Washington DC // 20 July
After a chill out day at the campsite enjoying the pool and resting our feet, we headed into Washington DC for a third day. We started at the Natural History Museum, then wandered through the sculpture garden at the National Art Gallery and stopped for lunch in their garden cafe. We then went to the National Archives to see the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. To finish off the day we headed to the Air and Space Museum, it was in the middle of renovations but the more compact layout of the displays made it quicker to move around even with the crowd.
Natural History Museum… First off we spent a few hours at the Natural History Museum. The displays in the Mammals and Geology sections were amazing. The Geology section featured the Hope Diamond along with hundreds of dazzling crystals and gems. The smaller areas with sea creatures and insects were also impressive. They also had a section featuring some of the original collections from the beginning of the museum.
National Archives… (No photos permitted inside) The building was a very grand and we following the flow of people to the huge circular gallery where the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence were displayed. The kids were surprised they were huge single pages not a book/joined together.
National Gallery… The National Gallery was a gorgeous building with huge central halls and a maze of small numbered galleries. A helpful guide gave us a few tips so we had a bit of a plan for the short time we had. (Our tickets for the Air and Space Museum were a timed entry.)
Air and Space Museum… The Air and Space Museum had exhibits on the beginning of flight and the early airline industry. Also a small section on space travel and a model of and X-wing.
