Museum of Natural History

This is the first Smithsonian museum we visited last week.  My first education was in the fact that the Smithsonian is comprised of many different museums, as opposed to being the gargantuan mega museum that I've always envisioned in my head.  Totally amazing, and, as Malia keeps periodically and very randomly exclaiming, "I can't believe we're here!" :) 

Hanging with the dinosaurs.

Checking out the ancient ocean dwellers. 

 I think the girls are thankful the honu they swam with at Spencer Beach weren't quite that big...

Breaking for lunch in the atrium.

Fellow mammals and such.

The first picture is a shot of an okapi, found in central Africa.  It first caught our attention because of its legs, which have markings similar to a zebra; it turns out it's a relative of the giraffe, which you can see in its similar blue tongue.  They keep themselves pretty well hidden, and were not known to European scientists until the 1900s.

Moving on to things of a more sparkly nature.

Immediately following is a picture of the Hope Diamond, a 45+ carat bluediamond. 

Learn more about it here.

The girls are impressed with this large-ish amethyst. :-9

But they love their own little ones just as much. :D

More from the Air and Space Museum, and the Art Museum later!