Once upon a time in the not so distant past, the Simpson clan, loaded up the car, buckled in and headed on a long journey to Washington D.C. All seemed to be going well, at first. The Simpson girls were able to meet up with the Noakes cousins. Cousins met up...
Went for a lovely stroll in the plaza near King Street, it had been awhile since they had visited and so they caught up on all the important information such as the latest DSlite games and how many webkins they had collected. When all of the sudden things took a mysterious turn.
The rain started to come down and the only cover that could be found was under a beautiful large tree covered in pink blossoms.
As they continued on their walk, they came to a quaint little restaurant claiming great food and family friendly and since six kids under the age of 8 were in tow, they all stopped in. Of course the clan was sent to the third floor up several steep flights of stairs and given a private room.
Maybe it was the noise and intimidation factor that allowed everyone the private room, but it was better that way. The kids loved their meal, but mostly because an American Flag toothpick was placed in each meal.
Not too long after the tasty food settled, the Simpson and Noakes Families met up with Grandma and Grandpa Noakes...
Took a few pictures and then the dark night started to set in. And that is where the trouble began. After pulling out maps at the hotel, the children knew a hunt was on and a treasure was to be found. They knew their mission would be long and times would be hard, but if they endured, the reward would be well worth it.
At this point the group knew there was no time left to just sit on a corner...
Or be silly.
So the pressure was building and everyone put on their serious faces to get down to business.
The train came and the group knew the window of opportunity to abort the mission had past and the task now needed to be tackled.
At times the Simpson family tried to pose as innocent by-standers who had simply taken a family vacation and wanted pictures to remember the trip.
Some even put on their cheesiest smiles to build the facade as merely tourists.
But others were wiser than that and would hide at every spot where they could possibly be detected.
But alas, the hiding spots were limited and it was time to put away those cute faces and take on disguises.
So, after much thought and tips from others in the building, the families were transformed into Royal- Pirate- Superheros (I think I covered all grounds?)
But the journey didn't come without risk. At times the pressures were high.
And moments had to be taken for pondering where to go next and what to make of the confusion.
The boys had to chase away enemies posing as hungry pigeons just looking for some crumbs.
Walls were scaled.
Walks were long, legs grew tired. The terrain was rough and the sun's heat seemed almost unbearable at times.
Mountains begged to be climbed.
Breaks were few and far between, shade was limited.
Paths were narrow...
And battle wounds plentiful.
Exhaustion seemed to fall on everyone and the treasure seemed unattainable.
Space was limited...
And food scarce...
Pictures seemed to hold the only clues.
All entrances seemed to be surrounded with guards bearing weapons.
All entrances seemed to be surrounded with guards bearing weapons. 
The children chose orange, so as not to stand out in a crowd, then stopped occasionally for a glimpse at some of the sites, just to act natural.
Lines were forming...
Waters were rising...
Bars seemed trapping and blocked paths.
When suddenly Jeana decided the approach needed to change. A new perspective was necessary. And the problem needed to be addressed, by looking at all angles of the situation.
The journey drew on, it was still far from over. Deep waters seemed endless and overpowering...
Holdings one breath became critical for survival when the subway rode threw tunnels.
Doors seemed to be closing at all opportunities.
Patience was wearing thin.
The crowd was forced to move on, even if that meant sinking several feet into the depths of the unknown underground.
The winds that blew were fierce.
Directions seemed confusing at times.
Villains were fought off with intensity and backs had to be watched.
Though the stairs seemed endless and steep, suddenly the reward felt almost tangible.
Though the doors were large and overpowering, suddenly the journey grew more exciting.
Marks were left behind telling the seekers they were following the right path.
Obstacles were everywhere, but it never hurt to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of creatures great and small.
It was not long before ferocious beasts intimated the crowd.
Fortunately, the kids with their superhero powers destroyed the enemy, leaving nothing but bones behind.
The crowd slowly inched closer and closer to what they believed to be the location of the hidden treasure in Washington D.C.
Standing next to the building, they felt as though a new energy was released.
Though some dread of picture taking was left behind.
But finally, posing as statues was no longer necessary.
However, this wasn't over and before long, they found themselves locked behind bars in the tip top of the tallest tower in D.C.
And just when they thought ever hope was shattered, a new light from a new view seemed to open many unseen possibilities.
It seemed as though they were holding everything in the palm of their hands.
The sky was the limit.
Disguises ended with a brief meeting in the park.
Where clues seemed to come out of everywhere. Even on a green piece of paper Jeana ironically happened to find not far from the Lincoln Memorial. (Seeing doubles?)
People were now counting on these heros.
Even jumping from building didn't seem as intimidating.
Some solitude.
And even a little sadness.
But finally Grandma and Grandpa were found and that was only the beginning of the fortunes.
A few pictures were taken for documentation purposes.
It seemed as though now the treasures would never end as before them lay a whole chest full of gold, silver, diamonds and other valuable treasures. They had finally found the hidden wealth and kids were ecstatic, but the gifts went on.
Finally... the true compensation, the one treasure than any child would find the ultimate prize in the blistering August heat after days of walking...the ice cream, aahhh the silky, smooth, creamy 'rich'ness.
Suddenly, the trip seemed worth it all! (Okay, maybe more so for Mom and Dad)
THE END!!!
