Museums and Memorials

The forecast for this weekend called for hot and humid conditions today, followed by cooler weather on Sunday, so we decided it was best to do some of the air conditioned Smithsonian museums today and then hit the monuments and Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow.  So that's what we did. 

We started the day by parking at Union Station and boarding a Tourmobile to navigate the distances around the mall.  We first hit the National Air and Space Museum.  Shirley had been here before and really like it, so we spent a couple of hours exploring this fascinating museum of the history of flight and space.  We all really enjoyed our time here.

After leaving the Air and Space Museum, we walked across the mall to the National Archives.  I really wanted to see the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, US Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Several years ago these documents were restored and a new display area within the rotunda of the building was constructed to display them in a manner which protects them from light, dust and other damaging elements.  There was a long line of people waiting to enter the rotunda, which indicated to me that there is still great respect and hope for the promise of America that these documents embody.  I have to say that it was pretty emotional to me to actually view these items firsthand, knowing that our Founding Fathers had physically prepared, written, signed and handled these very papers that I was now looking at.  Pretty awesome!

 

Our next stop was the Museum of American History.  By the time we arrived here, it was about 2:00pm...prime museum time.  So, the place was packed and pretty difficult to get around.  We rested and had a snack in the cafeteria, then maneuvered our way through a couple of exhibits.  We wanted to see the exhibit on the First Ladies, but the line was incredibly long, so we decided to skip it and leave this museum.  We reboarded the Tourmobile to make our way to the Lincoln Memorial, long a favorite of Bud and Shirley.  We climbed the steps and took in the view up the mall, and then entered the chamber where the massive statue of Lincoln looks out over the city.  This is always an emotional and somber place. 

We ended our day in DC with some nice views of the White House, Washington Monument and Capital on our way back to Union Station. 

 

Tomorrow, we go back into DC to visit Arlington, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Vietnam and WWII Memorials, and whatever else strikes us if we have any energy left.  Good night!