Travel & Vacation: Butterfly Garden at Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
A butterfly getting a drink from the purple flower
While in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History we visited the Butterfly Garden. Getting into the Museum was free, but it did cost I believe $5 to get into the Butterfly Garden. I wasn’t sure if it was really worth it, however, Jake insisted that the girls should experience it at least once.
Both girls LOVED it! Brina was convinced she could stay there the entire day. It was really neat seeing the butterflies so close and having them land on you. Karlie didn’t mind them landing on her shoe, backpack, or clothes, but when they landed on her skin she didn’t like it. We spent a good amount of time in the Butterfly Garden which was completely enclosed with a variety of plants, flowers, and of course butterflies. If you get a chance to go through it with your kids I highly recommend it.
Waiting in line for the Butterfly Garden!
Brina thought it was hilarious that the butterfly landed on her camera!
Karlie with one on her leg. “Mom, it feels funny can you get it off!” She was not a big fan of them crawling on her skin, but for some reason they liked her legs, ha!
Brina loving it!
Oh no, it’s on my leg again! Mom! For some reason they liked Karlie’s legs!
One landed on the tip of Brina’s finger!
Karlie holding her hand next to the butterfly to see if it will crawl onto her hand.
Fascinating!
I was busy taking pictures when Brina informed me that I had 2 on my shirt!
One butterfly was checking out Brina’s colorful headband! She said she could feel it moving and it was tickling her ear!
The butterflies really liked Brina. She loved this activity!
Karlie’s backpack was a favorite spot for butterflies to land!
Hey, look at this one!
Karlie trying to encourage the butterfly to walk up to her hand so it wouldn’t be on her leg anymore!
This butterfly has a death wish…. I went to take a step when a butterfly decided to land on the bottom of my shoe. I had to hold my foot into this position until one of the workers came with a paint brush and get the butterfly off the bottom of my shoe! Thankfully I noticed before stepping down!
Jake took this picture on the outside of the butterfly garden. Sweet Karlie taking a picture of the butterfly in front of her!
Brina showing Daddy one of the butterflies that landed on her fingers. This is a little cloudy because it was taken through the canopy, but still really cute. She was so excited to show her butterfly to her Dad!
Travel & Vacation: Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History
Standing at the banister looking down on the elephant and floors below.
The girls were thrilled to go to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Brina especially loves anything associated to animals. Since we did the Smithsonian Institution of National Air and Space Museum yesterday we thought this will be a great next adventure. Thankful for some fun times together!
Touring the National Museum of Natural History
OOOOOOOUCH Karlie! This one has a lot of teeth!
Brina and Jake checking out the armadillo shell!
Doing their names with stamp calligraphy
Having fun exploring with my Brina Bee
Brina reading the sign and soaking it all in
Learning more about animals
Wow! Some cool looking animals!
One big giraffe
Checking out the fun displays
They had a huge elephant in the middle foyer of the building.
Touching a piece of rock from Mars…..fascinating!
Karlie thought this rock was so cool
Whoa….look at those rocks!
The Hope Diamond is a 45.52-carat dark blue diamond. It has traveled from India to France to Britain and now the United States. The Hope Diamond is also described as the “most famous diamond in the world.”
It looks like the elephant is coming toward them!
Super excited to visit the Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History
Travel & Vacation: Arlington Cemetery, Washington DC
Arlington Cemetery
Our first big stop on the second day of touring Washington, D.C. was Arlington Cemetery. The girls were amazed at all the gravestone markers. It was neat to read the names and see what wars they served in. Just being there makes you appreciate those who serve our country and what a great sacrifice they make to serve.
It was a little windy and required more walking at Arlington Cemetery, but it was well worth the trip. The girls were fascinated and grateful that the soldiers were honored for their service to our nation.
One of their favorite monuments in Arlington Cemetery included a horse. This monument is of Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill who was a British commander in both World War I and World War II. He was instrumental during World War II in forming a relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The change takes place in front of the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers every 3o minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In the process of switching guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While they are changing guards you may watch, but they ask you to remain silence out of respect for the soldiers and those family members who may be visiting their loved ones.
