Back in the District!

So how was everyone's summer? Mine was good, thank you for asking! I coached in a great summer sports program called Skyhawks. It's a sports program for kids, and there's all sorts of different sports. They're all, for the most part, week-long half-day programs. My strong suit was tennis, and I did about four different weeks of that, in Preston and East Lyme. I also got to coach some soccer, do some basketball (which was crazy, I've never actually played basketball), and even baseball (THAT was insane, I've NEVER played baseball.) I worked with some great people who helped me through the spots I stumbled and I ended up having a fantastic summer.
"That's great Martian, but what is this about going back to the District?"
I'm so glad you asked! Well, mom's friend invited us along to DC for a few days, so mom and I squeezed in some time doing touristy things that I always enjoy when I visit. And so, I am going to take you on a whirlwind week-long tour of DC in ONE BLOG POST!!

AND NOW....I BRING YOU... 

CAPPY'S CAPITOL TOUR!!!

Yes'm, we were lead on a wonderful tour by our helpful army cap, Cappy. A gift from a friend of mine, I Love this cap, and I thought what better way than to take the army cap, back to the home of the military and everything the military fights for?


So, of course, the number one most important thing you must do when you come to DC is get on the metro to go anywhere. So cappy found himself to the metro, and looked at the map to reach his destination

So, as is tradition, the first place Mom and I went was dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, right off the Chinatown stop. I've talked about our traditions here before, and Cappy enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Even got his photo taken in front of the color-changing waterfall! Cappy enjoys the french fries most of all. At the bottom, you can see off on the left, the Hard Rock's seal. Cappy had his photo taken holding the Hard Rock flag too! Rock on Cappy, Rock on.

Cappy on the metro. There's a plane on Final
RIGHT in the background!!

CAPPY OVER THE POTOMAC!

After a long search, I finally found my touristy Neck Monkey. Awesome.
Here is monkey, chilling with mom. 

Cappy takes a nappy

I like to think Cappy enjoyed the International Spy Museum. It's another stop we try to make while we're in DC. It's fun for kids, especially, cuz you can crawl around like a spy in the ducts, and there's this game through the museum where you have to prove you remember your cover. I'm so bad I don't even remember what my NAME was when we went...

Next, Cappy dropped into

THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY

I thought it would be totally lame. I actually had some fun there. They had the awesomest gift shop EVER!!! But I'm sure we all know what I was saving my money for..... (PS-if you guessed air and space, you're right!)

STEVEN UDVAR-HAZY RESEARCH CENTER

 Ah, yes, the Steven Udvar-Hazy research center. We've been here before...I've shared these photos previously, however this time, there was a different space shuttle!!

Cappy had his photo taken right out front, on the long sidewalk leading up to the gorgeous research center. The one that just happens to have a giant space shuttle inside...yeah that one. 

Cappy went right for the James S. McDonell Space Hangar. Last time we were here. the space shuttle Endeavor was housed in this huge hangar. This time, Discovery was present and accounted for. Discovery has been our return to flight vehicle, TWICE. After the Columbia and Challenger disasters.

I had to have my photo taken in front of the
first space shuttle I've ever seen that has
ACTUALLY FLOWN IN SPACE

Then we went up to this air-traffic-control like place that was SO. COOL!!!

Hey! I can see our car from here!

Cappy enjoying the view

We could even see a REAL airport!
We had so much fun plane-spooting

FOUND ONE!!!

So that's my favorite place in Washington, DC...

But our adventure wasn't over yet!!

Cappy and I went and visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing! 

It's something Mom has wanted to do for awhile, and it's free, so I said "what the heck" and off we went. And it didn't totally suck

Cappy admiring the Washington monument!!

We also passed the Holocaust Memorial Museum....

So that, at long last, is Martian's whirlwind DC tour. Hope you enjoyed visiting the district with me again!!!

xoxo
Martian

Westover ARB Air Show

So, today I got to go check out the Blue Angels and other flight demonstrations at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee Massachusetts.

There was a model M*A*S*H helicopter, just like on the Show!

There were exhibits you could check out, such as these fighter planes (right) and the older plane that came with it's own truck (left)

Canadian Snowbirds

  
Check out these guys flying in formation. I thought it was awesome to see the different configurations I saw in their planes!!!

More Demos

 







There was this plane, which my mom and I wondered was some type of Government Plane. Still don't know. We were told, at least, that it probably belonged to a lower-level government official. Too bad. How cool would it be to see Air Force One at an air show?

Unfortunately, this was closed, but I think it was a simulator. Too bad it was closed! How cool would it be to have seen what it's like to be in a REAL Blue Angel???

There was this cool drone-looking thing.
I don't know what kind of drone,
not my department.

There was a fuel leak right before the Blue Angels Flight. they called EVERYONE. Guess you can't EVER be too safe when it comes to fighter jets. I wasn't surprised.