The Whitings

For Devon's Spring Break, my mom flew in to watch the kids while Devon and I took our first childless vacation. We were planning on bringing Paxon and Ryan, but my mom insisted on watching them. We left Monday (Devon's 33rd birthday) afternoon, arrived that evening, and spent some time relaxing in the hotel. Tuesday we went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The only other museum I had wanted to see but did not have the time was the International Spy Museum. Wednesday Devon and I got on our bikes and saw all the Washington DC monuments including my personal favorite, the Library of Congress. The only place we did not have time to see was Arlington National Cemetery. Thursday Devon and I "toured" the Washington DC Temple and attended a session. We were asked to be the witness couple which was fun. As a youth the DC Temple was our assigned temple. I remember several baptisms for the dead trips and enjoyed having the opportunity to return as an adult and participate in an endowment session. After our session we headed back to Connecticut and arrived home at the same time Paxon did from school. We had a blast! Devon and I enjoyed our alone time, and Paxon and Ryan enjoyed their alone time with Gramma.

Smithsonian Institutional Building

National Air and Space Museum

Mercury Friendship 7: John Glenn Jr. was the first American to orbit the Earth, and this was the spacecraft he traveled in! On February 20, 1962, Glenn circled the Earth three times in only 4 hours and 55 minutes.

Below are two actual nuclear missiles. The Pershing-II and SS-20 were the most threatening missiles in their class. They were banned along with over 2,600 other nuclear missiles by the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty which was a milestone in the attempts to control nuclear warfare. The US and Soviet Union both signed the treaty 1987.

Next is the infamous APOLLO 11!! Carrying Niel Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins, Apollo 11 made a historic voyage to the moon during July 16th to the 24th of 1969. The first steps on the moon were taken during this voyage which was truly, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Niel Armstrong.

A part of the museum I loved was all the first modeled public airplanes, the most famous being Pan Am. The first planes were compartmentalized into...

On Top: Pilots and Flight Control Deck.

On Bottom: First Compartment. Gallery. Second Compartment. Third Compartment.

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Compartments. Suite De Luxe.

Each compartment's seats are facing each other in "train" fashion instead of being in rows. Flights were more roomy and sociable back then.

Also in "train" fashion, the planes had beds...

...and dinning tables.

The Wright Brothers: Wilbur and Orville designed, crafted, and flew the first successful air plane in 1903.

Lunar Station: This was the home for astronauts while on the moon. I would be so claustrophobic!

The United States Holocaust memorial Museum

We were not allowed to take photos inside of the museum so sadly I do not have very many.

Click on the picture to read the text, it is amazing.

Schools around the US have colored thousands of tiles depicting the holocaust. The museum glued them to one long wall and calls it the "Wall of Remembrance."

The National Museum of American History

My favorite room was the First Ladies' Room.

My favorite dress was Frances Cleveland's.

Here is a better picture: The different bodices are for day wear, semi-formal wear, and formal wear.

Jackie Kennedy's

Mary Lincoln's

Edith Roosevelt's

The First Ladies' Room also displayed a lot of the different White House China sets.

My favorite was Hillary Clinton's China.

Here is a better photo:

I thought Mary Lincoln's was the most patriotic.

An original stone from the first Nauvoo Temple.

A Plate commemorating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Nauvoo Temple.

The original Kermit the Frog.

In honor of WICKED, the original Dorthy slippers.

The first type writer and sewing machine.

The museum literally picked up a house in Massachusetts and brought it back tot he Smithsonian to display its rich 200 years of history. This house tells the story of five families who lived within its walls. The Choates, American Colonists 1757-1772. The Dodges, fought in the Revolutionary War 1777-1789. The Caldwells, hid escaped slaves 1835-1865. The Lynches, Irish Immigrants 1870-1890. The Scotts, fought in World War II 1941-1945. As you walk around the actual house you can read about how this house is a symbol of America, housing families who are prime examples of what America has been; a new nation (the Choates), a country who earned its freedom (the Dodges), a civil war (the Caldwells) and world wars (the Scotts), and of course its immigrants (the Caldwells) because American is nothing without immigration.

I LOVE LUNCH BOXES!!

The Originals.

Followed by...

Then came...

Next came...

Followed by...

And finally...

Andrew Jackson's uniform.

Civil War: Union uniform.

Civil War: Confederate uniform.

World War II Propaganda.

Medal of Honor.

The USS Philadelphia fought in the Battle of Valcour Island which was of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War. During battle, the USS Philadelphia was hit and sunk on October 11, 1776. 160 years later it was lifted out of the water and brought to the Smithsonian.

Model of the USS Philadelphia

Largest documented Doll House.

Devon's favorite chips: First model.

Old School Cups.

First Microwave.

During the Revolutionary War America lacked the funds to build an adequate fleet so the government authorized hundreds of privately armed ships to attack British vessels. These "privateers" captured more than a thousand ships. Talk about average Joes being patriotic. Below is one of these privateer ships.

Privateers were called Pirates by others.

Some original gold from the Gold Rush

Steam Boat Days: Excursion steamer, the Hendrick Hudson 1906

Riverboat Days: Steamboat J.M. White sailed the Mississippi River 1886

The Train Era: Devon found a new family.

The first telephone.

The Stage Coach Era.

H. Nelson Jackson was the first man to drive across the continent. He and his dog traveled in a Winston during 1903 from California to New York City.

First Gas Pump.

The Original Route 66.

The first light bulb.

Click on the photo to see some American Legendary Coins.

Monuments

The Capital

Devon is at the bottom of the stairs on the right hand side.

Inside the Capital Building's Visitor Center:

The Statue of Peace.

The Library of Congress

I'm in the middle in the pink shirt.

Statues outside the Library of Congress.

Devon thought the inside of the Library of Congress looked like a Celestial room. It was gorgeous!

Below is the actual Gutenberg Bible!

The first map of the Americas.

Inside the Library of Congress were little museum rooms. The rooms were all on dim lights to preserve the artifacts so we were not allowed to take photographs. So I took a picture of my favorite rooms' posters. One room displayed artifacts of the early America's people such as the Mayans.