More museum talk.

After a good night's sleep, we were ready for another full day of all things DC. First on the docket was a previously arranged tour of the Capitol building. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and hilarious and my little political science-loving heart was aflutter with passion for the democratic process after watching a short video on the legislative branch. That optimism was quickly crushed by my unrelenting cynicism as we passed the door to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan's office...

We were taken into the Rotunda and the National Statuary Hall to admire the incredible statues of "prominent citizens." Fun fact: Each state is represented by two statues that depict notable people from its history. States are allowed to switch them out, but the statues must depict someone who is dead. Ohio currently has Thomas Edison and James A. Garfield. I could have spent much more time in both rooms because the details are absolutely incredible. But the tour kept moving and my belly started rumbling.

After a quick peek at the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, we made our way to We, the Pizza for lunch. Spike Mendelsohn, who was on season four of Top Chef, started this place and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It was the perfect, quick stop for lunch and I'm honestly still dreaming about the BBQ and buffalo chicken slices I had. My word.

Next, we made our way to the National Air and Space Museum to nerd out about space. Somehow, I'd never been to this museum and I was impressed by the notable items they had on display. Highlights included:

• The Spirit of St. Louis, the plane flown by Charles Lindbergh on the first solo transatlantic flight
• The Bell X-1, the plane flown by Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier
• Several items and a 1903 flyer from the Wright Brothers
• A moon rock you can touch
• Several planes from WWII

I especially loved the WWII-era planes because my Grandad served as a bomber pilot (he flew B-17s) for the Army Air Force during the war. With the limited amount of time we spent in the museum, we barely scratched the surface, so I know I'll be making a return trip in the future. Does it blow anyone else's mind that all of these museums are free?!

Wright flyer.

Spirit of St. Louis.

Bell X-1.

Spitfire from WWII with painting of B-17 on the wall.

We had a little time to kill before our next appointment, so we made a quick stop at the National Museum of Natural History...and when I say quick, I mean quick. We booked it straight to the Hope Diamond and the dinosaurs, stopping in a few other exhibits along the way, before heading over to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The museum opened in September 2016, so tickets are still a hot commodity (as in, people are actually scalping FREE tickets and selling them on the street). By the time I looked into them, they were already gone for the days of our trip. However, they put some same-day tickets online at 6:30 AM each day. We set our alarm on Friday morning in hopes of nabbing some, but they were literally gone in seconds. We tried again on Saturday morning and got a couple, but they were for one of the last timed entry slots. This turned out to be a shame because you could honestly spend a week in this museum.

We were completely blown away by the detail and depth of this place. You start underground and work your way up through time, tracking the African American experience from the 1400s and the slave trade to the Revolution through the Civil War to Jim Crow. As you weave your way to the main floor, it covers the Civil Rights Movement and events in the last couple decades, including the election of President Obama. Lesser-known stories were told alongside the well-publicized ones, which was the perfect way to personalize the museum. With the museum closing soon, we were forced to rush through the pop culture exhibits upstairs (a floor dedicated to music, movies, and TV and another floor dedicated to sports).

It's almost impossible to pick highlights from the museum since it is so well curated, but my personal favorites were:

• Emmett Till's casket
• Pieces of stained glass from the Birmingham church bombing
• Oprah Winfrey's set
• Memorabilia, instruments, and outfits from musicians and athletes, including Mohammed Ali's Olympic torch from the 1996 Olympics

We happened to visit the museum on the day that Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville during a counter-protest against white nationalists and it served as a heartbreaking reminder that although much progress has been made toward racial equality, there is still so much more that needs to be done. The museum itself was an emotional experience for me, but also one that left me with a feeling of hope, unity, and context - something I desperately needed that day.

Our final stop of the day was to the White House, where we saw a man dressed as Silent Bob and a guy holding up a sign that placed blame on Trump for the day's violent events. When he saw me taking a picture of him, the gentleman with the sign covered his face and we shared a nod of agreement. What a world we live in.

After a short break in the hotel room and another big thunderstorm, we ventured down to Bistrot du Coin for a romantic French dinner. The steak and frites were delicious, but nothing says ROMANCE to me like a couple scoops of gelato.

Last DC post coming tomorrow...