Trip Day Three ... Nature in the City

My outdoor kids were in need of a touch of nature and down-to-earth experiences by day three, so we headed off for Theodore Roosevelt Island.  This Island was one of my favorite places to go with my Father as a child.  Do you see a theme developing here?  Yes, I built this trip around what we would be studying this year and a few of my favorite childhood stomping grounds.  My Dad came up with this excursion.  This Island is a nice little escape from the hectic pace of the city.  However, you can not forget that the city is all around you, because even on the Island, the approaching planes are soaring above your head every 1 to 2 minutes.

If you have time, there is a two mile trail around the Island that takes you past lovely little wetland habitats.  We saw a Blue Heron and lots of butterflies.  Tom Sawyer also spotted several lizards.

I love this picture of my husband and daughter.

As you wind your way into the interior of the Island, you find a beautiful stone park and memorial to Theodore Roosevelt.

The basins behind Tom Sawyer were filled with water when I was a child. I am not sure if it is the country's budget woes or the drought that have them empty today.

We had a picnic lunch and a fantastic game of charades tag in the shadow of Theodore Roosevelt.  We then moved on to the National Aquarium.  This is a tiny aquarium that was a real dive when I was a child but was taken over by the Baltimore Aquarium a few years ago.  Boy, what an improvement!!  It is still really small but now very nice.

The little turtle rode on the big turtle's back for a long time.

We finished off this very busy day with a quick tour of the Old Post Office Tower.  This is a really nice alternative to going up in the National Monument.  There is almost never a wait; it is free; and if you have a child afraid of heights like we do, you can leave quickly.

You can see our Tom Sawyer is afraid of heights.  He lay in the fetal position while I ran around and took a few quick shots.

Then I took him down the stairs at his request instead of the elevator.  The open, see-through stairs scared him even more.  I knew he wasn't too thrilled with heights but was surprised at how scared he became in the tower.

The Capitol Building at the end of Constitution Avenue

I hope to have the last three days of our trip up over the next few days.

Blessings,

Dawn