A Sickie, 3 Hotels, 6 Parks, Boyfriend Drama and Fun Galore:

[LuvEeyore]

I have spent the day resting and catching up on reading and writing for the DIS. As a result I have worked on a Mini trip report I will insert the first day of now. Mom and I traveled to see Morgan's apartment in May 14 and took her on a shopping trip. We went someplace Morgan had never been. We had a lot of fun and a great time. Here is the mini trip report with a couple of hotel reviews and some overviews of places we visited in Washington DC and the area and Norfolk VA where Morgan lives.

Three Girls Together: What should we do…Run Away to DC

May 14-18 2015

A quick trip for Morgan, Mom and Myself. We’ve been traveling together for over 17 years. I found a picture of Morgan taken in 2009 from California.

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A picture of Mom from 2009

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Lee on the same trip

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We love all things Disney and Morgan and I share a love of thrill rides.

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However, no Disney for us over this weekend. Mom and traveled on Thursday afternoon to Norfolk Virginia. Morgan had moved into an off campus apartment that she will hopefully live in for at least the next two years or longer. We got into Norfolk about 7:30 pm. Morgan and her friend and roommate Christie met us downstairs and we followed them to a Mexican Restaurant on Monarch Way adjacent to the campus of Old Dominion University. I can offer a brief review of an un-named establishment. In spite of having eaten there twice, I don’t know the name. I have gotten seafood enchiladas both time and they have been great. Mom had a seafood taco salad both times and they were both great and Morgan had a taco salad both times. This place is quick and cheap. Including tip for 4 people our total was less than $50. The portions are also good. We also split a fried ice cream.


We went back to the girl’s apartment. This was mine and Mom’s first time seeing their 1st apartment. It is just what they need. 2 bedrooms in a great neighborhood near campus. Morgan then left with us after we worked on the list of things she needed for her new home. I was taking her shopping for her house warming gift. We spent this night at our usual, The Norfolk Sheraton. As usual, this was a great night and I was able to use points for the room, so the only cost was the valet parking. Morgan and I went to meet her friends after Mom was tucked in. We went to a country bar that features line dancing, the Banque.


After a quick sleep, we left Norfolk for a trip to DC to sight see and shop. Mom wanted to go back and Morgan had never been . We stopped for breakfast (drive thru) and a potty break. We were at our hotel near Andrews Airforce Base in Maryland. We were at the Holiday Inn Express by 9:15 am and then on the subway into town.

We learned a quick lesson. Check on the elevator outages prior to traveling the Metro in DC especially if you are traveling with a wheelchair. We managed to get off at the right place to transfer trains and then the elevator that we needed to us to go down a level was not working. So we had to take a bus to where we wanted to get off. Was easy just we didn’t know how to get from where we were. The station attendant was very nice and helpful.

We walked everywhere we went near the Capitol. We walked down the mall to the Capitol.

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We walked around to the back of the Capital to get in for a tour. Some of these pictures are from the tour. I was surprised but we were on a tour before 11:40 am. We saw the dome restoration in progress . [URL=http://s343.photobucket.com/user/APrice6768/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-05/59F51C86-59BA-4E94-B7AA-3F8956A35634_zpshpa9dzef.jpg.html]

These pictures are in the rotunda.

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Another room but I cant remember the name

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The three of us-a selfie

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From here we walked to Union Station for lunch. I wish I had pictures. We were very hungry by this time. Union station was like a Mall. We were only here about one and a half hours but I could have spent a day. We ate in the food court. Mom and I had crepes and Morgan had Bojangles. We all had an apple cinnamon crepe for dessert and we all split Bojangles Mac and Cheese. After lunch we headed back to the hotel to check in then head to Tanger National Harbor to shop.

The required every trip picture.

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Mom pushing Morgan

We found nothing at Tanger that we needed so we headed to Potomac Mills and shopped for about 2 hours. We found Mom and I jammies and Morgan a couple of bathing suites. Nothing for her apartment. We ended up eating about 9 pm from Wendy’s drive thru. Went to bed after checking out where wanted to go.[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[LuvEeyore]

Just a piece of trivia from May 15. Morgan and I walked and Mom rode over 7 miles as we shopped and toured the Capitol.

 

[LuvEeyore]

The first four hours of Saturday May 16

Saturday, More DC and More shopping.

We were up early and eating just after 7am. We had breakfast at the hotel. It was deluxe continental and had pancakes, boiled eggs, sausage, turkey sausage, biscuits, cereal, fruit and other pastries. It was good and fresh. We all ate what we wanted. After eating we drove to the metro station as there was free parking on the weekends. There was repairs so trains were somewhat delayed compared to the weekend. The longest we waited for a train was about 15 minutes.