It was neat to watch the process they go through to switch guards and to know that those unknown soldiers are being honored for their service. It’s sad to think that there are many unknown soldiers, however, we are grateful for the respect they are given. During the changing of the guards the soldier takes 21 steps because a 21 gun salute for a soldier is the highest honor given to any military soldier. The inscription on the front column outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier says “Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God”
Walking through the inside part of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
Checking out the stones, names, and information as we stroll back down the hill.
Sitting on the steps outside of the John F. Kennedy Memorial
In front of John F. Kennedy’s memorial is an eternal flame that was lighted by Mrs. Kennedy the day of the funeral. It is set in a 5 foot circular granite stone that is located at the head of President Kennedy’s grace and was specially designed to always remain lit with a flame even in wind and rain.
Taking a quick rest from all the walking around Arlington Cemetery.
Karlie and Brina looking at all the memorials.
Mommy and her girls are Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Touring the Arlington Cemetery was a wonderful reminder of the many men and women who have served our country. It gave our kids a greater appreciation for those in service. Thankful the opportunity to explore such a nice place with our family while we were in Washington, D.C.
Travel & Vacation: Exploring Washington, DC – Trolley Ride, Sightseeing, and Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial
Brina all smiles and ready to go for the day.
Our second day exploring Washington DC. We were up early again so we can pack in a day full of fun. Our first stop was the Union Station where we parked the van and caught a ride on the trolley. We soaked up all the cool sights as we made our way through town. Thankful for our time together!
Karlie all geared up with her camera ready to take some pictures while on Washington’s Old Town Trolley!
Washington and Jefferson Monuments reflecting on the calm and peaceful Potomac River.
Karlie thought it was hilarious that several USPS mail drop boxes were painted to look like Sponge Bob. The reason the post office made the mail boxes to look like Sponge Bob was to encourage kids to write more letters. I wonder if it is working?
Riding up the escalator so we can head to the next adventure!
Karlie walking around the Marine memorial and soaking in all the sights around her.
Our family at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial in Washington DC. It was a super sunny day so all our family pictures were a little cloudy with a rainbow on the memorial.
The Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial in Washington DC is one of my favorite. It shows great pride for our country and team spirit among the Marine soldiers.
We were able to cover a lot of ground in Washington, D.C. thanks to the Old Town Trolley taking us around. It was a well worth the cost because it was a fast and easy way to get through the city to all the major sights. Plus we didn’t have to waste time finding parking at each place or walking everywhere. On the second day we went further out in the morning to Arlington Cemetery than on to the Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History, Iwo Jima, and more! We packed in a lot of fun, learning, and sight seeing on our second day in Washington D.C. It is a great place to explore with the family!
Vacation & Travel: Fun in Washington, D.C. – World War II & World War I Memorials, Trolley, White House, & Splashing in the Pool
They wanted a picture by the Kansas one since it was the first one they spotted.
We put some miles on our shoes walking to and from the various places in Washington, D.C. this summer. It was awesome being able to go through the city and see the neat historical memorials and monuments with the girls. They were fascinated and had a great time!
Checking out all the states on the World War II Memorial. Brina spotted “Kansas”
Hanging out by the fountains at the World War II Memorial
The fountains at the World War II Memorial were beautiful. There were large pillars on each side one saying “Atlantic’ and the other “Pacific”. On the smaller pillars were the names of the states that had soldiers who fought in the war.
They insisted on stopping to take a picture of the reflection pool and the bird wildlife.
A group of college students were doing a scavenger hunt competition the first day we were in Washington, D.C. One of the items on their list was to take a picture with a set of twins, here is one of the groups (several groups stopped us to ask if the girls would take a picture with them). It actually became quite comical after the first couple of groups stopped us for a picture. The girls thought it was hilarious and fun being a part of a college game!
Karlie posing by the World War I Memorial
WHAT!? Brina stopping to get a sip as we ride the Trolley to the next location!
All smiles riding the escalator back to the van after a big day on the town of Washington, D.C.
After dinner they still somehow had enough energy to go for a swim on the roof top pool!
Karlie diving down for one of the pool toys
Karlie having fun in the pool
There’s Brina!
