Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Day 123 Washington DC History Museums




Dorthy's ruby slippers
It is a known fact that I  love museums (see blog Day 4 ). So to be in the midst of so many FREE Smithsonian Museums was my heaven on earth!  On our 25,000 step day we perused two (2) history museums; The American History and  Natural History, two (2) art museums; The National Gallery of Art and American Art & National Portrait Gallery and finally, the Air and Space Museum.  Everyone was on museum overload except me. If it wasn’t for my foot cramps, my pounding legs, and my backache, I would have continued  until they closed at 7.30 pm.  This blog is about the two history museums.




Reflection
Smithsonian Castle
My traveling  crew  gave me the  honor of being the Pied Piper of the  museum tour but after looking at the map at the end of the day, I realized that I was not that good as a guide. Due to my guidance  we back tracked, increasing our walking , but shh don’t tell them because we saw a lot of stuff! 

Silly with exhibit


The Museum of American History had something for everyone.  The men in our group focused on "The Price of Freedom” exhibit  which gave brief overviews of all the US wars  up to the present.  Here, I learned something new about the important  role of nurses during the  civil war! ( side bar: I have a nursing background)


My girlfriend and I enjoyed the presidential wives’ dresses.  Even though I thought it, I had to resist the urge to say," look how big First Lady X was next to First Lady Y.”   Then I pulled it together and tried to reflect on each ones contribution to the country.






Finally, we all enjoyed  the “American Stories” exhibit where Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz movie and the Count from Sesame Street  were displayed.  

Remembering the Count saying, V1,2, 3, ah- ah- ah 


The Natural History Museum is home to the famous 45.54 cart Hope Diamond, the biggest diamond in the world (click for diamond history). Like most natural history museums, it had its share of dinosaurs  and mummies but I have to admit that the Carnegie Natural History  Museum in Pittsburgh has a better collection of those.  My friends enjoyed my story about the “curse of the Hope Diamond  and then we were off to the art museums- my favorite!
Hope Diamond

Spiritual Reflection 
(history in the Bible)
Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery
(Deuteronomy 6:12) 

Other Sources
Mystery of Hope Diamond 
http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmnh/hope.htm