Blenda's Travel Escapades

04/11/2026

Edited to show boarding pass. The circle around the TSA Pre-check field means you have the Touchless ID.

This is a follow up to my post about using the TSA Touchless ID process. I “opted-in” thru American Airlines for my husband, Tony, and myself. When we arrived at Dulles airport, Washington DC at 5 a.m. yesterday, the line for the regular TSA Pre-check already had at least 50 people in it. We literally walked up to the Touchless ID without stopping and was thru security in 5 minutes. The process is easy to sign up for with a loyalty number, an approved TSA Pre-check number and a passport. I highly recommend it!

04/09/2026

On our last day in Washington DC, we toured the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The Hope Diamond is a beauty!

This afternoon, we toured the last Smithsonian on our list- the Air and Space Museum. It was very interesting. Tony saw one of the training planes that pilots used at Cannon Air Force Base while he served. Going from the Wright Brothers to Artemis II is amazing.

04/08/2026

The Museum of the Bible was the first stop for us today. We learned how the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and saw fragments and facsimiles of scrolls. We enjoyed an immersive walk through first century Nazareth and chatting with villagers.

Then, we visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History. We saw all modes transportation including the John Bull engine that Tony had a miniature model of, along with several other full size trains. He explored the Price of Freedom which surveys American military history from the French and Indian Wars to present-day conflicts. It included personal stories, military equipment, and weapons, highlighting the impact of war on soldiers and civilians. Tony said that it was an emotional and humbling experience with his family’s military history.

The most impressive artifact to me was the original Star Spangled Banner that flew over Ft. McHenry. This is the flag that Frances Scott Key saw when he penned our national anthem. No photography was allowed due to its frail condition but it was quite impressive to witness.

04/08/2026

04/08/2026

Today was a busy but great day. Even with metro passes, we walked 7.5 miles! We started with a tour of the Capitol building, then zipped underground to a fabulous tour of the Library of Congress. Next up was the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the National Archives. The White Hpuse was quite anti-climatic. All of the grounds are torn up with construction, you can’t get closer than the sidewalk and protestors with bullhorns were in that same area. The only picture I could get was through a hole in the fence. BUT, the climax of the day was the sunset at the Marine Corp Memorial with the Iwo Gima statute. What a sight!

04/06/2026

Washington DC monuments and memorials

04/06/2026

Today was a beautiful day in Washington DC. We boarded a Hop On Hop Off bus to save some steps and still walked 6 miles. We saw the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Viet Nam Wall and the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Since Tony served during the Viet Nam war, the wall was very meaningful to him, as well as Arlington Cemetery.

All of the city is getting ready for the 250th celebration on July 4th so there is a lot of construction. All of the reflection pools are being drained and cleaned. Not the view that we expected but it will be beautiful for the celebration.

04/05/2026

Where in the world is Blenda, and Tony? We are on a bucket list trip for Tony in Washington DC! However, on Day 1, we’ve had to pivot. The plan was for the Hop On Hop Off bus to visit the monuments and memorials. We made it to Jefferson Memorial but then had to Uber back to our hotel. A torrential storm hit and we were soaked. So, now, we are experiencing a laundromat! We may go to a museum later but right now, lunch and dry clothes are on the agenda.