A Bit of DC (12/13-14/2014)

Saturday, December 13, 2014
We visited Erich and Carrie in Washington, DC, and got to see the grandsons, Dylan and Pete. After lunch at Blue Jacket, a microbrewery, we took the Metro to the National Air and Space Museum. There was some discussion about the age of the museum, which actually opened in 1976 while what Tamiko remembered as a child must have been the National Air Museum (before Space was discovered!)

Pete checks out an early era airline meal

Erich, Dylan and Pete went on a Cosmic Coaster simulator ride, then we took the Metro back to the apartment in the renovated Foundry of the Navy Yard, for a taco dinner.

Sunday, December 14, 2014
This morning the lights went up on the Christmas tree!
The whole gang took the Metro to the Woodley Park station, the second deepest station in the DC area, and it has one of the longest escalators.

Dylan and Erich on the Woodley Park escalator

It is a half mile walk to the National Zoo from the Metro station, so we needed a quick snack.

National Zoo entrance on Connecticut Avenue

The zoo entrance is flanked by two bronze lions (ca. 2002) made by artist Reinaldo López-Carrizo, based on the originals (1906) by Roland Perry, that were made for the Taft Bridge.
The first Giant Pandas (Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing) at the National Zoo were gifted by China to the U.S. in 1972. They died in 1992 and 1999. Breeding of pandas has become more sophisticated, and with the arrival of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang in 2000, the National Zoo has had two successful live births.

Pete and Dylan with the Panda sculpture by Eric Berg

Dylan

Pete (and Dylan)

Pithecia pithecia/Pale-headed Saki
right at the window

Salix discolor/Pussy Willow 

Melanistic Sciurus carolinensis/
Black Eastern Gray Squirrel

We had lunch at Chipotles before taking the Metro back home.
A short but productive visit. Thanks to Erich and Carrie for the hospitality, and thanks to Dylan and Pete for showing us the Air and Space Museum and the National Zoo!