Smithsonian and the National Mall

Much to my surprise, we took the MetroRail into the city. The Aunties managed to convince Mike and Dad that traffic downtown is horrendous, and parking is nonexistent. And so began our journey on the Metro. The men have not been on a subway since the advent of self-service ticket machines. And I've never been on a real subway system (somehow, Skytrain just doesn't cut it). So began our underground adventure. As I was reading the very detailed instructions, the men decided that we should be able to purchase our tickets from a real person, but that is not an option in today's world. After I convinced them to join the new generation way of doing things, we purchased our day passes and headed into the bowels of the earth. It felt like we would never reach the bottom. Diane had a little apprehension about going down so many escalators. After an uneventful ride on the Red line and transfer onto the Blue line we found ourselves on the grounds of the National Mall.

What to do first? We started at The Castle. Much of it is used for admin, so not much to see there except for the crypt of James Smithson. After a quick cup of coffee (still missing my Tims) and overview of the museums we were back outside. Diane really wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial. Something about Night at the Museum II. The weather was beautiful and we were feeling up to the task, so we set to walking. There is a free transit system in the mall area, but only on weekends. It is a great distance (a total of 13 city blocks). First was the Washington Monument. We arrived too late in the day to take the inside tour. After some pictures, and a view of the White House, we trudged off in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial. Next stop, World War II memorial. A beautiful combination of concrete and water features. All the states are represented with concrete pillars, and on some of them people have placed flowers and other gifts in memory of loved ones.

Following that was the famous reflecting pool. I had imagined that it would be crystal clear, still, reflecting the blue sky. That may have been the case when it was envisioned and created. But now it is a rectangular pond for ducks and geese. As we walked along the edge of the pool, I continually chided Diane for walking too close. I had no desire to take her back on the Metro, then the hour long drive back to the hotel covered in pond water and goose droppings.
Arriving at the base of the Lincoln Memorial brings emotion to the surface. It is imposing and beautiful. Walking up the steps, I couldn't help but think about Martin Luther King giving his 'I have a dream' speech from this exact spot. Once at the top and inside, I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the columns. Engraved on the wall are some of the more famous of Lincolns speeches. Reading these out loud to Diane I could feel my voice waver. He had such a passion for the people, for equality, and human rights.
After spending some time here, we decided to take a taxi back to the museums. We decided to tour the Museum of Natural History.

While looking at the displays for "early man" I was able to show Diane how after Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden they had to wear animal skins, and work the land with rudimentary tools made of stone and animal antler. Further down, we noticed that humankind had learned to fashion better tools and make fabric. She learned that the Hebrew's who left Egypt with Moses would have used similar tools and clothing.

We came upon the bones and forensics display. We were able to actually hold and learn about human bones. It wasn't as creepy as I thought it would be.  On display are the skeletons of hundreds of different animals, including a grey whale and common house cat.

We then meandered through the insect display. I have enough horrific thoughts about six legged and eight legged freaks and there's really no need to add more information to feed that fear. Diane enjoyed seeing the live and static displays of thousands of Gods creatures, while I looked at the maps and brochures I'd been collecting all day.

On to the Gems and Minerals. And of course The Hope Diamond and display. It is an amazing piece. It has been temporarily removed from its setting and can be seen in a very secure display case. From there we viewed many beautiful jewelry pieces. Many designed by Harry Winston. Pieces worn by the celebrities of a bygone era. Diamonds in pink, blue and deep red. Emerald rings larger than a dollar coin. As we wandered from gems cut and set by human hands into the uncut gems and raw minerals section, we all began to tire. So agreeing to return again tomorrow, we set out for the Metro, picked up Nana from Grandmas house and returned to our welcoming hotel.

Tomorrow we are going to try and tackle: The Mammal Hall, Dinosaurs, Fossils and Oceans in the Natural History Museum and then see if we can spend some quality time at the Air and Space Museum. If time and weather permit, we'll walk as close to the WhiteHouse as we are allowed without being arrested.