Travel : Smithsonian Museums (Washington D.C.)

A must visit during any vacation to Washington D.C. is the Smithsonian Institution. The world’s largest museum complex is composed of 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo.

During my stay in D.C. we were only able to visit one museum out of the massive complex, and my wife and I made it a point that it would be the National Museum of Natural History. This museum alone took over six hours to complete and was probably the most popular museum due to their extensive collection of dinosaur fossils and animal specimens.

There were several other museums within the complex I would have loved to visit, but there was just not enough time to do it. The National Museum of American History was actually a museum I had wanted to see but unfortunately that particular museum will be closed for renovation until the fall of 2008.

Overall, the experience at the museum was very educational for me. Just be sure to have a good pair of shoes on, a fully charged camera, and a decent amount of money for lunch break. (the museums are free, but the food vendors around the area are expensive! $20 for two hotdogs, two small fries, and a drink!)