My girlfriend and I took a day trip through AmbassadAir to Washington DC yesterday. The flight was delayed about a hour and a half by a mechanical issue. Passengers finally boarded about 8:15 AM. The boarding procedure included a dancing T-Rex and a pilot serenading us and playing his guitar. The head flight attendant was a stand-up comic who sang a few of his instructions. Quite a start to the day.
The fight reached Reagan about 10:00. We asked to be dropped off at the Smithsonian while most went on a tour of the US Capitol and sight-seeing trip around the city, before ending up at the Smithsonian.
We started with the Air and Space Museum. The NASA exhibits, historic and military aircraft exhibits were the highlights of the museum. We took a bike-for-hire ride to the American History Museum and lunch at the "Stars and Stripes Café."
The new exhibit for the "Star Spangled Banner" [Fort McHenry flag] was really impressive. [The last time I was in DC, the flag was still undergoing restoration.] Artifacts like Ben Franklin's walking stick, Washington's uniform and sword, Gen. Benjamin Lincoln's sword, and the table and chairs from Lee's surrender at Appomattox were among my favorites.
I missed the combined exhibit of iconic TV artifacts [Fonzie's jacket, Fess Parker's coonskin cap, etc.], most of which are now in storage. Archie & Edith Bunker's chairs, Howdy Doody and a pair of Mickey Mouse ears are in other exhibits. Having them all together was neater!
The "political correctness motif" of many exhibits was a bit wearing. Facts and artifacts are more interesting to me.
We were able to spend a little time in the Museum of Natural History before the tour bus arrived to take the group to dinner at the Union Station food court.
The flight out of Dulles was at about 10:00 PM and we got home about midnight. A long, tiring, interesting, entertaining and fun day.
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