Those Peloza Kids: Down The Shore

If summer has an arch, it feels like we're just hitting the top of it now. The quintessential summer vacation trip to the east coast, seems like the whole summer had been leading up to this past week.

Even before hitting the road, we discover street view and plan our route for the next day. While we were at it we explored out street and the block over. Why go for a walk and see it when Google has already done the work for you? Levi already graduated to the dad side of the pizza, on the trip both kids graduated to the dad toothpaste, now Levi wants to have dad glasses.

So the next morning we hit the road for what I thought was going to be the big driving day of the trip. 7 hours on the way to somewhere in Virginia. Just as gas money gave out in Gurney for cousin Eddie, ipads gave out around Roanoke. The kids so needed this pool at the hotel.

The reason for the stop was simply to get a good jump on the next day that would see stops in both DC and the arrival into Philly for the night where we'd hook up with Alexis. DC started off great, we found a spot to park on the street that was about 5 blocks from the White House, and drove by the Washington Monument along the way (Levi ways it looks like a rocket). A nice leisurely walk with some stops.

Down the block we arrived at the opening in the trees with the classic White House view and snapped a couple close ups while annoying tourists were having their pictures taken standing up against the guard rail.

So then we became adventurous travelers (versus annoying tourists) and stood up against the guard rail for a picture. Only Eva apparently has some bad association with the White House, and didn't want to have her face photographed in front of it. I think it goes back to the whole Snowden thing, she might have played a role and it just fearful of retaliation from a vengeful government. Not sure. Levi chooses to express his dissent in a much more traditional fashion.

OK, so 20 minutes after arriving we're back on the road! Heading to reunite the fam in Philly, which as it turns out is far more historical than any other city in the U.S. The hotel overlooked Ben Franklin Parkway which is, oh, about the coolest (and slowest moving) street in the country. Art Museum (see Rocky) is down at the end, right across is the street is a basilica where the pope is coming in a couple months.

Liberty Bell, of course.

Right across from the Liberty Bell is the duck boat parking area from where tours depart. We had just enough time to take in a quick tour before heading back. We're on a boat! Insert SNL Youtube hyperlink here.

The walk back we got to see some of the sights we drove by, including the Love sign (which is three blocks from the hotel). We all got quackers at the end of the tour, here Levi wails.

OK, enough history and ducks. Pack up the car and lets head down the shore. So it's a Jersey thing I've always wondered about. We don't go down to the beach. We go down the shore. The down (not down to) thing, I can see. It's a local thing. But the only place in the world where a beach (perspective: from land) is called a shore. I suppose people on boats (perspective: from ocean) here don't ask "how long until we reach shore" they would ask "how long until we reach the beach?" Whatevs.

Only those Peloza kids could desire a hot tub midday with 95 temps and 90 humidity. But there you have it.