Chris took a couple days off of work and we headed up to Washington D.C. On Thursday we drove up and went to the Udvar-Hazy Center to see hundreds of actual aircraft housed in a Boeing Aviation Hangar. The first thing we saw as we walked in was this huge jet.
This is the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird was used for 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 2,124 miles per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian. Yeah, it's that cool.
This World War II aircraft was pretty mean looking. It was neat to see some of the WWII bombers that we had just studied about for history, including some German and Japanese.
The girls liked this airliner because it was so shiny. This museum housed artifacts and aircraft beginning with Pre-1920 Aviation, to Korean and Vietnam, to Aerobic Aviation, to Human Spaceflight.
This place is so huge that it actually has a full size space shuttle, the Enterprise. The Enterprise is a full scale test vehicle. It was never actually equipped for space, but was used in 1976 and 1977 for testing within the earth's atmosphere. Some other items on display in the space area were Apollo 11 flotation devices, John Glenn's training couch, missiles, satellites, Gemini heat shields, a space lab...what a way to introduce our next history theme: The Space Race.
We finished up the evening with a visit to our dear friends, the Coiners. Here are all the kids winding down with a movie.
Clarissa just loving on Baby M, who's not quite a baby anymore, although still teeny tiny and cute as can be.
In conjunction with our trip to the Washington D.C. temple, we took a day to go into Baltimore to visit the aquarium. One of their displays was the Jellyfish Invasion. It was really cool!
Amber, "Taking on the jellies, you've got serious thrill issues, Dude." - Finding Nemo
We also enjoyed the dolphin show.
Clarissa, Amber and Jared looking at what we dubbed - the Nemo tank (yeah, we're a little obsessed).
Funny looking little guy.
Clarissa, look out!
Man vs. Ray
Pig-nosed turtle
"An annnneneme, an annnemmmen, an anemooone, an anemone!" "Okay, don't hurt yourself."
