Road Trip Day 9 - D.C.

The boys fixed breakfast this morning - yummy potato scramble and waffles. J.J. and I were free (no group to chaperoned), so we had a relaxing morning and then a day in D.C. to ourselves - yippee! After a brief explanation of how the Metro worked, J.J. became a pro and I let him lead us where we wanted to go. Our first stop was the Washington Monument and boy was it HUGE! Amazing and interesting history, too - the bottom section has slightly different colored brick because construction was halted during some point (can't remember which war - the civil?) and when the project resumed the stone came from a different quarry. It was quite warm today, sunny and muggy and we were glad to rest in the shade of the monument here. We decided not to walk to the other end of the mall to see the Lincoln Memorial, but we did see it from a distance.

We couldn't see the White house from here because of trees and buildings, but it wasn't too far away. Next we went to the Smithsonian visitor's center at the "Castle" in which there is a sampling of the exhibits found in the 12 museums (including the National Zoo). I asked J.J. what most interested him and it was very easy for him to choose the Air and Space Museum, so off we went. Our bags were searched everywhere we went, and police were EVERYWHERE. Two cars on every block and officers everywhere in the subway, on the streets, in the museums (and these were just the ones we noticed - John told us there are just as many plain-clothed officers around, too).

There were a lot of school groups at the A&S museum, but we plowed through and learned a ton about the history of passenger and military flight. I was impressed that J.J. was eager to learn and read all the signs instead of just skipping through (like many others were doing). One highlight was an amazing model of an aircraft carrier that took someone 1,000 hours a year for 12 years to build. We only explored the "Air" side of the museum when J.J. said, "Let's go to the Zoo." I regret skipping the space flight side now, but at the time I was totally up for it. It was free, and we knew how to get there on the subway. But after walking a ways and stopping for a little snack, I pulled out a brochure and started reading what was at the Museum of American History. So we switched plans.

The Mall is an amazing place - lots of joggers and people playing Frisbee in the grassy areas. There was a special "Public Service Appreciation" event going on, and all sorts of military vehicles and displays were being set up (ATF vans, Reserves helicopter and tanks, Border patrol boats, etc.). It is a huge area with wooded walkways on either side.

Once we got to the American History museum, we went straight to the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. It told the story about the war of 1812 when newly founded America tried to exert her new independence and paid dearly by England's response. On display were bombshell shards and charred wood from the original capitol building that the English bombed burned down. It was during one of these battles that Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner as he watched the city under attack and the flag struggle to remain standing. In a special environmentally-controlled room was the restored flag -the actual stars and strips that Key saw as he wrote what is now our national anthem. It was tattered and worn and cut up (for souvenirs), but still it was recognizable as the symbol of our free, unified country.

After this, we went on to "The Price of Freedom" exhibit about wars and conflicts. Here we saw General George Washington's epaulets, viewed what a civil war soldier's diet was like, and learned details about both world wars. There was the last Huey helicopter that left Vietnam (yes, the entire chopper) as well as twisted collumns of steel from the World Trade Center that was bombed on 9-11. Heavy stuff. To punctuate all this, as we came out of the exhibit, there was an actor in WWI military dress reading letters home from soldiers from all the different wars. There were many other live/interactive demonstrations around the museum as well. We learned so much and it made all the history we'd been learning come to life and seem more real.

Tonight we left the houses to sleep on the D.S.S. Barry battle cruiser harbored at the Navy Yard. J.J. LOVED it, but I actually slept in a hotel across the street that Betty Ann (another parent) got for us. I had the most amazing night's sleep yet!