Our Time In Washington DC..

We're here in Collage Park, Maryland. Using Cherry Hill RV Park as our home-base for the next two weeks, we plan to explore the Washington DC area and enjoy some of it's historic sites.  Ronnie and I have been to Washington DC before but it has been over 25 years.  We want to see again some of our favorite museums and hopefully see some new places as well. Cherry Hill RV Park is a little pricey for us but it is near the Metro Station and I-495.  This location is perfect for getting around this busy and very crowded part of the District of Columbia and surrounding points of interests.  

We arrived during a very heavy rain storm, the worst we have ever experienced in all of our traveling/camping times! However, we got set up eventually, the park is comfortable and now dry.  Day One, we rested, visited the grocery store and discovered a fantastic Greek restaurant nearby.

Day Two

Using the Metro Rail System, we easily and quickly made our way to the National Mall area of Washington DC.  To reacquaint our selves with the area, we visit a favorite: the National Air and Space Museum.  Here is a sample of some of the many, many exhibits we viewed.

It is just amazing to see these huge airplanes suspended from the rafters.

The Driverless Car exhibit with the "guide lasers" on top was quite thought-provoking to me especially after seeing exhibits of airplanes, space rockets, hot air balloons..all piloted by humans.  What kinds of transportation will my little niece (6 months) and nephew (3 years) see when they are our age??

We saw the full-scale mockup of the
Hubble Telescope but somehow I missed it's mirror found in the Planet exhibit!
The original telescope is still in orbit and remains in operation.





Here is the authentic, Real Wright Flyer, built by Orville and Wilbur Wright.  Yes, the first airplane flown in 1903.  Only it's fabric, replaced in 1984-85, is not original.

And it's REAL, original propeller.

Look at Ronnie standing beside a Saturn V rocket engine.  Yes, we remembered and discussed our experience watching the Falcon Heavy lift off in February this year.  Think about the fire that came out of that engine.

That's the engine!

Here's Buzz Aldrin's moon suit. He was a crew member on Apollo 11 and second man to step on the moon.
(Neil Armstrong's moon suit was currently "temporally removed" for conservation.)

This is John Glenn's flight suit.  He was the first man to orbit the earth, circling it three times.

And here's Scott Irwin's moon suit, Apollo 15.  It still has moon dust on it.

The display of personal items from the Apollo 11 crew members made you feel more connected to them as everyday folks, not just the courageous space scientists/ pioneers that they are considered today.

Look at Amelia Earhart's Lockhead 5B Vega that she flew.. alone.. across the ocean in 1932. Wow!

So many things to see in here and I took way too many photographs! What an impressive museum this place is to us.

Taking a lunch/snack break, we walk across the National Mall only to see this cool albino squirrel. 

That was our busy morning, whew!
During the afternoon we visited the National Museum of the American Indian.  Now, to me this museum was most impressive.  It's inviting architecture, the informative exhibits plus the complete documentation of the Native Americans emotional historical timeline in North America made an impression on me.  I really love/enjoy/appreciate all things Native American especially since I used many of my own purchased Native American artworks to inspire art students when I taught about their art/culture ..  many years ago in my former career.

The architecture of this museum is awe-inspiring.  I sure hate the waterfall and surrounding stream isn't operating today.

National Museum of the American Indian.






We found the walk up to the museum so quiet and serene.  It sorta reminded us of other Native American sites we have visited while traveling throughout the southwestern part of the US.

Entering the vast atrium, you look up and see what looks like a "dream-catcher" suspended in the ceiling.

And then as you wind up the stairs to the exhibit halls, you see a "dream-catcher" shadow cast on the wall. So cool!

There are 4 floors of informative displays detailing the lifeways, history and art of indigenous peoples through the Western Hemisphere.  Yes, I felt it was ALL impressive in how well it was done.  Here is just a very, very small sample of some of the many, many things that caught my attention.

I always love the art of the Great Plains Indians.

The Northwestern Coast Native Peoples

Animals represented in Native American culture.  These are all cats..grin.

This is an example of a Mayan Calendar. This is part of the Central American Peoples gallery

This Native American display of authentic peace pipes comes from the "Nation to Nation:Treaties Between the United States an American Indian Nations" exhibit.

I think this peace pipe was dated 1851!

I really loved this Navajo weaving blending the American flag.  Info states it was made by Juanita "Asdzaa" (her Navajo name) in 1874.  It is thought to be a diplomatic gift to the United States from Manuelito, a principal war chief of the Navajo (1818-1893).

One really interesting exhibit was the room filled with examples of merchandise using the word "Indian" found in American culture. Note on the back wall, a continuous play of famous movies scenes depicting Native Americans.  Yes, we even saw scenes from Kevin Costner's 1990 movie "Dances With Wolves".

Uniquely, the Museum's cafe "Mitsitam" prepares different Native American foods/cuisines from the Western Hemisphere.  One could select dishes from the Northwest Coast region (ex: salmon chowder) or foods from the Great Plains (ex: Navajo fry bread, bison burgers) Northern Woodlands (ex: walleye fish, North Atlantic clam Soup) Mesoamerica (ex: Green Chile Chicken Posole) or South America (ex: Stewed Plantains & Chicken). So many different things to choose from, why I want a taste of everything!  I select the Stewed Plantains & Chicken.  Yes, it was very tasty!

Leaving this memorable experience, I am sitting outside in the surrounding museum's patio entrance way when I keep smelling perfumed air.  I kept asking Ronnie, do you smell the perfume someone is spraying?  Then when I look up, I see it isn't a sprayed man-made perfume but the dwarf magnolia trees that are in full bloom.  Wow! the sweet odor just filled the air, what a memory to add to a most unbelievable day.

As we left the National Mall, after our overwhelmingly fantastic day, we look over at the Capitol and notice it looks rather dark and stormy over there..humm..