Day 16

Air And Space, Botanical Gardens, And A Little Bit Of The American Indians

May 22, 2013, 6:39 PM

What a day we had today. We went into DC and went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Oh my gosh, it was so full of school groups and foreign visitors and just visitors. Amazing mass of humanity viewing all thing air and space. It was a fascinating collection of flying things. It was really cool to look at some of the items on display from the hayday of aviation. The stewardess uniforms were a riot of color in the sixty's. I had to giggle at that. We looked in EVERY room and at every exhibit. It was fun and interesting. 

I think the most amazing part of the day was getting lunch. There was a food court that served Donatos Pizza, Boston Market, and of course the ever present McDonald's. There were so many people, I can't find the words to express the mass confusion and just the sheer numbers. There were about fifteen lines where they took your order, then you moved further down the line to pay and the further still you collected your food. We were told our food would be ready at #18. It was loud and crowded and crazy, but much to my surprise it wasn't bad. Of course we didn't eat McDonald's, that doesn't qualify as food in my opinion, but the Boston Market meal we had was good. The seats that Steve found were at a long line of tables that were all pushed together. There were two people sitting at the near end and a school group sitting at the far end. We were sort of in the middle. I got the drinks and Steve got the food and when I got to the table I took the seat across from Steve. The seat to my left was empty but there was a back pack under it. I assumed that someone had gone off and would be returning. The entire time we were there that backpack sat on the floor. The people that were sitting across from it got up to leave and no one collected this backpack. A family came to take the seats that were just emptied and still no one came. Of course in the back of my mind was the Boston Marathon bombing. I did try to tell personnel about it but they could care less. Unbelievable!!!!!!!

After lunch we finished up with Air and Space, then we walked a few blocks down the mall (There was a group of mainly kids and they were teenagers, and someone's mother said something about going out to the mall, well the girls got all excited. "The mall, there's a mall, we are going to the mall?" one of the girls was peppering mom for clarification. mom is saying "yea, the national mall." the girls were so excited, then mom caught on and told them it was just a grass area in front of the capital. That got a chuckle out of Steve and me) to the Botanical Gardens. 

The gardens were so pretty. We just walked from hot house to hot house. I could have sat there for a day! It was so pretty and peaceful I loved it. I took plenty of photos, but then did you think I wouldn't? 

After the botanical gardens we were so tired but we wanted to go to the American Indian museum and we had to walk right past it to get back to the Metro, but we really had nothing left by this time. It's a shame too, we could have spent a lot more time there I think. Oh well something for another trip. 

Now today we were patting ourselves on the back cause we had the Metro thing down. I mean we figured out the signs and the directions, we were seasoned travelers, yea right. We go down to the Metro platform, we're cool!! We get on the right train, we're natives, we get off at our stop, steve pulls the tickets out we put them in then gate thing that lets you out and nothing, the gate doesn't open. Rubes!!!!! We didn't have enough money on our ticket. So now we have to find a Metro person and get them to tell us what to do. We hung our heads low, we are nothing more than tourists!!!!!!!!!

Not sure about tomorrow yet. We may be staying another day here because of weather. I'm not disappointed. I haven't vacuumed since we left and we could use a day to relax, being retired is hard work!!!!!!! Tell'm Rich.