Brina all smiles as she is ready to jump in and make a big splash!
Look out! Brina’s coming….
Thankful for a fun day in Washington, D.C. with the family. It was worth the stop to see all the neat places. The girls were super excited to explore different places that they had studied about in Social Studies. I think all of us crashed quickly that night once we hit the bed after a fun filled day of adventures, history, and fun!
Vacation & Travel: Korean & Abraham Lincoln Memorials
Etched in the granite on the Korean War Memorial are the words “Freedom Is Not Free”
While in Washington, D.C. we went to several memorials. One of the memorials we visited the first day was the Korean War Veterans Memorial. As we were walking up to look at the memorial we ran into Park Ranger JoAnn. She asked if the girls would like for her to walk around the memorial with them and tell them more about the memorial. The girls were thrilled to soak in more information from the park ranger. She did great with the girls, answered all their questions, and made it fun for them too.
Park Ranger “JoAnn” taking the girls through the Korean War Memorial. She was super sweet and explained a lot of neat details to the girls!
One of the benefits to walking through the Memorial with a Park Ranger is that we got a lot of great information about the memorial that we probably wouldn’t have figured out on our own by just walking through. It did take a few minutes longer, however, it was really worth it and the kids enjoyed hearing the specific details that went into making the memorial special for the soldiers who fought in the Korean War. The granite wall is in the shape of a triangle intersecting a circle. The wall has over two thousand images etched into it that represent soldiers who served in the war from all divisions. The etches were amazing.
Inside a triangle shaped area across the sidewalk from the wall are 19 stainless steel statues designed by F. C. Gaylord in 1994. Each soldier represents all of the American service branches dressed in their specific uniforms. The soldiers are over 7 feet tall and weigh almost 1,000 pounds. The bushes on the ground around the soldiers reflects what the ground looked like in Korean during the war. One of the soldiers has designer Frank Gaylord’s initials and date carved into it.
Listening to all the information. On the opposite side of the wall (where the wreaths are located) are listed the 22 United Nation countries who were involved in the Korean War. The wreaths are not always there, but we came during the week of July 4th.
Karlie listening to what Park Ranger JoAnn is saying while Brina tries to count the reflections of the soldiers on the granite memorial.
When the images of the 19 statues reflect on the memorial wall it appears that there are 38 soldiers which represents the 38th parallel where the war was fought.
The Korean War Memorial is near the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool (an easy walking distance and the closest restroom too). Thankful for park rangers and their willingness to share pieces of history with kids. Our family really enjoyed learning more!
We made it to the steps of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. The girls are excited to see Lincoln’s memorial!
Daddy and Karlie
Jake and his girls at the Lincoln Memorial
Brina and Karlie impressed by the size of Abraham Lincoln’s Memorial
Mommy and her girls! It is so much fun exploring and seeing these great places with the kids now that they know more of their history.
Sitting below Lincoln’s famous speech! “Four score and seven years ago….”
We had a blast exploring many awesome places in Washington, D.C. There is so much to do and see! We started early that morning and packed in as much as possible. We made sure to have plenty of liquids and snacks to help keep us going throughout the day. The girls even wore their own camel backs with water and snacks. They were troopers as we bounced around D.C.
Vacation & Travel: Smithsonian Institution – National Air & Space Museum
Jake and his girls at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.!
Our family was able to spend some time at the Smithsonian Institution of National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. this summer. The first time we drove by the building and Karlie saw the sign she was ready to go explore it! The Smithsonian Institution buildings that we went into were really nice, very educational, and the best part is that they are FREE! You cannot bring in any food or drinks, but there are water fountains and a McDonald’s at one end of the Museum if you get hungry.
So excited to explore this building that they had to get a picture by the sign!
Over-the-top excited to go into the Air and Space Museum
Both girls love science and learning, however, Karlie loves anything relating to space so this adventure was a big hit with her!
So many things to look at and explore in the Air & Space Museum. As you can see Jake is the only one actually looking at me, ha! Thanks Babe! The other two were mesmerized by all the displays!
