Day two of our adventure!
Today was another awesome day (despite the rain!). We had another wonderful "breakfast smorgasbord" prepared by Amy! Then, Doris and I departed for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (we were very very excited!). We were followed shortly after by Amy and Chris (Molli's little brother, who is also visiting).
First, we viewed the dinosaurs. Doris was very impressed by the amount of fossils at the museum!
The mammals were cool too. I was surprised because unlike the mammals at the NYC Natural History Museum, there are no true "dioramas." The animals are not seen in replias of their habitats. Interesting alternate way of presenting similar information in a different way!
The HIGHLIGHT to end all HIGHLIGHTS was the Hall of Ocean Life. They had not one but TWO giant squid bodies on display! The smaller was a male, while the larger (HUGE!!!) squid was a female. I had come to DC not knowing there would be any giant squids at all! There were also plenty of non-giant squids, many of which were displayed in glass jars.
We also watched a 3D IMAX movie about sea creatures, and it was excellent! There were squids, octopi, mola molas, giant starrfish, and lots and lots of jellyfish!
We had lunch at the museum, and it was fun! We then continued on to see the remainder of the museum (gems and minerals, soil, insects, etc.).
After the museum visit, Doris and I went outside and it was no longer raining. We decided to walk to see some of the monuments. We didn't think they looked too far away, but in actuality, it was a very long walk! We circled the Washington Monument and took photos. I insisted we "touch" the monuments. Then we walked past the reflecting pool and up to the Lincoln Memorial. We passed the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Somewhere in all of this, we managed to miss the Vietnam Memorial, which was also right there. (We were bummed!)
We basically walked our legs off before returning to Amy and Molli's place! Once home, though, a treat awaited us! Molli's mom had cooked delicious food for dinner. YUM! We also had ice cream and played Guitar Hero: World Tour with Chris.
We ended up having to turn in early, so Doris and I watched an episode of "Star Trek" on our computers (we re trying to see the original series in order).
Another lovely day! :) I think I am tired and ready to sleep now!
First, we viewed the dinosaurs. Doris was very impressed by the amount of fossils at the museum!
The mammals were cool too. I was surprised because unlike the mammals at the NYC Natural History Museum, there are no true "dioramas." The animals are not seen in replias of their habitats. Interesting alternate way of presenting similar information in a different way!
The HIGHLIGHT to end all HIGHLIGHTS was the Hall of Ocean Life. They had not one but TWO giant squid bodies on display! The smaller was a male, while the larger (HUGE!!!) squid was a female. I had come to DC not knowing there would be any giant squids at all! There were also plenty of non-giant squids, many of which were displayed in glass jars.
We also watched a 3D IMAX movie about sea creatures, and it was excellent! There were squids, octopi, mola molas, giant starrfish, and lots and lots of jellyfish!
We had lunch at the museum, and it was fun! We then continued on to see the remainder of the museum (gems and minerals, soil, insects, etc.).
After the museum visit, Doris and I went outside and it was no longer raining. We decided to walk to see some of the monuments. We didn't think they looked too far away, but in actuality, it was a very long walk! We circled the Washington Monument and took photos. I insisted we "touch" the monuments. Then we walked past the reflecting pool and up to the Lincoln Memorial. We passed the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Somewhere in all of this, we managed to miss the Vietnam Memorial, which was also right there. (We were bummed!)
We basically walked our legs off before returning to Amy and Molli's place! Once home, though, a treat awaited us! Molli's mom had cooked delicious food for dinner. YUM! We also had ice cream and played Guitar Hero: World Tour with Chris.
We ended up having to turn in early, so Doris and I watched an episode of "Star Trek" on our computers (we re trying to see the original series in order).
Another lovely day! :) I think I am tired and ready to sleep now!