Today, Friday, has been a bit overcast all day, but the rain held off until about 8 this evening. A cool, perfect day to explore the Smithsonian Museum complex. Comprising some 18 separate facilities in the National Mall and surrounding DC area, the Smithsonian Museum houses a diverse collection of American and World artifacts. From the National Gallery of Art to the American Indian Museum, to the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum, a visitor can spend weeks in the area and not see everything. Today we made it to the Air and Space Museum and the American History Museum.
We popped out of the underground Metro at the Archives Station, which is at the northern edge of the Federal Triangle. This area houses many departments of the government and is unified by a common architectural theme.
A three block walk due south got us to the National Mall, where we headed to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, walking past the National Archives building on the way.
Once in the Air and Space Museum, the first thing that greets you is the Spirit of Saint Louis, Charles Lindberg's record breaking airplane.
Sensory overload soon follows:
The camera system used on U2 flights around the world. It is about six feet high and provides 3/4 yard accuracy from 65,000 feet.
One of the Lunar landing vehicles that was built as a backup for Apollo 11. It is exact in every detail except for the fact that it did not make it to the moon.
A full-size replica of the Hubbel telescope, built as a practice vehicle and never used. It stands just under two stories high.
An unknown prankster was teasing the photographer behind the Hubbel Telescope scale model…..
Many full size, actual aircraft are displayed throughout the museum, including many pre-WWII planes,
A venerable DC-3, probably a plane with the most world-wide flight hours of any. Some are still in use.
A sample of WWII aircraft carrier based aircraft.
And the most modern, remotely controlled drones.
A complete wing of the museum is devoted (rightly so) to Orville and Wilber Wright. The brothers combined a scientific approach with practical knowledge and a whole lot of luck to become the first to fly a heavier than air machine.
Getting a little hungry after touring two floors of the museum, we followed our noses to the Food Court. This is arguably the largest McDonalds in the world, with two floors of seating and six ordering stations.
After a quick couple of Big Macs, we headed west down the National Mall to the Museum of American History.
This incredible museum is like your grandmothers attic on steroids. Every type, size and color of anything ever made, used, or loved in the United States is here.
We went through security and started our adventure on the first floor which has a GM sponsored Transportation Exhibit in the East Wing. This exhibit starts in the very early days of mechanized transportation when railroads revolutionized our world, and continues throughout the post-war years of plenty, prosperity, and automobiles, and then on to the automobiles of the last few years.
The first to greet your eye is the John Bull Locomotive.
Imported from England in 1831, it was the technological marvel of its day.
Then through a variety of steam engines that revolutionized industry and manufacturing.
A tribute to the mechanics that soon learned to work on and repair those Tin Lizzys!
Up until the advent of automobiles, building that housed businesses were built adjacent to the street, which often was dirt or gravel. When gasoline powered cars began milling about, a quick and safe way to fuel them had to be developed……wait for it……The Gas Station! And it had to be built a bit off the road so as to not impede traffic on the street. A forerunner of our modern system.
On exhibit is a wonderful and colorful collection of emblems and badges from automobiles no longer in production.
I need one of those for the motorhome!
And then onto the Route 66 days of the migrants and their exodus to California. One story tells of a man who had a gas station on Route 66 that had a small market onsite. He tells of trading gas and groceries with migrants for some item of value on their car. "Having made the trade, they would go off into the distance, hoping to get closer to their dream".
To pink Flamingos,
To a 1984 Apple Macintosh. Remember this $2500 marvel? It made the word "mouse" have a whole new meaning. Along with the geeky term "graphical interface".
In the medical exhibit, Minnesota's Medical Alley is described, and the first cardiac pacemaker is on display.
We were only able to make it through the first floor of the American History museum today, so we'll have to return for the second and third floors. We strolled back to the Metro and zipped home in short order, hoping to relax and prepare for the Holiday tomorrow, but that plan hit a little bump.
Sasha needed to take a walk when we got home, so we saddled up and took off. She has found a large expanse of grass in about the middle of the park where she likes to try to chase birds and rabbits and such. Well, today she got her wish. She saw a flock of birds on the grass and took off like a shot. Evidently the leash latch failed and she was gone into the trees before I could get a sound out. We soon had the neighbors, the staff, and anyone else we could find talked into looking for her. The neighbors found her after an hour or so, trying to catch up with me as I walked around the park whistling and calling her name. Evidently she was a few hundred yards behind me most of the time, following her nose and enjoying life! Doggone Dog!
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