Yes, I know the geographers out there are probably going, “Hey, hold on, wait just a minute…..those two places are thousands of miles apart?!” True! But, that’s where we were over the past couple weeks. You see, #vanlife brought us to Washington DC, and then we flew from there to Arizona for Thanksgiving with our family and friends. And MAN, our arms are tired! 😉

My cousin Stephanie–who lives in Washington DC– hosted us in her beautiful home for several days, and also kept watch over our van while we were in Arizona. Everything was perfect, and we can’t thank her enough!

Our kids, parents, and grand-dogs gathered together in a large, lovely vacation home that we rented in the Phoenix area for the holiday week. We had a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal–catered by Sprouts Farmer’s Market. It was a delightful time–filled with laughter and love, and I am still beaming with joy and happiness that we were all able to be together.

“Cherish the moments with family, friends, and the ones you love; they are the true riches of life.”

Washington DC

Speaking of cherishing moments with family, my favorite part of DC was spending time with my cousin Stephanie. We had great conversation, delicious food, and went to several fun places. Her lovely home is near all DC’s main attractions, and just a few blocks from Smithsonian’s National Zoo which I visited twice! (I really do love the zoo.) I also really love Stephanie’s cooking. I’m still thinking about that delectable homemade chicken soup. Thanks again, Stephanie–we can’t wait to visit you again!

One of the most memorable moments for me was when Stephanie found pictures of my mother in one of her mom’s old photo albums.

My mother was named, “Peppi” after her great aunt Peppi Heller Laemmle (in photos above), and her middle name “Louise” came from her grandfather Louis Laemmle.

Finding photos of my young mother is so rare and special because there were some very tragic events that occurred in her childhood (not long after these photos above were taken) that landed her in an orphanage at 12 years old and she was estranged from her family for more than 45 years. That’s another story–a long one–and I’ll save that for another time. But, lets get back to DC for now…I sure have a habit of rambling on, don’t I?

We walked to a bustling local farmers market (one of my favorite things to do), just a mile or so from Stephanie’s house.

I must admit, I believe homegrown fruits and vegetables are one of life’s biggest pleasures. And, I love a good, big slice of tomato on a turkey sandwich!

We shared several pastries and some of the best cold apple cider I’ve ever had!

We learned how to use public transportation to get around the city, and we rode one of the tallest escalators I’ve ever seen!

Aannnd….we found a place that lets you make your own mini donuts!

These are the ones Dan made. I think they were the prettiest!

Did you know they have black squirrels in DC? What a gorgeous creature!

As you might imagine, the architecture in our nation’s capital is quite majestic and eye-catching!

It was an interesting time to be in Washington DC, though, after the presidential election, and before the January inauguration. Most major sites were not accessible, and this was as close as we could get to the White House (below).

We saw many signs similar to the following posted all along the National Mall:

I’m glad we were still able to see the awe-inspiring Washington Monument!

As the sun went down, we were walking through the city and stumbled upon a Christmas market! I couldn’t believe it! I loooove Christmas markets–the first time I ever went was in Germany in 2016. I didn’t even know they had them in the states! I was in heaven!

We shared a Bratwurst and Sauerkraut–yummy, but not quite as good as I remember having in Germany. (You can’t fool me.)

We also took the time to do some photo cheesing. 🙂

And, you’ll notice Dan likes to wear shorts in the winter time. Shorts and a coat actually–his signature look. I’d say he rocks it, though! And, he swears his legs don’t get cold!

Before I close, I simply must share with you some of the beautiful animal portraits I was lucky enough to capture at the National Zoo. And, now I think I want a prairie dog for a pet. How ’bout it, Dan? (editor’s note: Dan says NO). How could you resist this little face?

The Lion looked content, sunning in the grass and watching the world go by. At some point, he got up and started walking towards me, though, and I was very glad for the moat and fence that separated us!

I stood and watched the otters play for a while. They kept jumping in and out of the water and running around. It looked like they were having fun! I’m glad they had a playmate!

I think I got some pretty nice mugshots of this seal, don’t you?

I learned from a zoo volunteer that male Asian elephants (like the one below) have tusks and females do not. Although, sometimes females have “tushes” which look like tiny tusks but are actually incisors. It was fun watching the elephants use their trunks to grab food and place it into their mouths. The guy below is named, “Spike,” and he is 43 years old and weighs 13,250 pounds. Eat up, Spike!

I took this next photo for the Merrell kids, because I know they like snakes. 😉 He’s a green tree python, and he comes from the tropical rainforests of Australia, New Guinea, and eastern Indonesia. I learned that his jaw opens 180 degrees, and he can consume prey more than 3 times larger than his head! Beautiful creature, but if you ever see one of these guys in the wild, stay away!

Oh, and one more thing. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how very very freezing cold it was while we were in DC. It reminded me of when I lived in Minnesota and I’d step outside and my nose hairs would freeze and my skin would hurt. It takes your breath away! It became very clear to us that it was time to head south for the winter. In fact, a good note-to-self for next year is to head south a little earlier–perhaps early November.

Stay tuned for my next post–from the sunny, warm shores of the coastal Carolinas.

XOXO,

Joanna