Washington DC May 2017 - Day 1 National Air and Space Museum and US National Holocaust Museum

[sueandco]

So our first real day and as you would expect we were up early which was actually a good thing. I hadn't realised that so many of the museums and art galleries had to be reserved months in advance and by the time I did realise it was too late. The US National Holocaust Museum was one of these, but luckily they release a limited number of tickets online on the day at 6am. Poised on the iPad as soon as they appeared at 6.02am I pounced getting two tickets for entry between 12.30 and 13.30.

We both got ready and headed out for the nearest metro station which was Clarendon on the orange and silver lines. We purchased two SmarTrip cards at $2 each and topped them up with $30 each, these work like Oyster cards and you tap in and out and they also work on buses. However we then hit a problem, at weekends they do maintenance work and due to something called safe track they close sections of the track, so there were no silver trains at all Saturday or Sunday and the orange line was closed between several stations on the bit we needed to go through with a bus replacement service. There was an alternate train route involving orange, blue then red lines which is what we did - it took over an hour to get in to central Washington.

Our first destination was the National Air and Space Museum. There was a short queue to get through security and we were off. Just inside the doors is this Star Trek model which as DH and DD1 are huge fans we had to take a photo of.

We grabbed a map from the Information Desk and headed upstairs first. This place is huge and although we were there 2 1/2 hours we only did about half and in fact came back the next day. The museum has a central hall with displays and then lots of smaller rooms off of it each with it's own theme. I especially liked the one devoted to the Wright brothers

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

Sorry for the delay but have been out lots and had a power outage!

Whilst at the Air and Space museum we stopped for a drink and a snack, the only option is McDonalds and they didn't do muffins or donuts so two cheeseburgers and two drinks it was then. We looked around some more but had to leave as we had a timed spot for our next stop.

Another piccie, I wouldn't have wanted to be this poor monkey

The Holocaust museum is just under a mile from the Air and Space museum and you can either walk or use The Circulator. This is a bus, basically for tourists which costs $1 and just does a big loop starting/ending at Union Station taking in all the main tourist attractions around the National Mall. It is supposed to run every ten minutes but it doesn't, as you will read in a few days.

At the Holocaust museum there was again a short line to get through security and then a longer line for the permanent exhibition which is the one you need a timed ticket for. Just before you get in the elevator you take a card (there are male and female piles) and on the card it gives you details of someone or a family and what happened to them. The exhibition is chronological starting with Hitler's early life and getting arrested and finishing with his suicide and the liberation of the death camps. It is very well done and I am so glad we managed to get tickets. This part showed how every german was inspected, measured and catalogued as to their personal characteristics.

It is a mix of displays, story boards and videos and the time just flew by. The only negatives were that despite limiting visitors it was still very crowded in parts making it difficult to look properly and secondly the behaviour of a minority (most were very well behaved) of groups of children who were obviously bored and were a pain!

By the time we finished here it was getting late and I was exhausted so we headed back. This time we used the metro replacement bus between the closed stations and it took forever

For supper we decided to go to O'Sullivans which was near where we were staying. It was just the standard burgers, sandwiches and a couple of "Irish" entrees but very tasty and it just happened to be happy hour so we may or may not have indulged in a couple of drinks with our meal

For those interested total spends today were $140.20

[dismamx2]

Just caught up with your report. Looking forward to reading about your trip, we are visiting Washington for a few days soon.

[Jane71]

I didn't think you needed to reserve tickets at museums (I'll have to remember that for our trip next year) I thought you could just turn up. My sons would love both those places. My youngest is interested in Hitler. It would be rude if you didnt take part in happy hour - you wouldnt want to offend anyone

[Loftus]

You need them for the permanent exhibition at the Holocaust Museum between March and August and you definitely need them for the National Museum of African American History.

[sueandco]

Originally Posted by Loftus

You need them for the permanent exhibition at the Holocaust Museum between March and August and you definitely need them for the National Museum of African American History.

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Yes the African American History museum was one I wanted to visit but hadn't realised the need for tickets so if we ever come again.

[miss_bell]

Thank you i also didn't realise some of the museum's require timed tickets, will get DH to decide which ones he wants to visit.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by miss_bell

Thank you i also didn't realise some of the museum's require timed tickets, will get DH to decide which ones he wants to visit.

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I think it's only the Holocaust and the Native American museums that have timed tickets.