Day Trip to DC

Today Preston, Matt & I ran down to the nation's capital on a wild impulse. Being geeks, of course, we headed straight for the Mall. We'd both spent a lot of time there in the past, so it was fun to compare our memories with the modern Smithsonian. My hungry hubby snacked on a few of the major buildings, then we wandered through the Air & Space, where I could practically give a tour. Still. The exhibits are all the same. Even the "Leading Edge" section, supposedly the newest space technology, hasn't been updated. So sad. The only modernized area was the food court. I remembered it as a dark, crowded carousel, loaded with foil-wrapped burgers. Now it's all glass, flooded with natural light, and highly efficent. I'd love it if it weren't McDonald's. Sigh. I guess that's how they could afford it.

The Washington Monument was next, but the only timed tix left would have gotten Preston towed. Ok, then on to the Natural History Museum. The fossils and ancient ocean display were great, but we were really impressed by the mammal exhibits. Old-timers will remember the launching tiger on the giant raised slab in front of the gift shop. Now, the shop is gone/moved and there are tons of dynamic posed critters. The presentation is really fresh and the taxidermy is excellent. Well done, guys!