Across the Nation

Today is our last day in DC. This afternoon, we will fly back to Seattle. As has become custom, we fought commuter traffic to Bethesda and arrived just after 10am. Grandma was less alert today and I’m thankful that we took family photos yesterday when she was more awake. After a light lunch we allowed Diane to climb the tree some more. She almost fell out so I decided that it was time to stop climbing. The last thing I need is a trip to the hospital.

Even though our flight is not until 6, we left Grandmas at 2. There was no way we wanted to be stuck in rush hour traffic. The drive down George Washington Parkway was relaxing and beautiful. We made good time and thankfully made it through security with nothing more than a quick pat down. Our gate was situated directly in front of the runways and Diane (just like Papa) enjoyed watching the aircraft coming in and taking off. She’s just so interested in how things work. I too enjoyed observing the goings on of the airport.

The view from our plane, while waiting to take off

Connecting in Atlanta was quick and easy. But I was really not looking forward to being in the air for 6 hours. I was relieved to find that we were allowed a much larger plane this time. Three cheers for Boeing 767. Whoa girl, slow down, this is still a 6 hour flight. Although the seats were bigger and there's a bit more leg room there were only three working lavatories on the plane. have you ever had to wait in line to pee at 15000 feet? It's more than a little awkward. Add to this the fact that my seat would not recline and the cabin was horribly cold and it all equals a long sleepless night.

After some tolerable turbulence we arrived in Seattle at midnight local time. This is 3am for our exhausted bodies. Thankfully our hotel shuttle was quick in picking us up. I'm too tired to think. I just want to be home and we still have to drive home in the morning. I've loved this trip. We've seen more in this last 17 days than I ever thought I'd see. I'm sure we'll be talking about all the wonders we've experienced for a long time. As it is now 4:30 for me, I shall bid you adieu.