D.C. Day 3: National Archive and Holocaust Museum

Declaration of Independence!

On Monday, we took an Uber into Washington D.C. and went to the National Archives for a quick visit. National Treasure is a favorite movie in this house (Thanks to Zach) so it was very fun for the kids to see a place featured in the movie. 

We saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution,B ill of Rights, Letter of Emancipation, 19th Amendment and the Magna Carta. It was so neat to see these important documents in person! We spent about 90 minutes there.

 

Bill of Rights

Rosie the Riveter

The Magna Carta

Next, we walked about a mile down the National Mall to the United States Holocaust Museum, where we had a time-stamped entry. This museum was full to capacity for many time slots while we were there, so if you want to visit, I would recommend planning ahead for the day/time you want.

Front of the museum

We ate lunch at the cafe in the museum --I had a really good matzo ball soup!

Reminds me of the soup my grandma used to make, only extra flavorful.

Because we ate lunch, we were just on the edge of our entry time, but the staff were so kind--we were able to get day-of tickets without a problem. The museum is free, but they monitor how many people are there. I think it's a good thing, but there were SO MANY people there when we were there. The staff handled it well. The information desk folks saw Wilder and Felicity, and recommended we start with the children's exhibit. That was excellent advice. The exhibit follows a fictional boy named Daniel, who was Jewish and lived with his family in Germany. Through diary entries, we saw his life before Nazi's came to power, then how it changed as persecution began, then the move to a ghetto, then to a concentration camp. It was an experiential and age-appropriate way (ages 8 and up) to introduce kids to the Holocaust.

This was really powerful.

At the end of Daniel's Story, visitors are invited to write about what they encountered, and process their thoughts.

In line at the main permanent exhibit, a docent welcomed our family, and shared with Zach and I which two areas to avoid showing the kids due to graphic images. They were on the second floor, and you had to look over a concrete wall to the screen to see them. I appreciated the heads-up. While the kids are familiar with the history and have seen several museum exhibits about the Holocaust, we also have not finished the Ken Burns documentary about World War II because the images are too graphic for their ages right now. We prepared the kids for what we would be seeing, and they did well taking it all in.

This museum was exceptional--it was a comprehensive overview of some of the politics that let to Hitler rising to power, the responses of other countries, and what it was like for Jewish people during that time. It shares facts and stories, photos, videos, artifacts, sounds and more. But it wasn't overwhelming. We spend about 3.5 hours there. I'm really, really glad we got to visit. Wilder studied the Holocaust in 5th grade, and Felicity will be studying it this fall when she's in 5th grade.

Cities captured by the Nazis. I am pointing at Angers, France--I studied abroad there!

Train car

Somehow I haven't yet read Elie Wiesel's books, as much as I've read about this time period. Seemed a good place to get them!

After our visit to the Holocaust museum, we took our first Metro trip to a stop near our friends. Wilder loves a good metro, and it was fun to ride!

Had to take a selfie with the Department of Agriculture. Gig 'em!

Smithsonian stop!

We ended our evening back in Arlington, and spent time with our friends!

Next: Day 4: Capitol Tour, Library of Congress, Air & Space Museum

Delicious and healthy miso soup

I'm a huge fan of Japan's food staple-- miso soup. Delving into that little bowl of tasty goodness is a great part of the sushi experience to me. I think miso soup is good for the soul, and studies show it's good for the body, too. After a long hunt for some random ingredients(dashi granules, anyone? I can't even find them at Central Market, and combining several recipes/substitutions wasn't working) and several unsatisfactory attempts, I've finally found the right recipe for my husband and I. Found in the exercise program P90x's recipe book, this miso soup is healthy and delicious--and most importantly, a cinch to make. So, check it out! Let me know what you think!

Side note: I apologize for the badly focused photo. I was so excited to eat my soup that I was in a hurry. :-)



P90x Miso Soup

• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped. These are a mild onion but they look like reddish garlic cloves.
• 3 tablespoons miso. I found white miso paste at central market. This is the most important part!
• 1 quart vegetable stock. I used Kitchen Basics original-- it's 20 cal/0 fat/330mg sodium(way lower than any other stock)
• 1/4 cup firm silken tofu, diced is what they recommend, but I used an entire package. Good luck dicing. ;-) 
• 3 tablespoons scallions(green onions), sliced

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent.

2. Add the miso and vegetable stock and whisk the miso to mix. Bring the soup to a simmer--just under boiling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. You don't want to boil the soup--it'll make the miso paste grainy.

3. Add tofu and green onions a few minutes before serving.

Now, p90x says you can add protein powder just before serving. This sounds disgusting, but if you are all into p90x by all means, go for it. :-) We thoroughly enjoyed our soup and it was great reheated the next day. I served it with a salad topped with chow mein noodles and light asian sesame dressing. Enjoy!

Nutrition facts:

107 calories

3 g total fat - 23% calories from fat

16 g carbohydrates

1 mg cholesterol

1,052 mg sodium(this could be lower because i used low sodium veggie stock)