

We picked up our rental car and headed to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Patrick very much enjoyed the museum. It was a great learning experience for all of us.

The American Jazz Museum is in the same building as the baseball museum so we toured it as well. It is small and unfortunately not that impressive.

Now time for some baseball! So we headed to Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals play against the Mariners. And the Royals won!

We had dinner and spent the night at the Ambassador Hotel, a lovely hotel in downtown Kansas City.

The next morning, we made our way to Union Station for the 6-hour train ride back to Chicago.

All aboard

Quick stop in Fort Madison, IA