The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. Located in Washington, DC on the National Mall, it also has a companion facility at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport at Chantilly, VA.

The space shuttle Enterprise is housed at the Udvar-Hazy Center, as is one of Amelia Earhart’s planes.

The NASM holds in trust some 50,000 objects, including air craft, space craft, engines, rockets, uniforms, space suits, balloons and artwork. The Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer is on display with related artifacts. A whole section is dedicated to the Wright Brothers with original and replica flying machines.

Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis

Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis from his 1927 flight is suspended from the ceiling of the National Mall building, along with the Bell X-1 (Glamorous Glennis) flown by Chuck Yeager when he broke the sound barrier. Planes from both World Wars, including uniforms and equipment, depict the United States at war.

Chuck Yeager's sound barrier-breaking Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis"

The space race and moon exploration are shown in scenes with the space suits worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, plus a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), duplicate of the one still sitting on the moon. Other milestones of space flight on display include the Mercury Friendship 7 and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. As you enter the front door of the museum, you encounter a touchable moon rock and millions of fingers have stroked it in wonder and awe.NASM also has a large archive of historic manuscripts, photographs, films and documents. To tour the entire facility takes the better part of a day and a lot of walking. Divided up into historic groups, areas and eras, the Museum has full size aircraft and space craft, plus miniature and cutaway models. The photographs and documents on the walls and panels are well worth stopping to view and read.

The history of aviation in the United States is contained within these walls and the hangars at Dulles. For anyone interested in history and aviation, both sites are essential to view and tour.

www.nasm.si.edu

When we first arrived at Mt. Vernon, I didn’t realize it was going to be as extensive as it was. From the outside, the visitor center looks like any other visitor center, with its statues, gift shop and counters full of brochures and people to inform you of the wonders of the place you are about to see. Once you get through the visitor center, it is a whole other world outside.

Mt. Vernon visitor Center - with statues of George, Martha and the children

There are guides to show you around or you can look around on your own. It is best to tag along with one of the guides, because they are very knowledgeable about George and Martha Washington and all the buildings on the estate and what went on in each and every one. There is usually a line to walk through the main house, but the wait is never too long. They only take small groups through at a time, because of the narrow hallways and small rooms within the mansion.

Mt. Vernon

We were not allowed to take pictures within the mansion, but could at any other place on the grounds. The mansion has been restored to as close to original as possible and the furniture and fixtures, which did not originally belong to the Washingtons, are true to the period. The colors in the rooms were as authentic as possible as chosen by Martha and George. Your can purchase reproductions in the Lady Washington Shop in the visitor center.

George Washington's carriage

We wandered around the plantation, which is built on rolling hills and overlooks the Potomac River, located about 16 miles southwest of Washington, DC. We toured important outbuildings such as the wash and ironing houses, the stables and the carriage house, which houses one of Washington’s original carriages. The slave quarters can also be viewed, along with the shops that they toiled in – the blacksmith shop, the shoemaking shop, and the meat smoking house. Washington’s tomb is also on the grounds, along with the tombs and gravesites of relatives of George and Martha.

The Mt. Vernon Ladies Association saved and preserved the estate in 1853 and oversees the day-to-day operations yet today. The original estate contained over 8,000 acres; today only 500 are preserved. To walk the paths and grounds of Mt. Vernon is a trip back in time and walking shoes are recommended!

http://www.mountvernon.org/

Tomorrow – Travel to the Museum of the Pacific – which is in Texas – go figure!

It’s All Happening at the Zoo

There is often a newborn – animal, that is – that creates quite a stir.  

The pandas are one of the prime attractions at the zoo.  With everyone jockeying for position, it may be hard to get some great photos.  It was fun watching the pandas, though, as they ate their bamboo and lumbered about.  They are so big and fluffy that you have to remind yourself that they are bears, so I was glad of the separation from them.

There are three pandas to view these days and they are playful and fun to watch, but sometimes, not totally active.  Hey, you wouldn’t want to move around a lot in the DC heat and humidity, either!

Playful Panda with Bamboo

Other Zoo Denizens

The Zoo has set up habitats where you can see animals in what seems like “natural” settings for their particular climate.  

