2003.12.31 Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum

It was busy. It's not done yet. Did we have fun anyway? Oh yes...

This is the only time during the whole little trip where Max stood still. Really.

Some guy on the first floor though this was the Wright Brothers' plane... I held my tongue.

The lighting was hooooooorrible.

The only way to combat the bad lighting was to pick planes that were really close like this Hellcat.

That's the real honest-to-goodness Enola Gay. I couldn't find the right words to explain to Max why it's important.

I like propellers. Max does too. He can tell you what a propeller does.

Mmmmm, rockets

There were lots of stairs, which we HAD to take because the elevators aren't open yet. Max wasn't too fond of them.

Max likes to run. There's a trench under here, covered with these white metal plates that made GREAT echo-ey noises when Max ran on them.

Then he started marching on them, and stamping down as hard as his little feet could stamp.

I really wish the lighting had been better and/or I had a better camera. Being right up next to the SR-71 was awesome.

Hey, old guy, you're in my shot, and stop looking at me like that! I'm NOT going to kiss you, not even for FIVE dollars.

A Mig-21 high-speed walkby...

I got Max to slow down just for a minute...

Ahhh, the F4, my dad's old plane.

More miggage.

And I thought I had a big nose!

The A-6 Intruder... you know from "The Flight of". They made a movie from it. I don't remember if it was any good or not.

A leetle lower, please.

If I wasn't chasing Max at the time, you'd see the F-22 here.

Looks like an earthquake in the hanger, huh? Max was running - again.

We were at least walking this time, but Max still wasnt' stopping.

Max really liked the story I told him about the titanium plates behind the jets, and how Grandpa Larry told me that sometimes the screws that held the plates in would melt and make the plates vibrate. I guess I should have let my dad tell him that one.