We started the day by going to the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum and, according the kids, I was in my element. Yeah, I geeked out. As soon as we walked in I started telling stories about everything we saw. I loved it. We saw a live demonstration on principles of flight and a planetarium show about black holes narrated by Liam Neeson.

Then we went over to the Natural History Museum and checked out the mammal and reptile exhibits. (Um, on the whole we recommend the Chicago Natural History Museum. No offense, Smithsonian.)

Then after having lunch out on the Mall we went to the Washington Monument. It's big and pointy. We had some discussion about how George Washington would feel about this as a monument to his life. "I led a ragtag army to victory over the preeminent military force of our day and then became a struggling young nation's first president and you build a big, tall, pointy thing in my honor? Gosh... thanks."

We saw the new World War II Memorial, which was well done, but still not as moving in my opinion as the Vietnam Memorial. We rubbed three names there for a friend back home. They died during a booby trap that injured our friend in March of 1970.

Of course, we had to go to the Lincoln Memorial, which is still one of my favorite sites in Washington DC. We read the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. Both the kids were impressed by the simplicity and succinctness of the Gettysburg Address. I was impressed again how in the midst of war Lincoln was able to say that God favored neither side.