To avoid craziness and high parking fees we decided to park at Greenbelt and take the Subway into the city. Caleb and Blake are on their first Subway ride above. Caleb thought it was just like riding a train!
We got off at the Smithsonian stop which dumped us right off in the Mall. Here we are in front of the National Monument.
Our first stop was the Museum of Natural History. I wanted to make sure that if nothing else Caleb saw his beloved dinosaurs! He got a little too excited jumping from one fossil to the other stating it's dinosaur name. I could barely keep up! I was also shocked when he corrected me... "Mommy, that is NOT a triceratops! It's a stegosaurus!" The elementary school teacher with a master's degree got schooled by her 4 year old!
Blake spent his day in the stroller. I don't think it will be a significant day in his life or memory, but any time he's out and about is good for him! He did such a nice job, I was so proud of him. He didn't get fussy until the way home!
We told Caleb about the "magical" Hope Diamond and its story on the way to Greenbelt this morning. This may have been a bad idea. As soon as he saw rocks and minerals he immediately ran from rock to rock whispering "the magic diamond, if you touch it you'll (screaming the last word only) DIE!" There were a lot of rocks/minerals to look at before we made it to the Hope Diamond and we kind of got tired of saying, "No Caleb, not yet."
At the Insect Zoo Caleb got to touch some type of caterpillar. Initially he was scared of it, but once he saw another kid touch, he joined in!
After the Museum of Natural History we headed to the Air and Space Museum. Our stay was short lived here as it was way too crowded. Security was also a lot tighter here than the other museums. I am curious as to why.
We did go into their hands on exhibit about forces. Caleb enjoyed blowing the beach ball from side to side in the air. My second graders learn about forces each year, I'd give anything to take them to this exhibit!
Next we headed over the Museum of American History. Above is the dress that Michelle Obama wore to the Inaugural Ball(s). I won't get into politics, but I do like Michelle Obama. This dress was even more beautiful in person than it was in all of the pictures and video clips that we saw just over a year ago.
Above are the slippers that Judy Garland wore in "The Wizard of Oz!" One of my personal favorites from the day (even if the day was primarily about Caleb). She must have had super tiny feet!
After visiting the museum district we hopped back on the subway and stopped at Chinatown for an authentic Chinese dinner. Above are my favorite boys and the arch to Chinatown.
We went to the first Chinese restaurant we encountered in Chinatown on the right with a large red awning (I am sorry that I didn't get the name). Jason and I had been here before a concert and loved it. It was delicious and not terribly unhealthy!I highly recommend that you give DC a whirl for a day trip if you live in the Baltimore area like I do. You couldn't ask for a cheaper trip! Tickets for the subway were $8.30 for an all day pass. I recommend that you get an all day pass so that you can feel free to go and stop wherever you want. Children 4 and under are free! All of the Smithsonian museums are completely free to enter! Food, drinks, etc. are ridiculously expensive in the Mall area. I brought a picnic lunch and several bottles of water, juice boxes, and snacks to avoid this expense. Had we not gone out to dinner the entire thing would have been less than $30! You can't even take your kid to the movies for that any more! :) Visit the Smithsonian website for more information:
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