National Museum of Natural History

Since I found out we were moving to the Washington, DC area, I have fantasized about mother/daughter trips I would frequently (and with ease) take to our nation's capital. Since moving over six months ago, we have only taken one trip into DC. Unfortunately, reality can put a damper on ambitious plans. Besides living further away from the city than I anticipated, the roads and traffic are notoriously bad. It has also been a very cold winter. In summary, our happy little DC trips are not the 15 minute Metro excursions I envisioned.

But, that is all just an excuse. I don't know how long we will live out east. I also know I have a small window of time with one child who is old enough to enjoy the sites without being too difficult. I would be very regretful if I didn't seize the day.

I decided to be adventurous today and drive into DC! Our trip was flawless. We visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The weather was unseasonably warm. The traffic was manageable. I found a parking space in front of the Natural History Museum and only paid $4 for 2 hours. The museum wasn't busy...we even had the butterfly pavilion all to ourselves! I just pushed an empty stroller and let Maren lead the way. She visited the Hall of Mammals three times and held a caterpillar. Happy to report that the trip was worth the effort and I am feeling super confident about the whole thing!

To be continued at the Carousel...