District of Columbia: Part II

Let me be the first to say that we had the best hosts.
We stayed with Matthew (Jacob's cousin) and Kim (his wife). They were the best.
The kindly let us monopolize their living room, drove us to the Metro and fed us after days of adventure.

Day II started with a fierce determination to make it to the Holocaust Museum.

My best efforts to make it down there by 8 meant we really made it down there by 8:45 a.m., but the line wasn't as long as "they" say so we lucked out.

This was the line behind us. We got timed tickets for a couple of hours later.

The Bureau of Printing and Engraving is where they print the money.
This is $1 million dollars in $10 sheets.

As a former bank teller, it was cool to see how they actually make our money.
Sadly, pictures are forbidden inside. So you'll just have to take my word for it.

Then we made it back to the Holocaust Museum.
It was nothing short of amazing.
Very solemn and powerful.
It took us about 3 hours or so to go through and we read about 90% of the displays.
So if you want to go, plan accordingly.
Also no pictures, but take my word for it. It is a must see.

We had lunch in front of the Washington Monument. It is a favorite landmark in D.C.
Without my mountains, it was a little stressful not knowing which direction I was looking.
So it was helpful to look at it whenever we were lost.

Next we hopped over to the Smithsonian. Which is not one museum, but a collection of museums.
This I did not know.
Now I am educated and will not make that mistake again. (I blame you, 'Night at the Museum 2'.)

My first Smithsonian museum experience was at the Freer Gallery of Art. I thought it had a great mixture of different types of art. My favorite was the large Asian art section. I felt like I was in China again.

We take art very seriously.

Then we ran over to the Air and Space Museum.
Jacob loved it. It was my least favorite museum. At least we balance each other out.
Next time I think we will split up and do our own museums and meet up later.

 My handsome pilot. We waited in line with the kids to get a chance to sit in an old plane.
(Were pilots really short back then? My legs barely fit in.)

After we got our space fill, we walked through the Hirshorn Sculpture Museum and had snacks in the Mall before the clouds started to get really menacing.

The Mall is..... not what I expected. I blame the movies, but I expected pristine lawn and people with picnic baskets and bikes with baskets, instead of patchiness and gravel. .
But the lawn was really well used by after-work runners, kickball leagues and baseballers. 

I suppose it really is the 'lawn of the people.'