Thursday morning we set out bright and early for Petersburg National Battlefield, just minutes from our accommodation. We arrived way early, and actually did the battlefield tour before going to the visitor centre. Great drive, with a neat reconstruct of Petersburg trench lines, Fort Stedman, the Crater site and all the while an eye on deer roaming the entire premises. We visited the Eastern Front, one of four actual sites scattered south and west of Petersburg, as it was the part of the battlefield I was most familiar with.

Next up was the visitor centre where we watched an introductory video and toured the artifacts on the second floor. Neat selection of battlefield items from artillery pieces to playing cards. Petersburg is America's classic example of siege warfare... A valid precursor to the trench warfare battle strategies that would be played out in World War I, some 50 years later. The siege lasted 9 months with up to 70,000 casualties.

Our destination after winding up our Petersburg visit was Washington DC, some two hours away. The drive was excellent and traffic minimal. Our hope was we could arrange an early check in at the Hampton Inn Downtown Washington, and all worked out perfectly. While Janie and Monica checked in Peter and I got the valet parking situation handled and loaded the bags. All in by about 12:30 which was perfect. More DC time. We had been keeping tabs on the weather, which was predicted to deteriorate, and were glad to be parked and out of the highway fray.

We'd visited Washington in 2010 and it has always been a "top" destination in regards to our experiences. There were several items we had forgone at that time which we thought we could spend a day looking at. But firstly, a grub up! Kids were peckish so off on foot towards the Pennsylvania Ave area. We settled on the Washington Hard Rock Cafe, located just doors away from Ford Theatre. Great staff there, super friendly and helpful. Everyone soon ordered, the kids went AWOL in the building to look at some of the memorabilia, and Janie and I studied afternoon options. Turned out that dinner was more than we could handle, and everyone left stuffed! One of the staff also grabbed Peter and Monica for pictures with guitars he pulled from the shelf.

All watered and fed, we set out for the International Spy Museum, just a block away. With no lineup, we accessed what was several hours of visit that tied all things espionage, both fact and fiction. Famous spies, the tools they used, specific techniques employed... Lots of fun. Loads of information of the Cloak and Dagger sort, from code making to code breaking. Picked off eras such as the American Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Cold War right to present day. It also has takes on international organizations, from our own CSIS to the KGB, MI-5 and FBI. I liked the information on the Navajo Code talkers, but there were a wide variety of both male and female spy stars highlighted. The exhibit ended with a tribute to James Bond, with everything from movie posters to video clips and exhibits highlighting the many Bond actors and the villains that are as famous in the own right. Fun stop, although a bit crowded in the exhibit areas at times. A lot to digest in one visit.

We exited to a steady, cold snow/rain mix falling from the skies, just about cold enough to snow. At that point we scampered the four-five blocks homeward to snuggle up for a bit. I kicked back to rest the eyes while Janie and the kids settled pool side, for a refreshing dip and stop in the whirlpool. Still not hungry from dinner, we just snacked prior to bundling up for our evening event, about two blocks away at Verizon Centre - Carolina Hurricanes versus the Washington Capitals.

We'd been at Verizon before, to watch an NBA game. This time we got NHL action, and the seats were nearly all filled at game time. It was expected to be close, as the last meeting saw a 2-1 win for the Caps. Once again, folks in our area were very friendly. Monica got a t-shirt from a cheerleader during the second intermission which she was excited about! We did have a couple of young ladies just a row back, that let the beer get ahead of them. By game end, they had fizzled to a slur! Solid match that ended 4-3 for the visitors on OT. Caps outplayed the Canes but lost quickly in OT, as often occurs when you don't "capitalize" on the opportunities afforded.

Soggy strut home for us, with wet slush underfoot and snow in the air. No worries though, we were indoors in jig time and having a glass of wine before a cozy sleep. I did have a bit of a struggle with the room temperature. The room got warm so I managed, after pressing all buttons, to actually shut off the heat. However, when 5:00 am rolled around it was getting "brisk" in Rm#323... Janie finally got all working shortly thereafter.