Afterwards we walked over to the American History Museum. By that time everyone was getting pretty hungry so we got some salads and sandwiches from the cafe before checking out the museum. We started on the third floor with the First Ladies' dresses! It was fun to see how the styles have changed over the years. The next part was about the Presidents. We saw a bunch of stuff ranging from Washington's Telescope to Eisenhower's Army Uniform.

The second floor highlight was seeing the original Star Spangled Banner that inspired Francis Scott Key to write what would later become the National Anthem. We also went to the American Stories exhibit which had pop culture icons like Dorothy's Ruby Slippers and Kermit the Frog. Zach really liked the Apple II Computer and Apollo Ohno's speed skates. I loved seeing Elphaba's dress from Broadway's musical Wicked and the Ether inhaler! They also had the original sunstone from the LDS Nauvoo Temple on display so that was really neat!

Next we went to the Food exhibit which showcased how the American diet has changed over the last 50 years. It was really interesting, or maybe I just got into it since I want to be a nutrition major... I'm not quite sure. The boys lost interest pretty quickly though so while I read up on food they explored the transportation exhibit! There were a bunch of old trains, boats, and cars that they really liked.

We finally made it to the first floor and saw the Civil War and Civil Rights exhibit. In the Civil War part we saw the hat President Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated and the suit he wore every day. Harriet Tubman's lace collar and handkerchief were also on display.

All in all we had a great day exploring  some of the Smithsonian Museums and seeing DC one last time! Leaving is bittersweet, but we're off to New York City in the morning and we can't wait!

Today we drove into DC for the last time! We started at the Natural History Museum and enjoyed seeing dinosaur bones, stuffed animals, precious gems, cool rocks, creepy crawlies , colorful butterflies, old mummies, and much more!
Some of the highlights were the T-Rex skeleton, stuffed mammoth, the Marie Antiuonitte earrings, the Hope Diamond, and the glow in the dark rocks.

After church we relaxed at the house for a bit then drove into DC for our big monument walk. We started in front of the Treasury building by the Alexander Hamilton statue and made our way around in a loop stopping in front of the White House as well as the WW2, Vietnam, Korean, Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, FDR, and Jefferson Memorials and the Washington Monument. The WW2 memorial was one of my favorites! I loved the big fountains and individual state pillars. The Vietnam and Korean Memorials helped put in to perspective just how many men sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is pretty new and it was really neat! The Jefferson and Lincoln memorials were incredible! They were our favorites. The Washington Monument is currently in scaffolding, so that was a bit of a bummer. We finished our seven mile monument walk just as the sun was setting, what a perfect day!

After dinner we took the "Water Taxi" across the wharf which was super fun! Then we walked around and saw a bunch of the old battleships that are anchored around the wharf. There were tons of people out walking the streets, so it was fun to people watch! Then it started POURING rain and all the crowds disappeared as everyone headed for cover! We still had to make it back to our car so we just played in the rain! We were all soaked, but it was a blast!

After walking around outside in the sun everyone was hot, tired, and getting cranky... Thankfully we got ice cream and everyone perked up!

Finally we walked over to the botanical gardens. The rare and exotic plants were super fun to look at! There were polka dotted leaves, bright colored flowers, and hairy cacti! The younger boys didn't enjoy the giant greenhouse quite as much as I did, so they were glad when I finally agreed to leave. We went back home for a BBQ dinner with cousins. So good to see our relatives from the east coast.

The National Archive tour was long and the younger boys got worn out pretty quickly. We wanted to spend more time at the Native American Indian museum so we went back over there for a bit. We got lunch from the Indian Cafe where Mom and I shared a "chivichanga"! Dad and Zach tried the grilled bison loin. After that we walked back over to the Capitol again for a bit more exploring, then made our way up to the Library of Congress. I absolutely loved looking at the intricate architecture! The detailed roses carved into the marble almost looked like they could've been frosted onto a cake! The displays were fascinating, especially the very first world map that included America!

We woke up this morning to a National Weather warning about flash flooding in the area! Thankfully we were fine to drive into Washington DC and we made it to our 9:45 tour of the National Archives a little wet, but on time! It was incredible to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights up close! They didn't allow pictures inside, but here we are in front of the building.

The Air and Space Museum, the American Indian Museum, the Capitol Building, fountain, red sculpture, and cake.

We had a bit of time before our dinner reservations so we walked over to the Capitol building. We also stopped at a fountain that was built by Frederic Bartholdi (the same guy who did the Statue of Liberty) across from the Botanical Gardens. We enjoyed a fancy Italian dinner at Filomena's. The desserts were definitely the highlight!