visit the smithsonian

I’ve heard that the Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz are there at the Smithsonian, and that’s why I want to go there so bad. :]

We took the public trans(MARC) from Glen Burnie, MD to DC…it wasn’t very bad at all(except it was in the high 90’s). What we did not realize was that there is not just “A” smithsonian. There are like 13 different buildings to pick from. FYI. They are all FREE which is awesome! The Indian History, the Air and Space, the Art, the American HIstory, The Zoo. We got to the Smithsonian around 11ish and went right in(Friday), we spent a good 2.5 hours there but a lot of it was Religious art and older more conservative portraits. There wasn’t a very big photography gallery, nor was the modern art collection very extensive. There was however some classics by Monet, Van goah, Picasso, etc…. We kinda just spent time at the things we wanted to see and walked quickly to get more of an overview of the entire place. Very historic art. Then we went to the Natural HIstory Museum. Dinosaurs, IMAX, Animals, gems, fossils, evolutionary Change…etc….lots of stuff there too. DId the same 2 hour quick peruse….

I’ve never been to any of the museums and am dying to go. I got as close as I could for now by getting a subscription to the Smithsonian magazine for Christmas. Hopefully I can visit sometime in the near future.

Went to DC this past Saturday and visited the natural history museum, which was the main one I wanted to see. We took tons of pictures, which I have not yet uploaded. Saw dinosaurs, Neanderthals, the Hope Diamond, lots of beautiful gems and crystals, and of course, people watched! It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. I think everyone who can should go.

I was just in DC yesterday on a whim, and we were going to stop at the smithsonian, but it was closing. We talked about how we’d like to come back one weekend soon, but it’s terribly easy to forget or just put it off indefinitely. But this should be an easy goal, and it fits in with my desire to start taking advantage of the great area I live in.

I love all of it, but particularly enjoy the Air and Space Museum and the Museum of American History

I made it!

Because it was my first visit, I decided to splurge and ensure that it would be a comfortable journey. Rather than taking the Chinatown bus ($20), staying at the Quaker residence ($40), and doing a self-guided tour (free), I chose instead to take the Amtrak train ($168), stay at the Hilton Garden Inn ($160), and take a two-day Grayline guided bus tour ($180 for two people). I don’t regret the decision one bit – because my first experience with Washington was both enjoyable and absolutely painless.

The highlight was learning the life of an amazing individual, George Washington, at his old estate, Mount Vernon. The U.S. Capitol came in second place, what with a tour guide that spoke every major language, including Japanese and Indian! The Smithsonian would probably come in third place; there was a lot of construction and many of the exhibits were down during my visit. Perhaps next time…

Coming from New York City, I chose to take the Amtrak train there, just to experience it. Plus, I decided that my first trip to D.C. (and anywhere, for that matter), should be done right. In other words, I shouldn’t be trying to save money and do things on the cheap or do them myself. Nothing ruins an entire vacation quicker than a scary night at a hotel, a scary form of transportation, or being lost and/or walking around the sights without being able to do anything other than look at them.

So for this trip, I’m taking the train, which will be comfortable and reliable, staying in a nice hotel, and I am going on full-day guided tours both days that I’m there.

Next time, I’ll be more comfortable with the city and can take the infamous Chinatown Bus, stay in a cheap room, and go to the museums and sights for free.

Well, I talked to a friend about visiting the Smithsonian, and she said that would be great, so I picked a date! June 3rd it is!

Now I just need to pick up a train or bus ticket.

It was a good museum.