Incredible Family Trip to Myrtle Beach and Washington DC – Part 2 and Book Review of The First Pup by Bob Staake

Here’s Part 2 of our trip to Myrtle Beach and Washinton, DC with all our tips and reviews.

We hope the reviews help you as much as we enjoyed the trip!

Day 6 – Travel Day

After checking out, had lunch at Friendly’s again (had to have more Resse’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream!) then started the drive to Washington DC.

GPS went a bit wonky once we were in the city of Washington DC but after a few extra turns, we made it to Hotel George.

Chose this hotel as it was the number 1 ranked hotel on TripAdvisor and we weren’t disappointed! From check-in to our last day, it was a unique experience.  Backpacks of goodies for the kids, animal print robes for the kids, milk and cookies for the kids… you get the picture.  After checking in, we ate at the Capital City Brewing Company.  I couldn’t help but wonder who else sat in the same booth as me, making decisions on behalf of the most powerful country in the world… or maybe it was just the beer thinking…  Food was good, atmosphere was great.  Back to the hotel to crash for the night.

Day 7 – Washington, DC

There was some confusion about whether DC was a state or not.  Finally figured it out here if you’re interested.  Also had the distinct pleasure of visiting Washington on one of the hottest days of the year so far… yikes!  Got up early, had some breakfast at a small bakery in Union Station (Au Bon Pain) then boarded the Trolley Tour bus on the suggestion of our concierge.

Great drivers with live narration but we should have picked the air-conditioned bus!  Heat aside, there’s nothing quite like a tour bus to give you the highlights of a city, especially one as rich in history and monuments as Washington, DC!  After tons of pictures, stopped off for lunch in Georgetown at a … you guessed it … Italian restaurant called Filomena’s.

It appears third time really was the charm as the food was worth the trip through the heat!  Once we were done shopping, we toured the shops of Georgetown then hopped back on the tour bus to catch the National Museum of Natural History.  We learned on the tour bus that Night at the Museum 2, while based on the Smithsonian, was actually filmed in Canada… I was the only one that cheered for that comment on the bus…  Great museum and especially couldn’t beat the price (free!!!).  Had a quick dinner at the food court at Union Station then walked back to the hotel.  God bless the person who invented air conditioning.

Day at the Smithsonian...

Day 8 – (an abrupt) The End

Our plan was to hit a couple more Smithsonian museums but unfortunately, Book Boy caught a bug so we had to drive home.  Ballet Girl and I made a quick stop at the National Air and Space Museum where we took some video for Book Boy who was napping in the car.

National Air and Space Museum

All in all, a hectic but fun vacation.  We got to see Myrtle Beach, splash around in the Atlantic Ocean and visit the seat of power of the most powerful country in the world.

But the real beauty of the trip was best summarized by Book Boy on the first day of our trip when he said,”Mommy and Daddy, do you know what I like the best about going on long drives with the family?  Spending time with the family!”

Amen my son, Amen.

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One book that we read to our kids to prepare them for the Washington trip was a new book by Bob Staake called “The First Pup, The Real Story of How Bo Got to the White House“.

Aside from the fact that my family continues to pester me about getting a dog, this book was a neat way to merge their interest in dogs with our trip to Washington.  The illustrations are are lively, several Washington monuments are featured and it helps make Barack Obama accessible to them as a person.

A great story, fun pictures and a new dog make this book a winner in our house and hopefully it is in yours too!

Take a look at another review of this book as well as some pages inside the book at Amazon.com.

Other Posts That Might Interest You:

1. Incredible Family Trip to Myrtle Beach and Washington DC – Part 1
2. Incredible Family Trip to Sherkston Shores Beach Resort, Niagara ON
3. Incredible Family Trip to New York City – The Summary