DC - Day 5

Today was the last day of our vacation. We wrapped up the trip to DC by visiting the National Museum of Natural History. We saw the Hope Diamond, the kids held a Madagascar hissing cockroach, and we all participated in Forensics Friday -- we talked to real forensic scientists and tried to solve a crime based on actual evidence and we learned Madalyn has the rarest type of fingerprint. Always knew she was special!

Madalyn finished up her Junior Botanist program at the US Botanical Gardens. She has to do an activity at home and then she gets her certification and gets to help with future studies in our area. She had lots of fun with this, especially since this goes hand in hand with what she learned in Garden Club this past year in school.

We got schooled in proper Metro etiquette by some locals who weren't too happy that we stood still on the escalator and were in their way of walking up the escalator. Did they miss the steps right next to the escalator? Had I though more quickly, I would have responded to their 'stupid tourists' comment with a reminder that this stupid tourist was contributing to the economy in their backyard, and perhaps they should be grateful and not resentful.

We ate a great meal at Tortilla Coast, a small Tex-Mex restaurant located behind the House office buildings that is a favorite of locals and Congressional staffers. A group of what appeared to be Nationals players came in, and Madalyn had on her Nationals ball cap, so I tried to formulate a plan on how to get an autograph. Problem is, I have no clue who any of them are and I would have felt really stupid if they'd turned out not to be players. They were wearing athletic shorts and tshirts like the players wore to warm up before batting practice last night at the game. At least, I think it was the same outfit. Guess it was a good thing I didn't interrupt their lunch...

We took one final walk down the mall, looked one last time at the Washington Monument and the Capitol, and rode one last time on the Metro as the vacation drew to a close.

The kids (and some strange boy that just walked up to be in their photo)

inside a shark's jaw

Cody holding the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Madalyn wanted me to note she held it, too, but that I had to use the picture of her holding the caterpillar -- see below -- because Cody didn't hold the caterpillar)

Madalyn holding a caterpillar (if I understood the docent correctly, it will become the kind of moth seen in the movie Silence of the Lambs)