Happy (belated) Fourth!

Well, it had been about a week, so obviously that meant Kristi and I were well overdue for a road trip.
This time, we went to Washington, D.C. with our group of friends from Anderson, and to visit Kristi's friend Kelly from Maryland, and Kristi's dad and stepmom.
We drove overnight on Thursday/Friday the 3rd to avoid traffic and maximize our tourist time. On Friday, we visited all the main monuments, from Washington and Lincoln, to WW II and Vietnam, and also saw both sides of the White House.
That night, we went to the Braves-Nationals game, which was an unusually tough ticket, at least for the cheap seats. The Braves won, for those of you scoring at home, 9-8.
Saturday, we went to the parade on Constitution Avenue, and walked around downtown, saw the Treasury Department, the Capitol, and rode the Metro back to Kelly's apartment.
Saturday night, the Fourth, Kelly's apartment was a prime location to watch the fireworks. She lives in Georgetown (across the street from the Joint Chief of Staff), a building of the state department, and less than a mile from the fireworks. Since she has a balcony on the 10th floor, it was a view even a diehard Thunder Over Louisville fan would enjoy (especially without traffic in the Starks Building, hehe).
We had the Anderson crew over for some cocktails, and everyone was amazed at the location.
Sunday, we went to the 8:45 a.m. service at the National Cathedral, which is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, so we didn't see Junior as hoped. But the architecture and stained glass windows were absolutely gorgeous. Can you imagine a wedding in this place, like Al Gore's daughter's apparently was?
After church, we drove about 40 minutes to Annapolis, Md. where Ron and Dawn live. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon at their yacht club, and kayaked around the marina, with breathtaking views of downtown, including the Naval Academy. (Yes, this was my second kayaking excursion of the summer). Without a big chunk of time, we didn't go on the sailboat, but just puttered around the marina area on the dinghy. We did see a boat owned by Eric Clapton, though.
That night, we stopped at a fish market, and bought two pounds of crab meat for just $32.99 per pound. I know. But they were worth every penny, especially with some seaweed salad, asparagus, two kinds of potato salad, and washed down with some white wine, and beer from the Czech Republic. We didn't stop there. Dessert was angel food cake with frozen blueberries (Ron's favorite) and vanialla ice cream. Pops, eat your heart out.
Our next road trip? Next weekend to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. with Bruce, Carole, Paul, Emily, Brian, Sam, Kailey Kate, Cate, and Luca.