Karlie all smiles as she touches a piece of moon rock. This particular piece was brought back from the moon on Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Brina touching the moon rock….how cool to think that it was once on the moon!
Jake is so good about showing the girls the various items and explaining it to them. They love soaking up all the cool information!
Having fun at the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum!
We thought the room with all the history about how planes and other flying items were created was pretty neat!
Brina all smiles waiting in line for the next activity and you can see Karlie in the reflection checking to make sure her Air & Space Museum pictures were turning out! Silly girls!
Brina flying the plane!
Karlie’s turn to drive! They’ve got their eyes on what’s in front of them! Whatever it is better look out!
Soaking it all in….
Wow, what a huge carrier. Even the display model was big! Love that they are so fascinated by the display they don’t even realize I am on the other side taking their picture.
Having fun at the Air & Space Museum!
Karlie wanted a picture by her favorite rocket – The Apollo! The space rooms were a hit with Karlie!
Karlie all smiles as she gets a picture in front of Buzz Aldrin’s astronaut suit. Earlier this year in March she had a chance to see and hear Buzz Aldrin speak at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC!
Mommy and her girls!
It didn’t take Brina long to figure out all the computer activities!
Showing Daddy what she put together on the computer!
Fascinating, this was probably Brina’s favorite rooms with all the interactive science activities, experiments, and fun information.
Gravity, force, magnets…..all kinds of fun activities to check out!
This picture cracked me up – all three Karlie, Brina, and Jake have their heads down looking at the all pictures in the displays.
Someone really liked this room!
Having fun at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Karlie and Brina loved all the neat activities and displays at the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum! I was shocked at how long we spent there since the time went by so quickly. They could have spent the entire day just in this museum. Karlie was really hoping we had “extra” time in Washington, D.C. so we could go back and go through the museum again, maybe next time sweet girl!
It was educational, fascinating, and a fun place to explore for the whole family. They did a great job with this museum. Washington, D.C. is a great place to visit the only hard part is fitting in all the amazing places to visit into one trip! We packed in as much as we could in the couple days we were there, but I am sure we’ll have to go back at some point to explore some more!
Travel & Vacation: Quick Stop in Doha, Qatar
Looking at Qatar from the airplane, BEAUTIFUL!!!
Our longest flights to and from India were on Qatar Airways. The flights were between 13 to 17 hours (one included an extra delay where we were stuck on the plane). It was a great airline to fly. I only wish we had more time in Doha, Qatar so we could explore the area more. The people we met on the flights and in Qatar were really neat too. The service was great, food delicious, and all our luggage arrived exactly when and where it was suppose to (which is kind of important). After traveling with them I would definitely recommend them especially if you are traveling overseas with long flights.
Another picture of Qatar as we gained more altitude. These are all man made patches of land. Qatar is one of wealthiest country in the world.
When you have to spend 17 hours on a flight it is nice they have good food! 🙂 Breakfast anyone?
Rain delay in the Qatar! Guess they don’t get a lot of rain in the desert area so it causes some issues with the planes. We ended up being on the plane almost two additional hours with this delay.
Qatar Airways
I tried not using any flash on the plane so I wouldn’t disturb people around us who were sleeping, but had to take a picture of the ice cream. On the way out we got Ben & Jerry’s and the way back London Diary ice cream and cookies for snacks. The girls were ready to go to India as soon as the heard we had meals and ICE CREAM on the plane, ha! 🙂
Another delicious meal on the airplane. If I remember correctly we had 3 meals and several snacks on both our Qatar flights. The stewardess would give you a menu and you picked out which options you wanted. If you fell asleep you could just put a sticker on the top of the seat telling the steward what you wanted for your next meal.
The food was great (as you can see from the pictures) and the seats were really comfortable. The seats were bigger and even reclined a lot more making it easier to rest. After flying Qatar from Doha, Qatar to Washington, DC we transferred to US Airways (that’s when we realized how big, comfortable, and reclining abilities of the seats on Qatar were). The US Airway plane felt tiny and more cramped. We were thankful for safe flights and were ready to get home to our chickies. Only a couple more hours of driving and we would be there! 🙂
Travel & Vacation: Flying Overseas with Qatar Airways – Doha, Qatar
The airplane was huge! I was not able to get a picture of it because I boarded at night, this picture was taken the next morning and yes that is ice frozen onto the window! Beautiful views from the airplane!
