Today we went to the United States Air Force museum. We have a HUGE advantage with this... it is practically across the street from where we live. We see it everyday. Another advantage - it's FREE!!! We decided going in that we would just plan to stay about an hour. With the above mentioned pluses and our children we knew this wouldn't be a multiple hour trip. But the plan is to go every few months and look at different things. Josh and I even talked and decided that we will go back without the girls so we have more time to read the information. As it was, if we started reading we lost a kid. It was almost comical. But we did get to have a few teachable moments, and we will hopefully have more as we return and the girls are older.
The museum is AMAZING!!! It is so well done. There are tons of exhibits, yet they are not so crowded in that you feel overwhelmed. The part we went to today was called "The Early Years" and it started with the beginning of flight (that's a kinda big deal around here) and went through WWII. I know I want to go back and look at the holocaust section. There was a special part just for the victims in concentration camps, and although I didn't want the girls to look too closely (overprotective mama), Avery and I did talk a little about what happened. There was a concentration camp uniform, and she asked about it. WOW. How do you answer that question when you want to be completely honest without going into too much detail?!?! It was a tough one. Honestly the entire WWII part was just impressive and emotionally overwhelming. There were pictures of telegrams telling parents that their children were shot down, planes they flew, and newspapers declaring the war over. Josh and I were also super impressed because the plane that dropped the atomic bomb was in the museum. Such history!!!
I also enjoyed people watching. I overheard one mom tell her kids, "I knew I should have left y'all and come by myself!" I had to laugh because at the moment I was having similar thoughts. There is so much to take in, and it would be hard anyway, but with the distraction it is next to impossible. But there was also a 14ish year old boy pushing his grandfather around in a wheelchair, and you could tell... he GOT it. He would wheel his grandfather to an exhibit and let him read the information, and then they would slowly go to the next spot. For so many people it is so much more than a museum. Families trying to teach their children about patriotism and history and respect. The girls didn't learn all of that today. But it was a start. And it will be an education that we continue. We must. How else will they learn?
The sign on the side. The museum is made up of hangars (how appropriate), but I think this is an add on where they have the IMAX. We didn't do that part today.
One of the many pictures taken. The pictures didn't turn out great because although the lighting was perfect to highlight planes and exhibits, it wasn't great for taking photos (priorities!!!). But I managed to get a few good ones. :)
The girls were amazed by this. It is a landing gear wheel. Can you imagine the size of the plane?!?!
This is one of two quilts made in memorial to the Holocaust. One of the squares says, "I could not weep and it pained me that I could not weep but I had no more tears." WOW.
The plane that dropped the atomic bomb.
There is also a "memorial garden" that is so cool. All the trees were planted in honor of someone, but there are also many memorials. I loved this one. On the bottom it reads, "We who came home must never forget those who could not." I would love to add, "And those who have never left home must remember and honor all of you."
On a side note, after lunch we went and bought school supplies... sort of. We don't have a list yet so we just got the things we thought they will need. We will exchange and add to after a list comes. The girls didn't care. They were thrilled either way.
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