Early this morning we hit the streets with our tourist hats on with the goal to see as much of DC as possible before my family left to go home. So first on the list of touristy things to do – Ride the metro! After a very in-depth explanation of the metro card kiosk by a wonderful attendant and a long time spent standing in front of the metro map trying to decide which line to take, we boarded the metro rail for the first time. A quick ride later we arrived at L’Enfant Plaza and right in front of my office building for the summer.
After committing the easy steps to my office to memory, we headed towards the National Mall and the Smithsonian Museums. Our first stop – The National Air and Space Museum! Approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes later we had walked the ginormous museum and seen everything from the attire of flight attendants throughout the years to fighter planes from different wars.
With an itch to see more and the need to enjoy the weather we walked a little further to the National Sculpture Garden. From odd metal sculptures to silver trees, it proved to be a very interesting walk, leaving us hungry and in search of some air conditioning.
We then found ourselves inside the National Museum of Natural History. After a quick stop in the food court, we took off to discover the depths of the museum. Instantly, I fell in love with the photography exhibit. The beautiful photographs of animals and scenery from across the world took my breath away. From wild animals in South America to images of the Aurora Borealis, they were truly stunning. Once I was drug out of the photography exhibit, we visited the infamous creatures from a time we don’t remember. The dinosaur exhibit was very neat, even featuring a working lab, where visitors can view various discoveries. On to gem and rock exhibits, featuring so many different variations of gems and jewels one couldn’t even imagine. Making our way to the animal and marine exhibits, where we had the chance to see some of my brothers family (the monkeys and gorillas) and see all the marine life you could ever want to see. Walking and seeing till our feet hurt, we decided it was about time to wrap up our time at the National Museum of Natural History. After saying goodbye to the elephant in the main lobby, we found ourselves walking towards the Washington Monument. After many pictures were snapped of the national icon, we decided to call it a day.
Walking past the Department of Agriculture on our way to the metro, I snapped a few quick pictures and then headed underground to our snazzy ride. After picking up the car, we made our way to a grocery store to stock up on food and other items one would need. Then back to the apartment to unload and say the dreaded goodbyes.
After the hugs were given and the goodbyes said, my parents drove off into the sunset, leaving me standing on the sidewalk… Ok so maybe it wasn’t like that, but it was still pretty rough. Tomorrow will be the true test, I will be navigating the city on my own for the first time. With map in hand, I am as ready as I’m going to be. DC, I’m coming for you!
Day 2 – AAAAMMMAAAZZZZIINNNNGGGGG! Minus saying goodbye (See pictures from our day below!).
A Girl and Her Blog 