Diamonds are a Girl's BFF!

Last weekend we visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, one of many amazing museums in D.C. to be featured on our blog.



The Smithsonian Institution includes 19 museums and galleries, along with the National Zoo, and each museum contains countless exhibits and displays. The Museum of Natural History is no exception, so on our first visit, we only got to see a small portion of the museum's holdings.



Initially, we thought we would quickly check out the Hope Diamond, and then head downstairs to see the dinosaurs. Upon arriving at the Hope Diamond display, our reaction could best be summed up by these children, who said: "What's so special about this rock?"



But, the more we started looking around, the more beauty we found. This crown was originally set with emeralds (which were later replaced with turquoise) and diamonds, and it sparkled in the lighting.



Here is a massive, uncut emerald. Reading about many of the stones, including the Hope Diamond, we learned they often were cut down to half their original carat size in the process of being shaped and polished.



This display features an uncut diamond on the left, and the largest diamond (the 127-carat Portuguese Diamond) in the collection on the right.



After looking at all the jewels, we were drawn further into the mineral exhibit by this rainbow of stones. The mineral exhibit explained the exact chemical composition that caused the formation of the mineral. It reminded Jessica that she had, at one time, wanted to become a geologist.



When Jessica studied rocks in 7th grade, she became infatuated with stones until the following unit, which featured astronomy, but we'll talk more about those memories when we get the the Air and Space Museum. But first, the dinosaurs!

A Presidential Sighting!

Last Sunday, while we were walking to brunch, a police officer prevented us from crossing the road. That's when we noticed that the entire street was empty. Traffic was stopped in every direction. I wonder who could be coming?



First came the police cars, all shiny and white.



Next came the police bikes, too many to count.



Then we saw it, the big limo in black!



But wait, there are two! Which one carries the President?



This one! He and Michelle were returning from a special service at a local church honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.



He was followed closely by the rest of his entourage, including a SWAT vehicle and an ambulance.



We also ran into Joe Biden outside the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. But more on that later...

A Monument Above the Rest!

With all the remarkable monuments in D.C., the one that stands out above the rest is the Washington Monument.



It literally dwarfs the Capitol! Okay, so this isn't exactly to scale, since the Capitol is much further away. The Capitol actually measures 288 feet tall, while the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall.



Thank goodness we found a sign directing us to the monument! We wouldn't have found it otherwise...



Even though the reflection pool between the Lincoln and Washington Monuments was closed, Justin still managed to find a big enough body of water to get this shot.



The Washington Monument was a beautiful sight against the dark sky.



From a different angle, you can see the pinks and purples from the sunset.



We were also able to capture the moon rising with the Monument. It reflects the light from the setting sun, giving it a reddish hue.



We had to scramble to get the right angle, but after climbing over a few tourists, bridges, and sidewalks, we managed to find the best spot for a close-up of this photogenic pair.

Welcome to DC!

Now that we're in our nation's capital, and neither of us are in the classroom, we will be stepping up our blogging efforts. To start, we took this balmy January day as an opportunity to explore the National Mall.



Oooh, look! A herd of Segways in their natural habitat. Or is this called a pride? A flock? We don't know.



One of our first stops was the Vietnam War Memorial. It is a very emotional memorial, filled with the names of those who lost their lives fighting in Vietnam. The marble is polished to reflect the images of everyone who visits the memorial.



Each name on the memorial is preceded by a symbol. The diamond signifies that the individual died during the war. The cross signifies that the person remains missing or was a prisoner of war. Only 780 individuals on the wall have the cross preceding their names.



Next time you're got a penny in your hand, take a close look at the Lincoln Memorial on the back, and you'll see the outline of this gentleman.



With the Lincoln Memorial facing east, it doesn't get great light at sunset if you look at it straight on. But if you get the right angle, it's quite stunning.



The newest memorial added to the Mall is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, which opened in August 2011. The inscription on the side of the monument reads, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."



Finally, a shot of the Capitol from a distance since it turns out that the Mall is really big...