We went to the U.S. Botanic Garden's "Windows to Wonderland".
This replica of the U.S. Capitol took over 600 hours to create. The basic structure is made with acrylic foam board and the distinctive architectural details are added with dried plant material. The columns are small branchs of the willow tree.
The big dome on the Jefferson Memorial is made from gourds and President Jefferson's vest is made from birch.
President Lincoln's beard and hair are made from lichen.
I thought the kids looked so cute in their brown sweaters but they didn't really cooperate for photos.
Wesley loved the "rain". 
I put the kids on this wall in hopes that they would sit still for a photo.
The real reason we took the kids to the U.S. Botanic Gardens - to see the trains! 
The Three Little Pigs and their houses. The Big Bad Wolf is to the left of the straw house. Wesley and Lydia love this book. My mom saved my Disney books and I enjoy reading them to the kids, but some of them aren't as "mild" as the newer books are today. 
Another train.
All the details are very elaborate. The room is filled with the wonderful scent of cedar.
A cute little car. 
The Peanuts train.
The Old Lady's Shoe.
We had a great time. Here are a couple of tips: If you go on the weekend, it will be crowded. If you go early, you will have a better chance of finding a parking space. We got there about 10:30 or so and there was plenty of parking a few blocks away but when we left around noon all the spaces were full and someone waited for us to load a stroller, two kids, and four adults into the van. This is a great place to visit and it is free!
3 comments:
First of all, the kids look adorable in their brown sweaters!
Also those are some really unique and impressive replicas of the monuments. How cool!
fun! This is definitely on my "must do" Christmas list.
Wow, that looked like such a fun place to go! Once again, your kids are such cuties!!
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