Locals

One of the things we're guilty of is not taking advantage of all the things there are to do in the DC area. (Although, doesn't everyone do that to a certain extent?) Which is a pity, really, because (a) there actually is a lot to do and (b) much of it is not only 15 minutes from our house, but is also free (e.g., all of the Smithsonian museums).

So, lately we're trying to get out more frequently and actually see some of the local sights that we take for granted. Gretchen, for example, has recently taken Mädchen to both the Museum of Natural History and the National Aquarium, both of which were HUGE hits. We've also taken her a couple of times to the U.S. Botanic Garden, once in the fall to see a special exhibition of painted globes, and once after Christmas to see a great miniature train exhibit that they evidently do every year and is hugely popular but I somehow had never heard of it until we got there.



We're not really big on New Year's resolutions, but I suppose if we had one it would be to not let concerns about parking, weather, crowds, etc., keep us from making the most of living so close to the nation's capital city...