We headed to the Washington Memorial. I had tried to get tickets the week before but couldn’t so we thought we would get there early. We were there by 8:15 and didn’t get tickets.

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We walked from there towards the American History Museum. We were very early since we didn’t get into the Washington Monument so we took in all we could before 10am. We watched people, we watched animals and just enjoyed being together. We looked up the Smithsonian on our phones and decided what we wanted to see. Morgan wanted to see a few exhibits at the American History Museum, and to see as much of the Natural History Museum as she could and also the Air and Space Museum. I wanted to try to take in an Art Museum.

Pictures we took as we sat and waited for the American History Museum to open.

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Christie wanted us to see Julia Child’s kitchen so we did.

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For the Emeril fans

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This train station was from North Carolina

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Michelle Obama[URL=http://s343.photobucket.com/user/APrice6768/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-05/518FF840-2BBC-44BA-B435-63615F32DECF_zpsfzuulb2y.jpg.html]’s gown for the Inagural Ball

We loved these signs


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Washington’s chair

This is what we came to see-Dorothy’s shoe’s

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The Woolworth’s that this famous counter came from is only about 50 miles from my home.

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There was so much to see in the Museum of American History and we only saw a small part of it. I would have loved to have spent more than the hour or so that we spent here.[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[Original Amber]

We didn't see Julia's kitchen or Emeril's stuff, but we did see everything you posted last year when we were in D.C.. I was disappointed the Bob Mackie gown wasn't on display.

 

[LuvEeyore]

We didn't see Julia's kitchen or Emeril's stuff, but we did see everything you posted last year when we were in D.C.. I was disappointed the Bob Mackie gown wasn't on display.

Sorry you didn't get to see the Julia Child kitchen or the Emeril stuff. We really enjoyed what we saw. I only wish we had longer to spend. Hopefully the rest of the afternoon will be up later today.

 

[Dugette]

Catching up!

Love that you ate around the world at Epcot! Yum!

Very cool that Morgan got all those rides on Space!

Love the DC mini TR!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Catching up!
Catching up is hard to do.

Love that you ate around the world at Epcot! Yum!
It was fun.

Very cool that Morgan got all those rides on Space!
She had fun.

Love the DC mini TR!

DC was fun. I need to finish posting Saturday and Sunday. It was a great trip and really didn't cost much as a lot of what you want to see is free!
Thanks for seeing this through to the end with me. I hope to get more up this weekend.

 

[afwdwfan]

I also have staying here on my Disney bucket list.

I think all 3 of those monorail resorts should be on every Disney fan's bucket list!

Space Mountain. Mom sat in the sun wrapped in a blanket while Morgan and I rode. I came out and my teeth hurt. I looked at Morgan and said, “Never again!!” Morgan took Mom’s fast pass and rode again…and then in the standby line and rode again. Mom and stuck to shopping!!

I don't blame you a bit. It really is a rough ride. But I'd have been right there with Morgan wanting to ride again!

I can offer a brief review of an un-named establishment. In spite of having eaten there twice, I don’t know the name. I have gotten seafood enchiladas both time and they have been great. Mom had a seafood taco salad both times and they were both great and Morgan had a taco salad both times. This place is quick and cheap. Including tip for 4 people our total was less than $50. The portions are also good. We also split a fried ice cream.

Well, thanks for that info. Next time I find myself in the Norfolk area, I'll be sure to look for that random un-named Mexican place!

We learned a quick lesson. Check on the elevator outages prior to traveling the Metro in DC especially if you are traveling with a wheelchair.

Hadn't even considered that. But they do have some massive Escalators on a lot of those stations. I really like how the Metro system works in DC.

We walked around to the back of the Capital to get in for a tour. Some of these pictures are from the tour. I was surprised but we were on a tour before 11:40 am. We saw the dome

Always love visiting the Capital. Too bad it was undergoing a refurb while you were there.

There was so much to see in the Museum of American History and we only saw a small part of it. I would have loved to have spent more than the hour or so that we spent here.

I'm glad you had a chance to check it out! I get to DC every once in a while, but it has been a long, long time since I've had a chance to head into that museum and it is one of my favorites! I usually hang out in the Air & Space museum, just because it is close to the hotel I have to stay at when I'm there and it is easy to get to if I have an hour or 2 to kill.

 

[LuvEeyore]

I think all 3 of those monorail resorts should be on every Disney fan's bucket list!
Too rough on my Meniere's. I did okay on all of the others. I no longer ride wooden roller coasters either because of the jarring.

I don't blame you a bit. It really is a rough ride. But I'd have been right there with Morgan wanting to ride again!


