One of our favorite cities, and one we’ve visited quite a few times in the past, is Washington, DC. We found a great campground in College Park, MD (Cherry Hill Park) – a short distance from DC – and settled in for a few days.

We only had a day to sightsee, so we headed for the National Museum of American History (one of our favorites). As we were walking from our parking spot, we wandered past the Trump International Hotel and had to take a look.

 

National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History opened to the public in January 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. It was the sixth Smithsonian building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since then, some 4 million visitors a year have passed through the doors.

In 1980, the Museum’s name was changed to the National Museum of American History to better represent its basic mission—the collection, care and study of objects that reflect the experience of the American people.

 

 

Pop Culture

One part of American History that the museum recognizes is pop culture. Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” are a perennial favorite.

This year, memorabilia from “Breaking Bad” have made it into the museum’s rotating display.

 

National Mall

We left the museum and headed toward the monuments. We wanted to visit the Vietnam Memorial specifically, and passed the Washington Monument and World War II Memorial along the way. We were a little pressed for time because we were meeting our friend Joel in Annapolis for dinner.

 

Annapolis, Maryland

We left DC and headed for Annapolis, Maryland for dinner with our good friend Joel Katz. Joel graciously gave us a tour of the city. We saw Chesapeake Bay, the United States Naval Academy, and Joel’s office before we headed to Cantler’s Riverside Inn for dinner.