Awe-Inspiring Moments of Supreme Coolness

In my recent travels to Washington D.C. I saw many cool sights.  I was able to see the Capitol Building from my hotel room, said hello to Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., and knocked on the White House door (not really, but I did walk by).  But perhaps the coolest thing I saw during the whole trip was at the Air and Space Museum.

While perusing the many galleries in the museum, I saw the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module, some sort of spy plane, and many other cool air and space marvels.  But it wasn't until I ventured into the Wright Brothers exhibit that my mind was completely blown.  The exhibit had a lot of history about the entire Wright family, detailing their life in Dayton and work with bicycles.

I learned all about their experiments with flight and how wing warping was the key to sustained powered flight.  And in the middle of the exhibit hall was what I thought was a replica of the plane they flew in Kitty Hawk in 1903.

I say thought because it turns out this was no replica.  This was in fact the actual plane that the Wright Brothers flew in 1903!  Let me repeat that.  This was the actual plane that the Wright Brothers flew in 1903! Once I read that I stood in awe for a few minutes taking it all in.  I was standing in the presence of the first airplane.  There are some things that are so awe-inspiring and supremely cool that you can't help being blown away.  This is one of them.  It's the Wright Brothers' plane!!!!!  In terms of historical significance, few things can compare to this.  And here I was standing next to it!

This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I have a feeling I won't be able to stop talking about it for a while.  The actual plane the Wright Brothers flew in 1903!!!  Here are some more pictures for you to enjoy.  But I will admit, pictures don't do it justice.