Smithsonian, Part 3

Below are the photos from Amy's camera, of our trip, last week, to D.C.

Sort of wish we'd gotten some photos of the drive down as well. Southern NY is really gorgeous, with its hills turning to mountains, and wide-open views. 

Pennsylvania has a different atmosphere. Highway property isn't much sought-after, so there's a real collection of shanties along 15 through PA, including  a number of them along the Susquehanna which are up on stilts. Penn also has the most threatening and admonishing signs I've ever seen, messages essentially like "Drive without a seat belt and see if we care when you die". A frequent sign was "Aggressive Driver Accident Zone". (Susan, any to add?) And for all of the signage it's only because of Susan's sharp eye that we managed not to let 15 ditch us when it turned without warning off the road we were on. 

We got to see "Gilbert's" in topiary. Don't see that every day.

We stopped around Harrisburg for lunch at an Applebee's on the way down and a Friendly's on the way back, and as usual Josh charmed everyone. Not faster service, though--just more smiles. Stopping at the gas station chain "Sheetz" (name brought to you by the state which is home to such town names as Bird-in-Hand, Climax, Hazard, Jugtown, and many more), I noticed a bulletin board with local news, which happened to mention a Sue Leitzel and a Michael Romig, Germanish names the like of which I have never seen outside of Columbus. Maybe because Rochester is so awash with Italian names?

Leaving Penn you drive through Maryland and into D.C. and the terrain becomes hilly and wooded and the houses progressively more palatial. Before leaving the Maryland countryside, though, you pass a number of farms. On the way back Susan swore she spotted a zebra grazing along with the horses. 

Of course we teased her endlessly about this. Who could have guessed she was right?

Sam enjoying the White House. Hopefully now he will stop claiming it's the biggest building in the world. When you are six, things can only be famous for being the biggest, fastest, tallest, etc.

The Smithsonian "Castle", which their web site says is "Home to the Smithsonian Information Center and the permanent exhibition Smithsonian Institution: America’s Treasure Chest, as well as the Institution’s administrative headquarters". We never went in, so we'll take their word for it.

In the Rotunda of the Museum of Natural History. On Wednesday afternoon when we were there they were setting up for some sort of banquet. What a great place for a banquet! And probably it would be free for everyone who donated $10,000.

It's a shame we don't have more photos of the strange and beautiful minerals in the Rocks & Minerals exhibit. This is one of the stranger ones--a naturally curvy gypsum sample.

You'll recall that we allowed as Sam is related to the Wright Bros.  We owe this connect to Uncle Paul.  This definitely helped build his interest in their story. 

Sam with the actual airplane they used for their first powered flight. (The canvas has been replaced, but nothing else.)

Everyone thank your photographer!

The lunches in the Natural History Museum were in a number of very nice cafes, which showed a real awareness for issues related to recycling and conservation and health. Nuts to all that PC stuff in the Air & Space Museum, where they just have a big McDs! The one thing they had in common is the high prices. Admission to the museums is free, so they make up for it when you eat lunch.

It's never disappointing to simply look up.

In front of an old commercial airliner.

In a solar-system exhibit. Can't wait to go back when Sam and eventually Josh are old enough to  absorb more information.

Susan under a biplane.

Sam did a nice job of keeping Josh entertained.

A fitting end to a long day.

Smithsonian, Part 2

So I was given the opportunity to do something for work in D.C. and leaped at it, knowing we could bring the family along and they could tour while I worked for the first two days, and we could tour together on the third. The whole trip was made much, much more doable by Aunt Amy, who joined us, staying at a B&B nearby and wandering the city with us.

They started with the Museum of Natural History and couldn't get enough of it. That was all they did the first two days, besides a walk-by of the White House and wandering the Mall a little. Sam was enthralled by the gems and minerals collections, including the Hope Diamond, and also really enjoyed the various hands-on exhibits, and the insect exhibit. Susan found places in the museum for Josh to get out of the stroller and crawl/cruise around, which many of the other visitors seemed to enjoy seeing. On Wednesday (day 3) we all went together to the Air & Space Museum and then, mid afternoon, switched to the Natural History Museum again so Sam could show me some of the things he enjoyed the most.

Amazingly, the cherry blossoms were at peak bloom during our visit, which very rarely happens this early in D.C. And the weather has been in the 70s--just gorgeous. I think it has been nice just about everywhere in the U.S. When I planned this trip I expected we'd be escaping Rochester for some good D.C. 60s spring weather. But even in Rochester the weather was amazing. What good timing!

Below are some photos, all from Wednesday. Most of the best photos are on Aunt Amy's camera and will be posted soon.

Amy's B&B room

Joshie enjoying the hotel room window. We were at the historic (really!) Mayflower Renaissance  Hotel just a few blocks from the White House

Behind us is the Smithsonian "Castle". A nice fellow offered to take our photo. The natives were uniformly kind  and helpful

At the sculpture garden on the Mall

The metro was a lot of fun

In front of the Museum of Natural History

 Look at the big rotunda!

In the Insect Zoo, Sam actually was willing to hold a slow-moving female grasshopper of enormous size. From Florida, I believe

Sam with the jaws of a Megaladon, the ancient  forebear of the great white shark

In the Insect Zoo was a replica of a termite mound, complete with a tunnel for kids to crawl through. Josh was enchanted and loved the glowing image of termites on the wall. 

Sam passed out after a wonderful but exhausting day.

Josh, ditto!

If you didn't see it, watch the movie on the previous post.

The Smithsonian, Part 1

We arrived in D.C. Sunday, meeting Aunt Amy for a four-day trip while I was here for work. Day 3, Wednesday, was spent mostly at the Air & Space Museum. Here we are in one of the huge open spaces with aircraft hanging overhead. The museum's better for older kids, I think, but still amazing, and a treat for all of us. Great having Amy to enjoy it with, too!

Josh has a walker!

Mom, Sam and Josh at the art museum!

A great weekend with Mom and Dad. Just pleasant visiting, and a nice pair of birthday celebrations. 

Josh's Kleenex time

Josh likes to pull kleenex out of boxes. Who doesn't? Then he plays with them--as you can see.