Thursday, August 1, 2013

Day 16: Washington DC

Today we are in our capital, Washington DC. We purchased tickets for the open-top bus, which also helps you get around because you can hop on and off at the different stops.  We got on at historic Union Station and rode past the capital to the Smithsonian castle.  Wow!  It was such a beautiful building.  Here are the photos:

 
We walked to the Museum of Natural History and took in the mammal exhibit, the insect zoo, the bones and mummy exhibit and the Hope Diamond!  (as well as a very expensive lunch--who knew a museum cafeteria would be so pricey!)  Here is the Hope Diamond--look like a famous blue diamond from a certain movie with a doomed ship??
 
We returned to the bus and went to Madame Tussaud's wax museum.  If you have never been to one, it is amazing how life-like these figures are!  It is fun to go around and pose with them and Lily even had a wax replica made of her hand!  Check out the famous people we met....







 
After our run in with celebrities, we went to the Crime and Punishment museum--right up the boy's alley!  We read stories of Jesse James, Al Capone, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne Gacy, Bonnie & Clyde and many more historical criminals.  We saw the actual bullet-ridden car used in the movie Bonnie & Clyde, drove a police car in a simulation exercise, used mock hand guns as cops to shoot the bad guys, saw what it felt like to be in a police cell (and escape from one!), stood in a police line-up and acted as crime scene investigators.  It was a fun and educational tour! 
We had some good Italian food for dinner and have settled in at the RV park preparing for the long drive home tomorrow.  We have had a great time but are looking forward to getting back in to our routine--and not eating out so much!  I'll update again when we are home and add a few more of my favorite pictures from the trip.  I hope you've enjoyed reading about our journey as much as I have enjoyed telling you about them!  33 states and counting.....



 
 
 

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