October 31 - 2017 Dumfries, Virginia

Happy Halloween!

October 31 is finally here! We have been seeing decorations, and hearing screams from haunted houses, all through October. Here are some pictures we want to share – especially with the people in Denmark.

Stores have been selling decorations….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yards have been decorated….

 

 

 

Even the campgrounds have gotten into the holiday spirit….

 

 

And today, we were out when the kids were trick or treating. It was really fun. Lots of cute and very excited kids. And lots of adults, who had decorated their homes and were in costume….

 

 

Written by Mary

October 23-31 - 2017 Dumfries, Virginia

IMPRESSIONS FROM A WEEK AROUND DC

During our week+ stay in the DC area, we took some pictures, that we like, but that didn’t fit into the blog entries we made about bigger topics. We would like to share them here, under miscellaneous😊

We talked about whether the District of Columbia (DC) had its own license plate, since it isn’t a state. We didn’t see one for many days. But then we found this one.

Notice the saying: “taxation without representation” (borrowed from the revolution). That must be weird for residents of DC, not to be able to vote for State officials.

Here is the more modern skyline.

On Saturday, we parked at the Watergate Hotel again. These Lamborghinis were also parked there (there were 15 of them!). It made the Tahoe look a little out of place😊

 

The weather on Saturday was great. It seems like everyone was out, enjoying the possibly last day of “summer”. People were jogging, biking, playing sports (we saw beach volley, baseball, football, soccer), rowing, walking, picnicking….

 

 

 

 

Saw fall colors - again😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw “art”

Heard “music”

Here is a picture taken on The Mall – with an airplane and flock of geese.

This boy is dressed in an astronaut uniform, that you can buy at the Air and Space museum. I photographed one while at the museum shop, because I thought it was cute. It was even cuter, when a kid had it on😊



We saw these deer one day at our campground. Our campground is in the middle of the woods.

 

Written by Mary

October 29 - 2017 Dumfries, Virginia

MUSEUMS

Englishman James Smithson (1765-1829) left in his will (testamente), $508,318

to the young country of the United States of America. The money was to be used to “found an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”

(et sted der ville fremme og formidle viden). The Smithsonian Institution was founded.

Almost 200 years later, that $508,318 has turned into 19 museums, a zoo, and 9 research facilities (forskningsinstitutter). It is the world’s largest museum and research complex, most of which are in Washington DC. They are all open to the public, and have free admission (gratis)😊

During our visits to the city, we have visited several of the museums. They are all packed with information and interesting artifacts (genstande). These are the museums we chose to see, and some of the things we saw:

National Air and Space Museum:

Lunar landing module

A selection of full size rockets

A selection of full size airplanes

The Wright brothers' "Flyer"
1st powered aircraft from 1903

National Museum of American History:

All the museums are big, but this one is huge!

The Smithsonian has earned the nickname (øgenavn) "America's Attic" (Amerikas pulterrum/loft). Nowhere is that more obvious than at the museum of American History. There is so much different stuff in there and you can spend days in there, and still not see it all.

Among many many other things, for instance:

Star Spangled Banner from Fort McHenry (USA's flag der inspirerede nationalsangen).
Statue of Liberty in Legos
Stage coaches (diligencer)
Muhammed Alis boxing gloves
Bill Clintons saxophone
Steam engines (dampmaskiner)
Early electrical stuff- like fans and toasters (ventilator og brødrister)
Street cars (sporvogne)
Lots of cars and trucks
Indiana Jones’s whip and hat
China (spisestel) from at least 10 presidents
A complete house from early colonial time
The dresses from a great number of first ladies
etc. etc. etc.

And much more, like the following:

One of Thomas Edison's early light bulbs - 1879



Steam locomotive - 1876



First automobile to make a cross country trip in 1903

Yard ornaments - designed in 1957

Macintosh - 1984 



Quilt - mid 1800's



The hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing, when he got shot

National Museum of the American Indian:

 

Adult male Lakota clothing 

 

Totem pole 

 

Ojibwa Birch bark canoe

 

We have referred to Ira Hayes and the Iwo Jima monument
several times on the blog. We found Ira and his story at the museum.
Now you can read what it is all about. 

 

 

National Portrait Gallery:

 

JJ found portraits of the 4 "greatest" presidents (in his opinion) -

 

George Washington

Abraham Lincoln

Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

Ronald Reagan

National Postal Museum:


Stage coaches delivered mail in the early 1800's









 

This bag was invented, so the mail could be picked up, without the train
having to stop. It was grabbed through an open window, as the train passed.

Ever wondered about Zip codes (postnumre)?



Every time we see something that reminds us of home, we have to take a picture. Here are some international mail boxes - including a Danish one.

Written by Mary