Countdown to trip

We started packing one month before and we had a very busy month - appointing the builder, packing up the house, having an outward bound course for 11 of Sam and Tobys friends at Middleton, saying goodbye to as many people as we could and choosing Sheenas kitchen with every detail confirmed!! Thank you to everyone who helped us get off on the trip - we scraped in getting everything done just in time!!

These are pictures of us leaving Middleton to go to the airport and of us at T5 just before we boarded our plane. The flight was great - good old BA!

We have had a great time in Washington. It is an amazing place with wide open roads, space and a very relaxed feel to it. We ran every morning past the White House, the Washington Monument, the WWII memorial and down to the Lincoln memorial. Everyone was very hospitable and friendly. We enjoyed touring the Capitol buildings, the Nasa space museum and the Museaum of Natural history and the Imax. The subway was very clean and easy to use.

A few facts we have learned so far: The USA has 50 states the last 2 added were Alaska (49) and Hawaii (50). There are 100 senators in the Senate - 2 senators per state and 435 in the house of representatives - representatives are allocated based on population per state. No Building in Washington can be taller than the Washington monument. Barack Obama is the 44th President of the US.

We have now arrived in New York - having got the fast train via Philadelphia today - now for a few days in NYC - still getting up early - maybe a run in Central Park tomorrow!