Day 10 - Arlington, VA - Milford, NY

Today was a travel day, but before we left the Washington area, I wanted to see the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  A quick drive from our hotel in Arlington across the Potomac and we arrived on a beautiful morning.  Dr. King has a great view of the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin from his spot.  After a quick stop by the north side of the White House (the kids and Caroline didn't see it the day before), we loaded up and drove towards Dulles Airport so we could arrive at the secondary Air and Space Museum located nearby.  I had been once before, but this visit was even better.  They've opened a new section which allows you to overlook their preservation lab/hangar.  The Apollo 11 Lunar Module was currently there having some work done to it.  In the main museum are several early aviation gliders and planes, an Air France Concorde, the Enola Gay, the Blackbird, and, of course, the Space Shuttle Discovery.  We all agreed that what we liked about this museum is that it doesn't go overboard trying to educate you.  What I mean by that is, the planes and space ships are displayed for you to enjoy fairly up close.  Placards nearby tell you what you're looking at and some of the history, but you're free to just roam around and gawk at the artifacts.  Be sure to make a visit here if you're ever in the DC area.

After a quick bite for lunch in Leesburg, VA, we headed north with our first stop at Gettysburg, PA.  Lena and I were the only ones really looking forward to the stop; Yorktown left a bad taste in the others' mouths for battlefields.  Fortunately, Gettysburg is better as there is so much more to look at.  This was my second visit, but it was fun to see all that has changed in the 30 or so years since I was last here.  We stopped at the Visitors' Center to load up on maps and snacks and then off we went.  We didn't drive the entire auto tour, but hit the highlights:  Pennsylvania Monument, National Soldier's Cemetery where Lincoln gave his famous speech, Virginia Monument, and the Arkansas Monument.  It was a short visit, but well worth it!  We got lucky too as a guided tour came up while we were in the cemetery so we got to hear where the real spot Lincoln gave his address:  spoiler alert, it's not where it's marked!  Instead, recent technology has confirmed it's located near two trees and the road in the middle of the adjoining city cemetery.

The rest of our day was driving as we made our way to central New York.  We stopped for dinner in Hazelton, PA, at a great local diner.  We unfortunately drove through the mountains and valleys around Wilkes-Barre and Scranton in the dark and didn't get to see any of the south central views of New York state.  We pulled into the hotel in Milford at about 11:00 pm (our latest yet) and all crashed into bed immediately.  Our journey continues tomorrow at Cooperstown!

Day 9 - Washington, DC

This hotel really is nice as it has allowed us to spread out a bit.  The girls are on the sofabed in the living room and there are two separate bedrooms for the rest of us.  Thanks, Residence Inn.  We walked 2 blocks to the Pentagon City Metro station, purchased our fare cards, and off we went.  The weather today was unbelievable.  A stiff breeze out of the northwest and temps in the mid-70s this morning greeted as we exited the Metro near the Capitol building.  We walked along the east side and saw the Library of Congress and Supreme Court buildings as well.  Because of time limitations, we didn't schedule any tours on this trip, but rather just enjoyed the outdoor architecture.  We walked around to the west side of the Capitol and discovered the reflecting pool had quite the chop on it due to the wind.  We continued west past the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and arrived right at 10:00 am for the opening of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

The Air and Space Museum never disappoints and today was no different.  Having just been to the Kitty Hawk area, we wanted to make sure we saw the Wright Flyer.  We even learned a few things we hadn't heard in North Carolina.  For example, it only flew 4 times because as the brothers were discussed the 4th flight, a gust of wind came along flipping the plane over and completely damaging it.  The hanging planes and rockets fascinated the kids as did being able to walk into a 1970s 747, a simulator where you try to land a plane on an aircraft carrier, and the exhibit on the different planets.  The food court has been redone too as the Smithsonian has smartly brought in McDonald's, Boston Market, and a pizza place.  This is MUCH better than it used to be.

Our next adventure took us to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  I remember that as a kid, I really didn't like this museum, but I must admit that it has grown on me over the years.  Their newer mammals and ocean life exhibit are top notch, use current fonts and layouts, have interactive features, and have LED lighting.  I still don't go through the mineral and gem area much anymore.  Once you've seen the Hope Diamond, you don't really have to see it again.

All this museuming caused us to need an afternoon pick me up.  Fortunately there is a line of food trucks from one side of the Mall to the other near the Natural History Museum.  Half of us stopped a great ice cream truck that was blaring 50s music and serving up classic soda shoppe favorites.  We found a patch of lawn to sit on and enjoyed our break.  The group separated after this as Lena and I ventured to the American History Museum while the others went to ride the Metro and see the outside of the Nationals Stadium.  The Amer. Hist. Museum recently opened a renovated west wing on the 2nd floor entitled, "The Nation We Build Together."  One gallery in particular, "Many Voices, One Nation," was particularly good as it presented the historical challenges faced by so many in this country, but in the end, we've come together (mostly) to create our current America.  It's always good to see old favorites too:  the Greensboro Lunch Counter where the sit-in of 1960 occurred, the Star-Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln's hat from his visit to Ford's Theatre, and the tiny personal desk on which Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration.

Lena and I finished before the others, so I decided we would search out the Hamilton-related statues nearby, plus take a look at the White House on the way to meet the rest of the group at our traditional picture-taking spot:  the Albert Einstein Memorial on the corner of the National Academy of Sciences property.  The last time we had our photo taken here, it was 2 weeks before Christmas in 2009 and it was FRIGID!  Today was MUCH more enjoyable.

Now that the gang was back together, we trekked across Constitution Avenue to the Lincoln Memorial.  I LOVE this memorial; it's truly my favorite, especially at night.  As we approached, we could hear a loud voices either shouting or singing and we soon discovered there was a Latin religious group performing a concert/revival on the steps of the Memorial.  While it did limit the great photos we could have gotten, I also recognize that the Lincoln Memorial has served as the backdrop for concerts, protests, speeches, and many more over the years, so while today's event was quite loud, it was very fitting.  President Lincoln has not moved from his seat, I'm pleased to report, and he was gleaming ever so bright as ever.

We finally raised the white flag and decided we were too tired to get to a Metro stop, take the train back to Arlington, and then walk 2 blocks to the hotel, so after we got through the WWII Memorial and up to the Washington Monument, we called an Uber.  Within 5 minutes we were being whisked away and arrived at our hotel with sore feet, backs, and sleepiness crashing upon us.  What a long, fantastic day.  Tomorrow is a travel day, but we'll still see lots of cool things along the way.  One week until we return home!