Julia Childs Kitchen

One of my favorite things to do while in DC is to walk around the National Mall and see the monuments.  I get a true sense of pride in remembering our past, America's accomplishments and missteps. 

This past weekend was suppose to be the unveiling of a new monument dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.   The ceremonies ended up being canceled due to the impending hurricane but the monument still stood in all its glory.

The entrance is between two stones; it is to show MLK coming out of the mountain. The whole area was very powerful.  Even though the ceremonies were canceled some of the speakers came out to see and great people.  We saw Rev. Jesse Jackson looking at some of the famous quotes engraved in a semi circle around the main monument.

This was one of the main things I wanted to see during this trip and I am so glad we got to see it.

We got to do some more walking before the rain broke out.  I saw another new area on the far side dedicated to Roosevelt.  FDR brought America through some hard times and it is sickening to see the similarities in some things today with the economy.  I wish some of our Representatives and Senators would take a walk through there. They might learn a thing or two.

My favorite spot though of this trip was in the American History Museum.  We got to see the First Ladies gowns, the original American flag, and JULIA CHILDS KITCHEN.  I have never been in  this museum and was so happy to make it during this trip.

I cannot think of a better way to weather a hurricane than in the museums lining the National Mall.  We easily got from one to the next without getting to wet.  The Air and Space Museum had so many full airplanes inside.  I couldn't help but wonder about what this would have been like in the earthquake.

And finally for Mr. J we had to make a stop at the Natural History Museum. He is a sucker for the animals, especially the African safari animals. One day we will be able to see the real thing but for now this will have to do.