Grandma goes to Washington

I am in love with Washington D.C.  I don't know what it is about that place that makes me feel like a kid in a candy store every time I see the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, and the Smithsonian’s.  My dad, grandma and I took a surprise trip to downtown D.C. yesterday.  We had picked up my grandma from her sister's house in Northern Virginia and my dad wanted to drive into Alexandria and Georgetown where my grandma lived and grew up.  He thought we were going to be driving by the Pentagon, but took a wrong exit and BAM there was the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument!!

We ended up going into the Museum of American History, which is my absolute favorite! I've been there many times, but this time was extra cool for two reasons.  One: the museum had been closed the last few times I made it into D.C. so I hadn't been in since they remodeled it.  Two: it was way cool to go with my grandma who actually remembers things that are exhibited and on display.

This has always been one of my favorite exhibits.  It starts at the French and Indian War and walks you through all of the wars up to the present.  Grandma and I spent most of our time in the World War II section.  She had two brothers that served overseas during that time.

I also love this exhibit, "The Star Spangled Banner."  They are restoring the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland during the Revolutionary War.  This is the flag that Francis Scott Key saw that inspired the writing of our National Anthem.  The exhibit is just a slice of what you'll see at Fort McHenry, which I've also been to and it's pretty cool.

There was a newly remodeled exhibit that we went through called "America on the Move."  We saw trains, and the progression of cars, metro's, buses, etc.  Here are some pics:

Grandma said they had a car like this once.

Grandma told us stories about when they traveled on "street cars," which are now metro's,  into downtown D.C.  She worked at a drug store near downtown.  She said that every day she would walk past the National Treasury building to get to her bus stop.

I saw history in a new way as I walked through the museum with my dad and Grandma.  It was cool to see the exhibits come to life and to learn more about my family's history.

One last picture: