The Search for Starbucks...

Today is Friday, a sightseeing day planned in D.C. We set out after cleaning up the breakfast mess. Hit the Beltway (endless road that surrounds D.C.) to get to our destination. The highways here are very long--you can see for miles but you can't see homes, stores, gas stations, Starbucks, Best Buy or whatever you are looking for. You need to have a trusted friend tell you what is off each exit--if there is an exit, as they come few and far between I think.
We arrive in D.C. using the little map from the "Unofficial Guide to the Mid-Atlantic with Kids". It is helpful. After driving past the Capital, Bureau of Engraving, Department of Interiors (nice that D.C. has something design related! (a Sophie Kinsella if you know who she is, observation) and many other official buildings, we found what we were looking for--the National Air and Space Museum, but no parking.... So...circle the blocks up and down, up and down and around again. Liv announces, "I have to go potty", then Hanna chimes in, "I have to go potty too", soon it sounds good to Mattias and I...circle some more. Okay, Mattias says, I'll drop you guys off at the museum and meet you...he rounds the corner, past the parked tour buses, and voila!!, a magical parking spot appears out of no where. Right on the corner. Meant for us--really!
So we spent some nice hours touring the museum. Saw firsthand Astronaut gear from the various space missions; the experimental rhesus monkey taxidermied and put into his original space gear finery; airplanes and uniforms from WWII; rocks and the Rover from Mars but no Martians; a nice IMAX film on flight and some things from the American History museum like Dorothy's ruby red slippers; Scarecrow's costume; and Seinfeld's puffy shirt. Much more but Fun!
We went thru Georgetown on our way out then Liv announced those famous five words, "I have to go potty". So we began our search of somewhere to stop. After some desparate minutes and some encouragement, found nothing else than a trusty Starbucks across the street, only we had to park some three blocks away in order the snare the parking spot. Grabbed that one and whew! We made it!
So we hit the road again and take a National parkway part way home and it is early enough to go for dinner somewhere. We decide to use the guidebook again and try Buddy's Crabs on historic Main St. in Annapolis. There are dozens of options but the book said it was loud and good for kids. We give it a try but leave early has Liv has this nagging cough, cough, cough and is not feeling well. The food was okay, not great anyway so we didn't miss out too much. Get home, give Liv a steam shower, meds and a movie and off they go to bed.
The winds are picking up now and it is raining outside. Our hatches will be back tomorrow so the plastic sheeting covering the openings are making a racket. It is still very humid and we have the fan running--hot water in the boat but no a/c!
Our second french press is broken (same as the first one) and inevitably, we will be in search for Starbucks tomorrow morning.
More later,
Carrie