D to the C, part deux

(Click for a full-size version of the picture)
I LOVE when we fly somewhere and I can see and identify the scenery below! As we skirted the DC area on our way to Baltimore, I was able to snap this pic.
Look center-left for the Washington Monument, go horizontally to the right along the Mall, and you can see the Capitol Building and Dome about 2/3 of the way across the pic on the right.



We took Anna's "Little Monkey" with us and sent the kids some photo-texts throughout our trip to keep them involved. Here is Little Monkey on our Peanuts Flight (the seatbelts light was off...)
From Baltimore, we caught an Amtrak train.

The train system is pretty efficient here, but for some reason our train was delayed for nearly an hour! We didn't mind waiting, though, because after 90+ degree Texas weather, the 75+ degree Baltimore breeziness was quite a delight! The quick 30 min train ride seemed so much shorter after the wait.
(The other alternatives were the regional train- not as reliable or fast -, the taxi - expensive and slower, rented car - ditto, or the superfast Acela train, which was a GREAT option had we not been on a budget)

We arrived at Union Station to meet our friend Nate. I LOVE the architecture of this building.

Union Station has a lot of great shoppes and a pretty decent food court, so we grabbed a bite to eat before Nate took us for a drive.