Part travel journal, part photo essay, and always a little love letter to curiosity.
Snapshots & Stories are my way of capturing the little moments that make a place unforgettable — the details I almost missed, the backstories hiding in plain sight, and the photos that spark unexpected memories. They’re not polished guides or full itineraries. They’re small collections of moments, tied together by a theme, a feeling, or a single photo that made me pause.
If you’ve ever scrolled through your camera roll and thought, “Oh, I forgot about that!” — this series is for you.
What happens when the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., runs out of space?
You build a 760,000-square-foot extension near Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia.
Opened in 2003 thanks to a sizable donation from aviation enthusiast Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, this massive center houses a jaw-dropping collection of aircraft and spacecraft—including the Enola Gay, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the space shuttle Discovery.
On a hot summer weekend, we decided to revisit the museum for the first time in over a decade. I honestly wasn’t expecting to find many pop culture tie-ins… but I was very wrong.
Here are a few snapshots and stories from our visit—the things that caught my eye, made me smile, and reminded me why I love wandering through museums like this.
The Picture That Made Me Smile – Air Tractor AT-301 Crop Duster (Painted like Dusty Crophopper from Disney’s Planes)
A plane made me smile? Yep. This one did.
How could you not smile at a cheerful little crop duster with cartoon eyes and a bright paint job? It even had “Disney” printed on the back like a toy. No surprise that a bunch of kids were clustered around it.
Best Pop Culture Moment – Model of the Mother Ship from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Designed by Steven Spielberg himself, this model was built from wood, plastic, and metal. It even features hidden details—like a Volkswagen bus and R2-D2—tucked into its surface.
It was used to create those unforgettable scenes of the Mother Ship hovering over Devil’s Tower, with lighting and photography making it feel massive and mysterious—movie magic at its best.
Something I Almost Missed – 421st Fighter Squadron “Black Widows” Patch
I was walking past a glass case when something small stopped me in my tracks—a familiar-looking black widow spider on a patch.
Turns out it belonged to the 421st Fighter Squadron, one of the longest-operating F-16 units. The squadron’s nickname originates from its WWII heritage, flying the Northrop P-61 Black Widow—the only U.S. aircraft designed specifically as a night fighter during the war.
One tiny patch, a whole rabbit hole of history.
The Plane That Made Me Stop – Sikorsky JRS-1
Most aircraft in the museum have been beautifully restored, but this one looked different.
As I walked under its wing, I noticed the weathered surface and even holes in the structure. Curious, I stopped to read the placard—and learned this plane was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
It’s the only aircraft in the museum that was there that day, and its condition reflects decades of outdoor storage. Pop culture moments are fun, but standing in front of this plane was a powerful reminder of what’s worth remembering.
Favorite Find – Grumman G-21 Goose (Same model flown by Jock Lindsey in Raiders of the Lost Ark)
I might’ve had Indiana Jones on the brain because I was working on a podcast episode about Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs… but I wondered, “What kind of plane did Jock fly in the movie?”
Answer: A Grumman G-21 Goose. And yes—it was in the museum! Tucked in a corner, not screen-used, but still cool to see. It felt like a little scavenger hunt win.
It was a great afternoon wandering through aviation history—some of it somber, some triumphant, and some just plain fun.
If you want more details—including all the pop culture tie-ins we spotted and what to expect when you visit—check out the companion post. Or, if you love aviation, consider visiting these other museums you may want to explore.