You’ll see lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas and orangutans, fish, hippos, reptiles (snakes), and more and more and more.  Allow lots of time. (Enjoy some representative photos below.) My favorite are the orangutans who can travel above you, swinging 35 feet in the air, traveling to different parts of their domain.

For human animal visitors: There are places for snacks and fast food meals, if you do spend all day and get hungry watching the animals being fed.   

For the Kids

Kids will love to see all of the animals, but for a hands-on experience, head to the “Kids’ Farm” where children can pat and enjoy alpacas, cows, rabbits and other creatures and also learn about how pizza ingredients are grown. 

Elephant coming to visit

Tired tiger

Leopard

Drinking bear

Arriving at the Zoo

The metro does have stops to save parking issues. There is one stop in either direction and all involve a three -block walk, but you can take a bus that will then get you directly there. (See link below.)

Driving is possible, but parking fees reflect the fact that parking is relatively scarce, so public transportation is suggested.   If you simply must drive, use this address with Mapquest or Google to find your best route. 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

The zoo is open for viewing from 10 AM- 6 PM, April- October and 10 AM-5PM, November-March.  And, best of all, admission is FREE!!

The paths can be sloped and, if you’re out of shape, you might feel it.  But, it is handicapped accessible.

Links

National Zoo

Public Transportation to the Zoo

Zoo Map 

Kids’ Farm

You can also view animals online with a Webcam to get the flavor of the zoo’s inhabitants 

Tomorrow- Come back and learn what to watch out for when booking current air fare.

Imagine standing in bone-chillingly freezing weather near a large, manmade lake (The famous Tidal Pool) with two impressive monuments across from you, just waiting for sunrise.  That was the scenario for me several years ago in Washington, DC during the spring cherry blossom season.

Almost on a dare, I decided to try photography at sunrise since I’d always heard it was the best.  Well, it was, but the cold was so numbing that I almost couldn’t get my fingers to push the camera shutter.

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Jefferson Memorial at Sunrise

In any case,  Washington, DC is an impressive city with so many exciting locations – and most of them free!!!! – that you’ll want to schedule a week to visit in the US Capitol.

If you head to the Tidal Pool, both the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument are  on view. Generally, people are following along the walkway that encircles the pool, but early on the day I chose to arrive, very few people were out in the cold – a few runners, some strollers holding hands and several photographers.

Just before dawn at Jefferson Memorial

Getting around DC

Use the Metro!  It has many stops within a short walk of major attractions, costs relatively little, is clean and usually punctual. 

http://www.wmata.com/

Family friendly city

Washington, DC is a great city for families.  The Smithsonian collection of 19 -plus museums is eclectic and extensive.  Many of the museums in Washington are adjacent to the National Mall.  It is not a shopping mall in the traditional sense, unless you’re speaking about gift shops in the various museums, but a large expanse where the nation gets to play – or hold events or hang out on a glorious day.  

You might see a merry-go-round in good weather or vendors hawking their souvenirs or food, especially on the street side of the museums.

There’s a museum for everyone!

If you’re interested in space and travel (Air and Space Museum), see the Wright Brothers plane and the NASA moon capsule – and a lot more in between.

If you’re interested in American history, music, art, science, etc. DITTO.  

In the American History Museum, you can see Kermit the Frog, Evel Knievel’s Harley,  the “Egg” from the film Alien, Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, and many other artifacts of American culture.  Some exhibits rotate – I once saw them installing Julia Child’s kitchen for view!

Giant gems, dinosaurs and other natural elements are on exhbition at the Natural History Museum.  

The National Gallery of Art, east and west,, showcases modern  and more traditional art. And, if that isn’t enough for you, there are other museums devoted to art. 

The two museums have a connecting underground walkway with an enormous cafeteria, cafe and gift shops – a great place to rest your feet when you’ve been trekking around all day! 

The museums are the best gift to the public as you just walk in, no admission fees.  People are asked to stow their bags now, because of security issues.  But you can enter a museum as they open and stay all day until closing if you wish.  Some of the museums have that much to see, if you want to wander about.  (There are also cafes, so you can eat, too.)

For news junkies, adjacent to the National Mall is the Newseum,  (not a Smithsonian Museum and there is a fee), a tribute to all news all the time tracing news for five centuries.

There are many other fascinating museums to explore, but allow days!  

Come back Monday for a visit to the National Zoo.

Washington Monument- at Sunrise