Amy and I checked out the Union Station Centennial last Saturday. There were historical exhibits, memorabilia, model train sets, and best of all, historic train cars and locomotives out on the tracks. We got to look inside a 1957 Rosa Parks-dedicated Metrobus, pester the guys at NARP to send our membership cards, and walk inside an old Chessie Club Lounge Car, a Gadsby’s Tavern Dining Car, the Cannon Ball, and other luxury parlor-and-sleeper rail carriages from the early to mid-20th Century.
After a lunch at Uno Grill (formerly Pizzeria Uno), we walked over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to see the new Ocean Hall. It had been just a week since its grand opening, so the hall was still crowded with locals and tourists alike. Eventually we beat a retreat to the ground floor cafe to get some coffee and catch our breath, but I got a few photos:
Half an hour later we returned to the Ocean Hall (now slightly-less crowded) and were able to browse the prehistoric displays at leisure and catch a glimpse of the Giant Squid — when suddenly, tragedy struck! (But that’s another post.)
View the full photosets on Flickr: