Washington D.C. : Day 3

 Our day started out at Jefferson. 

It was close to where we parked. 

Word to the wise: Free parking south of the Mall, near Jefferson. 

Next we went to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

If you are ever in D.C. I highly suggest going here. 

It was really fascinating and fun.

We got a sneak peek at the new $100 note.

We saw what $40,000,000 looks like in a stack. 

Apparently I'm only worth $1,444,600 in $100 notes

Boyd is worth much more. 

 

I'm a total sucker and purchased a $1 note for $5. 

It was "lucky money"

2013 is the year of the snake, also my year. I couldn't resist. 

I look so Asian. Wait, I am so Asian.

 Ahh, we finally got a picture in front of the Washington monument when it wasn't dark.

Next, we were off to the Natural History Museum. 

 This is Boyd's "dinosaur" face. 

One of my absolute favorite parts of D.C. was the gem exhibit. 

WOW!

That topaz is 22,892.5 carats. 

Let me repeat that

twenty two THOUSAND eight Hundred Carats!

 I spent quite some time in this room. It was simply fantastic!

After the natural history museum we were exhausted. 

I wanted to see the white house 

 I didn't have the energy to walk there  

didn't want to spend the money for the metro ride there and back

didn't way to pay for a taxi or rickshaw

Didn't know what to do. . . 

I'll post later on about how we got there. 

But we made it to the white house!

(at least the back of it)

Still completely exhausted we made it to Lincoln that evening. 

On the way back to the car we spotted this guy. I don't remember who he was. Anyone? 

I'm glad Boyd lets me take funny pictures of him next to strange statues.

Washington D.C.: Firsts

 This is my first time riding any form of public transportation. 

For Real. 

I have never ridden a public bus (exception: school bus)

I have never ridden Trax, a train, a metro, etc. 

I rode the Metro for the VERY first time in Washington D.C. 

and I lived to tell the tale. Actually, I had anxiety over riding the metro.

I was worried about selecting the correct line, timing, the fact that it was something new, most of all I was worried about the germs, and the crazy people that might be riding with us.
Although, we did have a lot of fun making a run for the metro and finding out we were on the wrong one, or just missing it, or just making it for that matter, or best of all, taking the metro to Costco!

 First time in a metro station. It was dark. . . and dirty . . . and frankly I didn't like touching the escalator hand rails.

Speaking of firsts and escalators. . . 

This HAS to be the LONGEST escalator I have ever seen in my entire life! 

When we got on, I looked up, and you couldn't even see the top of it. 

I grabbed my point and shoot and ended up with this.

 We are about 1/3 way up, the white lights up to only mark the 1/2 way point. It was crazy long. 

So: First time I have ever ridden a gigantic escalator.

Good Nutcracker vs. Bad Nutcracker

I know this is in the middle of the Washington D.C. posts
 but I thought I would mix things up a bit. 

Remember the GIGANTIC nutcracker that Boyd detests so very,very much? 

We took pictures of course. 

when I finally took our Christmas decorations down . . . the other day . . .
Is it really almost February? 

See? It's not THAT big?

 haha!

 Boyd's true feelings? 

I think he secretly likes the big one.

 Even though, out loud, he said the little one should get a special gold medal for being the "correct size"

Washington D.C. Day: 2, the reason why we went to D.C in the first place

Day 2 started with a trip to Arlington cemetery

 This is the changing of the guard. It was really neat to watch.

 PANDAS

The reason why we even went to Washington D.C. - To see Panda Bears! 

Boyd and I are zoo junkies. We love the zoo. I don't know why, but we do. 

We both love pandas. D.C. has pandas. So we went. 

We were lucky enough to catch them during feeding time. 

I love the way they chomp their bamboo. 

They look so fuzzy and plush.

Everything about them screams "I'm cute!"

 (until the zoo keeper tells you that they really aren't soft and fluffy and that they will attack you and bite your head off if you get near them.) What ever lady, I still think they are adorable.

  

I have never seen such active animals in a zoo before. They were a lot of fun to watch. 

In fact, we probably spent an hour and a half (literally) just staring at them. 

 

I asked Boyd to turn around so I could take a picture of him 

and that is when he saw the sign about the baby panda that just died recently. Sad.

I have a new found respect for pandas. 

I have always liked them in the past but this trip made me like them even more. 

We found out that panda bears can only get pregnant one time a year. Most of the time they are unsuccessful in even getting pregnant. I think my bond with pandas became even stronger because I can relate to them. Especially the part when I learned about their breeding program and how the pandas have to get an IUI to try to have babies, just like me. Maybe I was just being hormonal that day, but I think the panda bear might be my new favorite animal. 

Air and Space Museum

So much fun! If you ever get the chance to go to D.C., definitely go here. 

 The actual Wright Brothers flying contraption. 

I think that is what I enjoyed most about Washington D.C., that the articles in the museum were the original objects, not replicas, not molds, not "this is what it would have been like." It made what ever you were looking at that much cooler.  

 Cute story: 

Charles Lindbergh, who flew the Spirit of St. Louis on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris, had a wife named Anne Morrow Lindbergh. She decided that she wanted to spend more time with her husband, so she taught herself how to navigate, became the first American woman to earn a first class glider pilot's license, and learned morse code. How neat is that. She traveled with him on many of his trips and I thought it was a good example of going the extra mile just to spend time with your spouse.

Apparently all the museums close early in the winter so we ended up getting kicked out at 5:30, two hours earlier than expected. So we went outside to take a few pictures.

 

 Note to self: NEVER, EVER, EVER put your camera on AUTO. Never again!

I thought it would be easier to take a quick shot in the dark. BLAH!

As I'm going through these pictures from this trip I can totally tell which ones were taken with the AUTO feature. (can you tell the difference in the pictures of the Washington monument from above?) Auto pictures, are blurry, the lighting is terrible, and they just look bad. 

I'm not sure what Boyd is doing. . .

A dance perhaps? 

Probably. It was freezing cold.

Washington D.C. Day: 1

 Our first day in D.C. involved going to: 

The American Art Museum

And the Washington D.C. LDS Temple. 

 Unfortunately the temple was closed for cleaning/re-carpeting

But we were still able to take fun pictures! 

 We're such nerds with our cameras.

Seaweed Pringles

 Bet you have never tried Seaweed Pringles from Indonesia before! 

Boyd and I have!

Thanks for sharing Tom.

Want to know what it tastes like? 

Honestly? 

Truthfully?

It tastes exactly like a Pringle!

Initially you can taste a hint of fishy something

but then your mouth recognizes that familiar taste of Pringle. 

Try it sometime.

You'll love eating this green chippy.