FLASHBACK: Gramma Mindy's final Winter 2013 Visit (aka The Air and Space Museum II!)



As the winter season was wrapping up, Gramma Mindy came down to visit us, and we ended up heading down into Virginia to see the Air and Space Museum's Annex out near Dulles. It has a silly name that I can neither pronounce, nor spell, so I will save myself the humiliation and just leave it at that.

We got to the museum and discovered that it was essentially a giant aircraft hangar where they store the larger full-scale planes that don't fit into the museum in DC. There were also lots of cool exhibits and stuff to see.

One of the first planes we saw was an old World War II plane that had a scary mouth with lots of teeth on the front of it. Dad tried his best to convince me that the plane was just painted that way in order to intimdate the enemy (it sure was working on me!) and it took a lot of prodding before I'd finally walk down the ramp to look at the rest of the museum, and walk under the plane. (I never felt fully comfortable walking by it, but I did my best to be brave. Just putting the picture up there gives me the heebie jeebies)

Luckily we got past that little speed bump because there was still so much to see! We got to walk along the upper catwalks and get a good look at a lot of different planes that were hanging from the ceiling. Gramma Mindy and I did a lot of hanging out, and she told me a lot about the planes we were seeing!

We got to look at a lot of different things that touched on a lot of interests....from actual planes, to missiles, to models of planes and space suits.

After getting to sit in a flight simulator for a little while, Mom, Dad and I waited in line for a chance to sit in an actual airplane and use the controls. I slid right in, and Dad crammed himself into the seat next to me. I did a very good job listening to instructions and used the controls very gently. I think I'd make a pretty good pilot, right?

At the very least I'd be a pretty adorable pilot, yeah?

Mom did a really good job going through the little information plaques that were posted around the hangar. They gave a lot of facts and history, and Mom went through them with me. I learned a lot of cool stuff!

Apparently some of the Tuskegee Airmen were there that day, and they were kind of a big deal. So that was pretty cool. :-)

Dad and I took a few minutes to check out some planes on our own (and goof around a little bit)_ while Mom and Gramma Mindy grabbed us a table and some food at the McDonald's in the museum.

And just in case you thought I couldn't goof around on my own...

And one of the coolest things that the museum has was tucked in the back in its own special hangar...that's right! It's the retired space shuttle Discovery! Dad was super excited about this one and took something like eight million pictures. You can tell that I was pretty much done for the day, an was certainly done taking pictures. :-)

I was excited to finally get out to Dulles in order to check out this very cool, and unique museum. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait to go back and see it again! Maybe this time, I'll go inside one of the crazier flight simulator rides that REALLY shakes you up!