Washington

Washington is the home of the museums.  There are 19 museums and growing.  I managed to get to 7 in the 7 days I was there.

American History - from the landing of the Mayflower to the Inauguration of President Obama.
The history and story of the flag and the national anthem is quiet amazing - seeing the flag that
actually flew of the ramparts during the battle of Baltimore of 1812 war with the British.   The
invention of the first car assembly line designed Henry Ford.  The inventions of the Telephone and
electricity. 

Natural History - The entrance looked like the seen from "night at the Museums".hahaha - Looking
through the ages of the Jurassic to Man.  The animals from all the nations, they had a section -
small section of Australian animals wooo hooo.  Spiders and Insects - Bird eating Spider -OMG its
massive.  the Black Widow - looks so much like the Red Back.  Snakes - Australia has 9 out of the
top 10 most deadliest snakes - COOL!!! 
Minerals and Gems - the home of the Hope Diamond - ITS MASSIVE!!!

American Archives - seeing the original papers of the Decoration of Independence, The Constitution
and the Bill of Rights... wow... shame that they are fading - so amazing seeing the documents that
are the corner stone of the USA and still adhered to.  The Emancipation Proclamation written by
Abraham Lincoln.

The Ford Theatre - The theatre where Abraham Lincon was assassinated.  The history of how Lincoln
started and then became the President.  the events leading up to the American Civil War and during. 
The gang of 6 that got together to plan the assassignation of the President and other members of
Congress and General Ulysses S Grant.  Grant was suppose to be at the theatre but did not go as he
just rode up Virginia.  The other Congressmen that was with Lincon in the booth was stabbed and
survived, Another member was attacked in his home, stabbed in the face and neck and survived.  John Wilkes Booth was killed during his capture after being hunted for 2 weeks.

Holocaust Museum - the events leading up to the time that Hitler took power and his ideas of the
"perfect world", taking over the country, then trying to take over the world during world war II.  I
knew about the atrocities but not to the extent that I seen and the pictures of the first time US
and British forces found the camps through Germany and Poland.  Hearing the stories of the survivors
very moving .... hard to believe that 1 man and his "ideas" could try to wipe out an entire
race/religion. 

Air and Space - My fave of all the museums - im fascinated by the idea of flight - seeing the first
Wright Brothers plane blew me away ... 2 brothers who were bicycle builders  - the whole concept of
how they designed the plane from how birds flew - to the way they used there body to "wing warping", the twisting of the wings to make the plane change direction totally fascinating.  The luna module of the "Apolo 11" that landed on the moon.  Between the first flight of the Wright Brothers - 1903 and the first man on the moon in 1969 - 66 years.  AMAZING!!!  They had fighter planes during the first world war that was 11 years after the first flight. 

Air and Space @ Dulles Airport, just put side of Washington.  1 massive hanger of planes - i was
like a little kid at a candy store again...
The Wright Brothers second plane that was developed.  It carried 2 people and with better
directional controls with the development of the allerons with the wing warping made
flying allot more stable and maneuverable.  Was also the first air crash fatality, during a show
Wilbur Wright was flying with a passenger it crashed killing the passenger and almost killed Wilbur.
The planes from the first world war to the current F18 Hornets and Harriers, including a Concord,
its larger than i thought it would be, the amazing speed it would do between London and New York and the length of time a staggering 6 hours. Then the Space Shuttle Discovery.  WOW... that makes it 3 that i have seen, can never get tired looking at them, they all look the same but oh so different. 

Arlington Cemetery - the final resting place of JFK, Jackie Kennedy, Robert and Ted Kennedy.  Also all the fallen American Soldiers from the American Revolution to the current activity in Iraq.    Monuments to the Space Shuttle Columbia that broke apart on re-entry after a part of the wing was damaged during take off and Challenger that exploded just after take off.  There is a house at the top of the hill that used to belong to Robert E Lee.  The changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown solider was amazing to see and so regimental... 21 steps ... hold for 21 seconds turn and place the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb and hold for another 21 seconds the march to the other side and repeat.  The changing of the guard the new guard is fully inspected as well as his gun making sure its clean.  Fascinating.  I was lucky enough to speak to a guard that was off duty and asked about the weather conditions ... its rain hale or storm...

Pictures will be in other posts.   Not all the museum's allowed pictures.