Thursday, January 5, 2010
Washington DC area…
I awoke early to see the girls (my grand nieces, Maddy and Kate,) off to school. Then sat around talking with Jen, my niece, and the daughter… Finally taking it easy… I had to pack, sorting the mess in the car, the kind of mess that only a long car journey can generate… for the flight home.
Bags packed Steph and I drove up to the metro station and took a train into D.C. We got off at the Union Station station, and had lunch at the Capital City Brewery… having fortified ourselves for the cold we set off to walk from Union Station across the National Mall to the Hirshhorn Gallery store… I had seen a book on duct tape projects there a month ago, but they had sold out… today I got it… we then walked to the metro for a trip back to our car… It was bitterly cold out… the Capital reflecting pool was mostly frozen… there was ice on the walk ways… It will be nice to return home where it is up to 50 degrees warmer.
Steph then drove to Dulles Airport, to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum there… like all Smithsonian museums it is free, but they charge $15.00 for parking… but we discovered they stop charging for parking at 4:00 (this may be a winter thing) and seeing as we arrived at 3:59, we didn’t have to pay for parking…
We started in the observation tower, watching the planes land… then into the museum itself… It is overwhelming, a huge space stuffed with aircraft… a Boeing 707, a Concord, a SR-71, the Enola Gay… planes parked on the floor, planes hanging from the ceiling, 3 high, planes upside down, planes nose up… and a separate wing for the space artifacts, including the Shuttle Enterprise… I find the museum impressive, but not a great museum... they throw the artifacts at you... they overwhelm you with stuff, but they fail to tie the goodies together. They fail to tell a story. The planes are wonderful... The space exciting... but the museum doesn't come up to the standards of the other Smithsonians...
They announced they were closing a bit after 5:00… we made for the gift shop and exit…
Steph drove around the airport to the departure area… We said our good byes and I walked in… I found the Virgin America counter (they are the best damn Airline flying today!!!) checked one bag and walked to security… where I found… NO line… no one in line ahead of me… I cleared security in a couple of minutes, found my way to the gate and here I sit blogging… About 8 hours from now I will be home… It will be midnight… I will be tired, but I will be home…
Then I can start to plan for Saturday’s morning departure for South America… I understand its in the 90’s in Rio… from a high of 20 yesterday, to 90 Saturday… a 70 degree swing in 5 days… It works for me.
Bye for now, Randy
Not sure there really is a "story" at Udvar-Hazy - it's a bunch of cool planes, but the real aviation story is at Air & Space on the mall.
ReplyDeleteLast time I was there I was standing in front of the Enola Gay and met a guy whose dad was one of the ground crew for the plane. As usual, there were about a dozen people in the place.
They're very eager to kick you out right at 5pm!