So our latest adventures took us to Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Bay - where we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It is one of the seven engineering wonders of the world and it is incredible. Some 20 miles long it is made up of three bridge sections and two tunnel sections. There is a two lane bridge over and a two lane bridge back. Along the way there is a fishermans wharf with restaurants and shops. It cost $250M each way!
On the other side is the most beautiful beach and island, a lot like the south coast of NSW!
After a rest overnight we decided to check out the local Army base PX store (for those of you who don't speak fluent military a PX is like a department store on base where you get tax free goods). We (well, the kids and I, Glenn has seen it all before) were blown away at the facilities on base. They have fast food chains, a massive supermarket (tax free), banks, phone stores, you name it! I got Chanel perfume I normally pay over $200 for for $70! So I stocked up, of course. I managed to maintain self control in the diamonds section....Glenn was pretty happy about that.
After lunch we went down town to check out the historical area of Fredericksburg. It's exactly as it would have been 200 years ago but with lots of cars, which annoyed me because I didn't really want them in my photos! It would be nice to close it to cars and make it pedestrian traffic only. There were literally dozens of quaint shops selling everything from antiques to guns and clothes.
I'm not sure what apothecary is but I liked his sign.
Oh, and a tattoo parlour with a very cool name!
After lunch we took the short one hour drive to DC to show the kids the White House and the District of Columbia. After a tense incident with a tunnel we were too tall for and having to back up in peak hour on a freeway (imagine the Eastern Distributor) we got lost and ended up in the most beautiful back streets of George Town and I fell in love with the tree lined streets and beautiful old homes. I wish Australia had architecture like the early American style. I'm probably boring you all with photos of houses but I just love them, especially the way they use colour!
When we eventually found the White House we had to do a photo out the back because the front is fenced off from so far away you really can't get a decent picture. They've let the trees and shrubs grow so much they obscure the view of the front of the house, Glenn reckons its probably a security measure but it was disappointing for the boys. Dramatic change since we were there.
The "First Squirrel" on the back lawn of the White House. Just chillin'.....
Tonight we are staying in the RV park in Fort Meade in Maryland, its lovely and quiet and I'm catching up on washing while I type, we like the RV parks on military bases, they are usually quiet, safe and very cheap.
Tomorrow we are heading to Atlantic City to check out the famous boardwalk and take the kids on the ferris wheel and treat them to some sideshow alley entertainment. Then it is up to Jersey City as a launch pad for NYC. It's nearly halfway and we've covered so much ground but the time is slipping away so fast!
Hope all is well back home,
x
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