National Museum of the United States Marine Corps (April 14, 2018)

 After tehe visit to the National Air and Space Museum, Debbie and I stopped at the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps. Admission and parking are both free and this museum is truly remarkable giving the full history of the United States Marine Corps. I served in the US Navy and was honored to know a few Marines in the day....tend to be outstanding people.   

Many aircraft to see at the museum such as the Harrier above and many great historical artifacts such as the flag at left that flew at Iwo Jima in World War 2. I was amazed at many of the sights I saw in the museum and if you can find the time to visit you will find a visit to this museum is well worth it.

National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, VA (April 14, 2018)

 A favorite place to visit and this time brought my soon to be wife Debbie with me. This museum is actually sort of the "annex" as it is the second of the two museums in the Washington, DC area, this one located outside of the actual city. This plane is of note, and is famous for being the last remaining actual plane that was in Pearl Harbor on  December 7, 1941. The damage is from age, not from the attack.

Not so damaged is the Space Shuttle Discovery seen at the museum. They wanted to display it with a "just back from Space look", so NASA delivered it (after removing some of the dangerous chemicals) inside it.
A little more damaged (and like the plane above a little worn) is the guy in front. That's me....and Debbie took this photo.
Always enjoy seeing this remarkable spacecraft. There are a number of bigger aircraft here...the Enola Gay, the SR-71, the Boeing 747 and the Concorde are just a few of the ones you can see.     

Lots of really older planes from World War 1 and even a few older flying machines are at the museum. It is a great place to visit if you are ever in the area. Parking is $15 but admission is free and well worth it. It is one of the many things to see in the Washington, DC region and believe me there are quite a few more. 

Riding the RVA

 March 31 was a nice day to get out and one of the first times in a while to get out on two wheels. It is one of my favorite ways to get out to explore Richmond for a number of reasons.
Went to see a number of things. Those included the baseball stadium (aka "The Diamond" ) and also to the racetrack (aka Richmond International Raceway) which can be seen at left (the track being in the background as it was closed for "Easter Weekend". Ride up saw a number of cherry trees, while not yet blooming in Washington, DC they are in full bloom here.

From that area rode back to Monument Avenue where I got this photo of the Jefferson Davis Memorial. Not debating the wisdom of honoring the man, but this at any case is his monument.
Rode some more around Richmond. Oh while I was out made a short refreshment stop at Hardywood Brewing for a bit of ale. Some pretty tasty beverages there and its a favorite of mine (that and Legend Brewing).
All in all it was a really good ride and a wonderful day to do it. Spring is finally coming to the area after a winter that did not seem to want to end, and that is going to be a fun thing. My two favorite seasons are Spring and Fall and looking forward to making the most of the Spring season. There will be a lot to see and do...and it is my plan to see it, and do it.