The Hayes Family Does DC

It was a fun-filled, action-packed week when the Hayes clan descended upon our nation's capitol. There was the usual anarchy of trying to get eleven strong-willed, opinionated people in the same place at the same time, but somehow we managed. Cheers to Aunt Julie for organizing meals and lodging, kudos to Aunt Ruth for the tours of the Library of Congress and the White House, a high five to Sarah's friend Zach for the exclusive West Wing excursion, and a huge thank you to my grandparents for making it all possible.

We spent a lot of time perusing the Smithsonian museums. Sarah and I estimated that if you went through every single exhibit in every single museum it would take you approximately six years to cover every square inch of the complex (at which point, of course, they would have changed exhibits or added new ones and you'd have to start all over). Given that, three days of exploration was hardly sufficient. We said hi to the pandas at the zoo, checked out Norman Rockwell's paintings at the Portrait Gallery, found C3PO and Julia Child's kitchen in the American History Museum, had lunch at the American Indian Museum, ogled amazing pieces of woodwork at the Renwick Gallery, and met our ancestors at the Museum of Natural History. Whew.

Somehow we found time to drive up to Pennsylvania to spend an evening with my little brother Nathan at Bucknell University. My mother, of course, managed to sniff out a quilt museum in Lancaster featuring the work of the local Amish folk and their Mennonite neighbors. Then it was back to DC for an exclusive look at the West Wing, and an early flight out the next morning. All in all, it was an extraordinary adventure far removed from the island life of Ketchikan.

I'm back on the island now, looking at these pictures and marveling at how far away it all seems. My next journey is by water, riding the ferry all the way down to Bellingham, WA. From there I'll be running around the Pacific Northwest, visiting friends and family and enjoying my extended vacation. Alaska has been swell, but it's off to the next adventure!