We were back from Nebraska but it was soon time for another adventure!
Julia and Matt and family arrived Wednesday evening. Thursday morning found Steve and me at Midway airport, with Ruby and Benjamin, ready to board a plane to Washington D.C. There was just time for a quick breakfast before we got in line for the flight to Dulles.
How about a trip to the Udar-Hazy Center? And how about having a retired NASA engineer as your tour guide? The Center is part of the National Air and Space museum. and Ruby is registered for Space Camp next year. We needed to visit!
Our flight was on time and we were at the museum by 11 0’clock. We started in the Space section with a good look at the Space Shuttle Discovery. It was big.
A close look at the heat shield. 
Doesn’t it make you think of a quilt? Of course the shuttles took many satellites up into space. Today’s featured image shows some of the communication satellites that are now working high above our heads to allow us to keep in touch with each other, no matter where we find ourselves in the world.
Here’s another view of the space hangar from one of the elevated walkways..
There were lots of planes to look at too, including the Enola Gray, a Concorde and a Blackbird SR-71. Both the children had lots of questions for Randy, he had lots of answers!
One last picture with our intrepid tour guide before we left the museum, replete with new head wear.
We all went out for dinner before we headed back to the airport for the flight home. Yes, it was a day trip! One to be remembered.
Friday was a day for rest and relaxation, a little shopping and a dip in the neighborhood pool and then we were off out again.
Not so far this time… My high school Latin classes were made more bearable by the inclusion of Roman history. I was intrigued by the story of Pompeii. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit this summer’s exhibition at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry .
It didn’t disappoint, with all manner of artifacts from the Roman city including this full body cast of a dog that had graced the cover of one of my Latin text books.
Canis est in via?
We included a couple of movies in the Giant Dome.
I will admit to sleeping through the whale film but I stayed awake for the whole of the volcano one!
And of course we had to visit the chicks in the Farm Tech exhibit!
A busy few days, but there is more to share… I took another day trip yesterday. I’m going to write a separate post about that one. Coming soon!
