On Friday afternoon and evening, we drove the hour difference to Dayton and toured the Wright-Patterson National Air Force Museum. It was awesome!
I wasn't prepared at all for how HUGE that place was! We spent the first hour-and-a-half walking through a hanger full of airplanes and artifacts. I said, "Wow. That was cool. Did you kids have a good time?" Tim laughed and said, "That's just the first hanger. We have 3 more to see." Note to self: Wear more comfy shoes the next time. 
Cost of admission for 5 hours of touring the Air Force Museum (and that was actually hurrying along because they were getting ready to close, and we didn't even get to see the outside stuff): Nothing. The museum is absolutely free! Way to go, US government! You got something right. 
The most chilling exhibit in the museum was an actual coat worn by a holocaust victim. Beside the coat to the bottom left, you can see a picture of him wearing the coat in the concentration camp, before he was killed.
Trivia question: Anybody know what the Wright brothers did before they made airplanes? They made bicycles! Here's one of their actual bikes.
One of the funnest sections was the Bob Hope Memorial, where they had clothes of his that he had worn overseas, along with a running video of his shows.
John asked us if these were models of really old planes, but he had a hard time believing that every plane in the museum was an actual plane that had flown at some time.
Tim's politically conservative little heart pounded quickly when we came to the Ronald Reagan tribute, complete with his actual military coat on display.
We all go to walk through an a real-life bomber plane.
Below, a piece of the Berlin Wall.
There were actual nuclear bombs on display. Amazing.
The coolest part of the museum was, by far, the F-16 and F-4D Phantom simulators that you could sit in. They were no longer actual working simulators like they once had been, but the guys had a great time sitting in them and playing with the controls. When Christopher and John were sitting in the F-16, I couldn't help but make all kinds of commentary along the lines of, "Goose, I'm too close! I'm switching to guns!"
Interesting.... There were actually signs up at both simulators saying that adults had been known to get stuck inside the cockpits, so it would be best for children to try them. However, I talked Tim into getting his big old 6'2" legs in there, and although he was pretty cramped, he didn't get stuck. I wonder if actual fighter pilots have to be shorter?
We were really surprised to find so much spacecraft in the museum. Tim and I were astonished to see how THIN the metal was on those capsules! They looked as thin as my canned vegetable cans.
Tim was giddy with excitement when we came to the ballistic long-range missiles. I couldn't figure out what these things were until...it hit me! War Games! The 1980's movie starring Matthew Brodderick and Dabney Coleman!
On the way home, Christopher - who has become quite the photography hobbyist - wanted to take "a picture of God." I couldn't figure-out what he meant until he showed me the most amazing view of the sun streaming through the clouds. The camera didn't catch it well, but in person it was gorgeous.
There were actual nuclear bombs on display. Amazing.
The coolest part of the museum was, by far, the F-16 and F-4D Phantom simulators that you could sit in. They were no longer actual working simulators like they once had been, but the guys had a great time sitting in them and playing with the controls. When Christopher and John were sitting in the F-16, I couldn't help but make all kinds of commentary along the lines of, "Goose, I'm too close! I'm switching to guns!"
Interesting.... There were actually signs up at both simulators saying that adults had been known to get stuck inside the cockpits, so it would be best for children to try them. However, I talked Tim into getting his big old 6'2" legs in there, and although he was pretty cramped, he didn't get stuck. I wonder if actual fighter pilots have to be shorter?
We were really surprised to find so much spacecraft in the museum. Tim and I were astonished to see how THIN the metal was on those capsules! They looked as thin as my canned vegetable cans. 
Tim was giddy with excitement when we came to the ballistic long-range missiles. I couldn't figure out what these things were until...it hit me! War Games! The 1980's movie starring Matthew Brodderick and Dabney Coleman! Shall we play a game?
(Am I aging myself?)
On the way home, Christopher - who has become quite the photography hobbyist - wanted to take "a picture of God." I couldn't figure-out what he meant until he showed me the most amazing view of the sun streaming through the clouds. The camera didn't catch it well, but in person it was gorgeous.
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