Well, thanks for that info. Next time I find myself in the Norfolk area, I'll be sure to look for that random un-named Mexican place!
That un-named Mexican place in on Monarch Way just down from Cain's. Cain's has awesome chicken tenders.

Hadn't even considered that. But they do have some massive Escalators on a lot of those stations. I really like how the Metro system works in DC.
The metro certainly took the traffic and parking situation in DC out of the equations for a reasonable cost.

Always love visiting the Capital. Too bad it was undergoing a refurb while you were there.

I'm glad you had a chance to check it out! I get to DC every once in a while, but it has been a long, long time since I've had a chance to head into that museum and it is one of my favorites! I usually hang out in the Air & Space museum, just because it is close to the hotel I have to stay at when I'm there and it is easy to get to if I have an hour or 2 to kill.

If you like the air and space museum, go to the Airforce Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn Ohio. I really like that better. A lot More to see and a lot of interactive things to do.

 

[LuvEeyore]

There was so much to see in the Museum of American History and we only saw a small part of it. I would have loved to have spent more than the hour or so that we spent here.

After the Museum of American History, we headed to the museum of Natural History. A word of warning to those in wheelchairs that want to visit the Smithsonian, those buildings whose front is to Pennsylvania Avenue, you will have accessible doors somewhere else not on the front.

We headed to lunch. Mom had a BBQ plate she loved. Morgan had Chicken strips that was from free range chickens and antibiotic free chickens. She said they were the best she had ever had and I had a burger. It was very good but a little overdone for my taste.


After feeding our belly’s we started our tour of the museum.

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27039E909_zps1gs3arrv.jpg[/IMG] view of the Washington Monument

The Hope Diamond

Marie Antoinette’s Jewerly

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We spent a lot of time in the Gem Room

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Looking down into the main room near the entrance.

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This photography of the sea was just exquisite

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We spent a couple of hours here then walked to the Air and Space Museum. This was a bust!! We went in then Morgan looked around and said, “This is airplanes hanging from the ceiling.” It took us 45 minutes to get through the security line to get into the museum then was very crowded. We walked out the front doors and headed to the Metro to go back to the hotel. We got the car and headed to Potomac Mills to shop. We went to Bahama Breeze to eat dinner. It was great. Morgan and I wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory but couldn’t convince Mom that you could get entrees as well as Cheesecake. After Shopping, we came back to cheesecake factory in the rain and got three cheesecake slices to share. They were so good!

On the way back to the hotel from Potomac Mills, we went into DC to see the monuments at night. We went to the Jefferson Memorial and parked and walked down to the Memorial.

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As the memorial is not handicapped assessable, mom and I stayed at the bottom and Morgan went into the Memorial. I took pictures from the base and Morgan went to the tope.

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View from the Memorial

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Morgan is growing up

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We walked by to the car and then drove to the Lincoln Memorial but never found the parking lot. We drove by the White House and by the Capitols field where they were playing a home game. Once back at the hotel, we snacked on Cheesecake and then packed and got ready for bed.

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Yes a wreck we think. We sat for over an hour. I napped and then we finished the cheesecake while sitting.

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Like this view? Any clue what is going on here?

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We took Morgan back to Norfolk and spent a little time there with her as she put away her purchases from the weekend. About 12.30 pm we headed home. On the way I found a discount shoe store in Emporia VA and bought me these for work.

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[rndmr2]

Fun start to your last day at MK!

I don't mind SM but my DH refuses to go on it anymore, once was enough for him. I went on it years ago with my Mom, maybe 1987? This was back when you sat between the legs of the person behind you. My Mom was in front of me and I knew she wasn't a huge fan but by the end she was laughing. Here it was so rough her bra came undone! LOL

Looks like you had a nice time in DC for your weekend trip, thanks for sharing.

 

[Liza215]

Thanks for sharing. Love it!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Fun start to your last day at MK!
It was a very fun day. I hope that the whole day is up in the next week.

I don't mind SM but my DH refuses to go on it anymore, once was enough for him. I went on it years ago with my Mom, maybe 1987? This was back when you sat between the legs of the person behind you. My Mom was in front of me and I knew she wasn't a huge fan but by the end she was laughing. Here it was so rough her bra came undone! LOL
I don't doubt the bra came undone. I won't ride it again as it was just so rough.

Looks like you had a nice time in DC for your weekend trip, thanks for sharing.

DC was a lot of fun. It was a great weekend to see DC and spend time with Morgan. It is becoming harder and harder now that she is in school, working 2 part time jobs and performing some and taking extra lessons. I hope to see her Thanksgiving and then we will see her in December.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Thanks for sharing. Love it!

Hope to have more up soon. Thanks for joining.