East Coast Trip Part Five
November 13th, 2022
After Boston, MA, we went to the Washington, D.C. metro for a week. While in D.C. we went to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, right outside of Washington Dulles International Airport. This museum is one of the two locations of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. While there we saw over 300 aircraft including the World War I SPAD to the Boeing 307 to the Boeing 367-80 to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird to the Space Shuttle Discovery to the Concorde.
The Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA has been open to the public since May of 2012 and has over 150 aircraft in the Boeing Aviation Hanger and over 50 spacecraft in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar. The museum also has walkways over the aircraft throughout the museum, allowing visitors to see aircraft from the above view. The museum also allows visitors to see the restoration area of the museum which is currently restoring the Martin B-26 Marauder, Flak Bait.
National Mall and Memorial Parks and the White House:
After we went to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, we went to the White House and the National Mall. The White House is a part of the NPS site President's Park. The visitor center has very strict security (including medal detectors). The White House does have tours, but you have to get approved by your state's senator or congressman.
Right after going to the White House, we went to the National Mall where we went to the Washington Monument (see picture above). After that, we went to the World War II Memorial (see picture above), then the Lincoln Memorial (see picture above), then the Korean War Veterans Memorial, then the Jefferson Memorial (see picture above), and finally the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. My favorite probably would have been the Jefferson Memorial, although if there were no crowds it probably would have been the Lincoln Memorial. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial is definitely one of the largest memorials, although it isn't as grand or magnificent as the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, or Jefferson Memorial.
