DC Day 3

It was another 12-hour day in the heart of DC again.  The weather was perfect in every way and my only regret was that most of our time was spent inside museums.  Still no humidity and even tonight after the sunset, the air was the same temperature as our skin and it just felt incredible.  We so lucked out, both with the weather and with the fact that East Coast schools started this week so there’s hardly anyone visiting all the museums, yet the summer hours are still on so most things are open until 7:30.  I kinda had that in mind when I timed this vacation the way I did, but I didn’t think it would work out THIS well.  We’ve been able to see many more things than I thought just because there’s been no standing in lines or waiting to get tickets to places that may take two hours of waiting just to enter.  Thank you, Jesus.

So the first stop this morning was the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where our paper money and passports and other important documents get printed.  They were in full swing so Kaleb got his desire to see conveyor belts at work, satisfied.  We saw millions and millions of dollars just sitting around.  Incredible.  There’s a new 100 dollar bill that will be released next year and we saw the new design for that, too.  Kaleb wondered why they just don’t print more money to pay off our national debt.  We told him we’ll have to have that discussion another day. (Photo below is of a million dollars in 10s.)

Right next door is the Holocaust Museum and again, we got in with no waiting.  That place was crowded only because a high school group was in there doing research, but we saw it all.  I left in tears.  It was a powerful display.  We’ve been to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and Yad Vashem, the memorial in Jerusalem, yet this place told the story best.  Very impressive.  And the one thing I learned I hadn’t previously heard before was that Martin Luther himself advocated “burning the synagogues and homes of the Jews.”  Yikes. 

We stopped in the Smithsonian Castle just to see what was there, as we headed across the Mall to visit the International Spy Museum.  It’s certainly NOT a part of the Smithsonian Museums, and totally built for the tourist trade, but one of the hotel employees (from Mount Vernon, Washington by the way), told us it was worthwhile.  She was right.  Really a fascinating place and I’m sure we could have used up the whole day just in that place if we had the time.

After a few hours in there, we crossed the street from the Spy Museum to see the National Portrait Gallery but we had to literally drag Kaleb in there to show him portraits of the Presidents and other important art work.  It was a quick trip.

Just around the corner from the Art Museum is Ford’s Theatre, so we managed to get in there before they closed.  Because not many people were there, they opened up the little side door and let us get up close to the booth where Lincoln was sitting when he was shot (behind the draped flags).  The whole theatre has been reconstructed, as it was turned into a military office after he was assassinated (see below), but the outside of the building is original.  It was still cool to see.

Straight down the street from the Ford Theatre is the Natural History Museum, which we managed to get through in three hours, but still had to be kicked out at closing time.  Kaleb didn’t want to be torn away from all the precious gems, as he loved staring at each and every one.  The Hope Diamond is there so that was fun to see (see photo below).  And I was surprised they had the actual rescue capsule used last year to get all those Chilean miners out from their mine.  It was a great tribute and the one miner that kept all their spirits up, loaned them his helmet and his Bible, which are now on display.  Very cool.

We walked by buildings like the IRS, FBI and EPA - huge buildings that take up several blocks and guards at every turn.  We left at sunset and felt that we saw all we came to see, so tomorrow will have new adventures, but probably not in DC.