Recently my husband spent a month in India working. Thankfully I was able to go over to spend some time with him and visit family. My parents were sweet enough to watch the girls for us and take them to school so I could fly over and see Jake. I was super excited to see Jake after being apart for almost a month. I am not sure how military and other families handle all the travel time because a month was a very long time for us to be apart and there were some tough days. Being apart a week here and there has been fine but by the time it came for me to spend two days traveling I was a little nervous going through several different airports and countries by myself but it was worth it knowing Jake was on the other end. I was gone for two weeks, went through 12 airports, and thankfully my luggage never got lost! Aww….there is so much that has happened over the past couple months, looking forward to sharing with you!
Traveling on Qatar Airways was very pleasant considering how long we were on the airplane. The “moving map” was probably my favorite thing to keep up on my TV screen as I was reading I would occasionally look up and see all the details of the flights.
This screen shot shows:
- Local Time at Origin: 9:41 am
- Local Time at Destination: 4:41 pm
- Outside Air Temperature: -44 degree Celsius
- Ground Speed: 568 mph
- True Airspeed: 561 mph
- Altitude: 35000 feet
Since we were going to several different locations we actually were traveling on several different airlines – US Airways, United Airlines, Qatar, Kingfisher, and IndiGo. Kingfisher was the only one that we had any major complications with and that was because the government froze all its assets and it went bankrupt the week we were flying with them. All our scheduled Kingfisher flights got canceled, at one point they re-routed our flight to a different city, the schedule had to be juggled around, and we had to switch airlines for one of the flights but otherwise it was pretty smooth trip. Qatar was my favorite, which is good since it was the longest leg of our trip both ways. They had bigger seats that reclined more, individual TVs, headphones, pillow, blanket, delicious meals, and a goody bag (with items like ear plugs, socks, toothbrush & toothpaste, a blind fold). I flew coach the entire way and it was a great experience for me.
When you look at the map it really doesn’t look too far, until you realize you just flew halfway across the world! The longest part of the trip was from Washington, DC to Doha, Qatar.
What an amazing blessing it was to fly overseas. I met some of the most wonderful people from around the world during my trip. I was able to share stories and experiences, learn about many different cultures and families, laugh with other women over silly stuff even though we couldn’t understand everything each other was saying, give out disposable toothbrushes to fellow travelers, and so much more. Even though a couple weeks have passed since traveling I am still processing all the great things about the trip. I am thankful for the wonderful opportunity and the people I was able to meet during my trip. It really was a true joy just talking with people from around the world and I pray that through my conversations, actions, and interactions that I made a positive impact on the lives of the people I met.
Almost to the end of my long flight! On the map you can see Ad-Dammam, Bahrain, and Qatar. It is my first time in Doha, Qatar!
Even though I traveled over on my own it was a really pleasant experience. I am thankful for the many people I met. I sat next to really neat and thoughtful people. Only one person had a panic attack in flight which was a really “interesting” experience. The guy having a panic attack was in the back of the airplane (row 37 and I was in row 13 with my headphones on watching a movie) and I could hear him yelling. He was yelling for one of the guys sitting next to me. Thankfully the stewardess didn’t have to restrain him but I did have a several different people that I sat next to since the stewardess had to juggle around some passengers. My heart went out to all the families with small children as they tried to keep them content for so long, they must have been exhausted by the end of the trip. There were many exciting stories and crazy little things that happened along the way which made the experience a fun adventure!
The girls are convinced they are ready to go overseas now! They really want to go this summer but since we were just there, they don’t have their passports yet, and the summer is already full we told them maybe the next time we travel overseas they can come. I think the best part of the flight, according to the girls, was that they served us ice cream for a snack (they’ve never had ice cream on a plane before)!
My family loves to travel, both flying and road trips. Over the years (and after many trips) we have discovered ways to make the trips more enjoyable for whole family. Do you travel overseas a lot? What airlines have been your favorite? Do you have any tips for flying with your family?
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
