Last day in Washington DC

The sun was shining again on our last day as we checked out of the hotel and went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the airport. Here they have all the big aircraft which they could not accommodate in the museum down town that we went to. Alan was particularly keen to see the Space Shuttle DISCOVERY. We were too.

There were many aircraft there showing the history of flight from the Wright Brothers to space exploration all with in a 100 year period. Alan took lots of pics, but after four solid hours of the museum, which we think was well done, we were all in need of a coffee.

Using the iPad we navigated to a Starbucks which sadly did not have any chocolate chip cookies, so we settled for a raisin one. Then after a walk round a supermarket where the boys compared prices and products with those in Germany we drove to the airport and checked our luggage. Now all we have to do is sit and wait. Our next news will be from Germany, which we are not due to arrive in until Sunday.

Visit to the Capitol

The sun was shining when we got going today. We went first to the airport to extend the car hire for one more day, then drove to a Metro Station where we left the car and rode the Metro into the centre of town.

The building is impressive and we first did our own tour of the House Of Representatives, where sadly no photos were allowed. But in the main hall we were allowed to take photos.

"Freedom" this is the plaster model for the statue on top of the Capitol

We then lined up for a tour of the rotunda which started with a 12 minute film. Our guide had some problems with the equipment, as the boys had to wear an earphone amplifier which was meant to give them only her voice in their ears. There were so many people being guided around that this was most necessary. 

Our guide

Sadly the ceiling of the rotunda inside was also being refurbished, like the outside!

We were all suitably impressed by the whole building. Alan couldn't resist one last trip to the shop before we went outside into the sunshine.

We two bears are a bit lost at the foot of the stairs to this huge building, but it proves we were there!

A stop for coffee and a walk through Chinatown, then it was back on the Metro.

George couldn't leave America without having eaten a hamburger so we stopped at a "Wendy's" to have one before catching the sunset over the parking lot of our hotel.

We've been told to sit quietly in the corner, now while Alan gets on with his packing. George has done his and it may take Alan quite awhile before he is finished!!! We're all right as we have our places firmly reserved, not sure about the rest of the stuff though, goodness knows how it is all going to go in!!!

The sun shone in Jamestown

The sun shone today and laughed at us for our despair yesterday. Inside this large museum complex  we found a memorial to the 350th Anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.

The boys took us first to the Powhatan Indian Village where we found bear skins in the lodges or yehakins as the Indians called their reed huts. We were a little afraid to be scalped ourselves, so today we did not chat up any dusky maidens. We did explore the yehakins though, and had a bit of fun playing hide and seek with the boys.

Alan gathered us in and told us to behave as we were now going aboard some ships. Moored in the little harbour were three replica ships that brought the first settlers to Virginia. This time it was Alan's turn to chat up a young maiden, and they had a nice chat about sailing then and now. Well, he does know a thing or two about it.

We spent quite some time on these two vessels and only left when groups of school children came aboard. 

In the fort, Alan chatted to the cook who was making pasta, about recipes and such. We also saw some very happy chickens running about, the blacksmith was working hard at his business and in the largest building, which was the church, we found some tablets with prayers on the wall.

Honour satisfied we left Jamestown to come back to Washington and after a three hour journey, again using the iPad to navigate by, we arrived at our last hotel. 

Rain did not stop their parade!

The day got off to a weird start. Firstly Alan who had gone to breakfast in his "brothel creepers" (suede leather shoes with crepe rubber soles, to you), forgot to take them off and got in the shuttle bus to go to the Metro. George pointed it out to him, he would never have known otherwise! He remarked that it showed how comfortable his hiking boots were for him not to notice! George couldn't laugh since the other day he had gone into town and couldn't find his nice little Lumix camera. He thought he had put it in his pack, but when they got into town he searched and searched, but couldn't find it, so thought he had left it in the hotel room. But when he got back at the end of the day, it was there in his pack all the time! The forgetfulness of age is creeping up on these two, that's for sure!!!

We went to Union Station today and found that it is a super station, not unlike Grand Central in NY. It too has many levels, one of which is a pure eating hall with lots of different fast food outlets, on other levels there are shops and shoe shine places.

Union Station Washington

When we got outside we found it was drizzling. We also found a statue of Christopher Columbus.

Now unbeknown to us today was also Christopher Columbus Day and a Public Holiday!! There the Knights of Columbus were gathering to honour the man in the rain.

Since we now learnt that the Capitol was closed on a public holiday we stayed to watch the ceremony. 

US Armed Forces Colour Guard

The ubiquitous Washington man always has a

cup of coffee to go in his hand!

We left them to their speeches in the rain and went back into the station to have a cup of coffee before moving on.

It had stopped raining when we came out and so we walked to the National museum of the American Indian. This was a new building and the layout and exhibits surprised and delighted us. For our German readers, though, we have to say we did not see Winnetou!

The shop with all the Indian artefacts invited the boys to spend money which they both did.

From there we walked to the National Air and Space Museum. This is a small boys delight and Alan just had to touch the Moon! Well he put his fingers on a little bit of moon rock.

There were nearly all the spacecraft there to see and a good display of the Russian space program too.

We were able to go into the Space Lab and see how they showered and there were examples of how they go to the Loo in space!!! Not for the faint hearted or squeamish that's for sure.

The boys found a huge McDonald's in the museum so they stopped for a coffee and a milkshake before moving on to the National Museum of Natural History.

There was much to see here and Alan particularly liked the Ocean exhibits. In the mammal section when he found a Kudu, he just had to take a photo. It was a female Kudu that jumped on Hanna and Alan's hire car in S. Africa and wrote it off!

A Kudu

By this time the boys had an information over load of the brain and made their way back to the hotel via the Metro and shuttle bus from the station.

George leaving the Natural History Museum