Being the typical female that I am, I had to see the infamous Hope Diamond. Included along with the Hope Diamond in the Natural History Museum are a number of other fabulous gems and minerals. After seeing the beautiful Hope Diamond I started dropping hints to Bob about how nice it must have been to have someone who would give a lady such BIG jewels. On and on I went hinting in an entirely not too subtle way about "if you really loved me", etc. Well, the next thing I know Bob suggested that if I kept up along this particular path that I might end up like the lady in this picture. Hmmm, not a pretty sight, so I very subtly changed the subject. (Good move huh?)
We continued our tour of this Museum by going into the animal and insect section. They had some beautifully done tableaux of various animals in their natural habitat. We wandered through room after room of these. Another section which was interesting although definitely less appealing to me, was an area where you could get up close and personal with some of the insects on display. My very favorite (NOT) was a large tarantula. Fortunately for me (and the tarantula) they would not let him out of his cage. However, they had several smaller, harmless insects they would let the children hold or pet. Some were the "hissing cockroaches" which our son-in-law, Eric Hugo, had raised in his laboratory at one time. Now you may have gathered from my, less than enthusiastic, attitude that I am not all-that-fond of bugs, insects, etc., however the displays they had were very interesting none-the-less.
We had a snack at one of the many restaurants located inside the museums, then went outside to stroll through one of the many gardens. This one was in the rear of "the castle". Although we were there in October there were still a number of trees and flowers in bloom. It was a perfect setting to relax, reflect on what we had seen and what was left to see. Also, to check on our energy level to see how much "steam" we had left. Unfortunately, by the time we had taken this picture it was almost closing time for most of the museums. However, I am sure that the memories of what we had been able to see will remain with us for a long time to come. I hope I've been able to give you a brief overview of some of the sites and whetted your appetite enough to make you want to come and see these many wonders for yourself.

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Good Luck! Have Fun! and Stay Safe!

Laura