Oh, the places we went!
This final day of our adventure took us to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I cannot adequately describe the number of fascinating specimens, all under one roof, and the joy of knowing I could take as long as I wanted to look at the interesting ones, skip the less interesting ones, and read every description along the way, all without judging eyes and sighs. If you give me enough time, I would bore you, but here are some highlights:
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| Greensboro Lunch Counter |
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| Union Draft Wheel,1863. The description says this wheel would be filled with slips of paper in a state with names of eligible men. Officials would draw slips to create a list of draftees. |
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| Civil War Battlefield Surgery Kit |
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| Stubby, mascot of the 102nd Infantry, 26th Division. Accompanied his unit in the trenches and was awarded a gold medal and made a life member of the Red Cross,Young Men's Christian Association, and American Legion. |
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| Berlin Wall |
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| Abraham Lincoln's top hat worn the night of his assassination |
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| The original "teddy bear," named after Theodore Roosevelt |
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| Ration coupons and books |
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| Muhammad Ali's Boxing Gloves, 1974 |
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| The Bunkers' Living Room Chairs from "All in the Family" |
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| Apple II Computer (early 1980s) |
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| Julia Child's Kitchen. That's my friend, Alison, standing on the other side. They painstakingly catalogued and transferred every appliance and item in her kitchen to this display in the museum. This is pretty much exactly what her kitchen looked like at home and from where her show was taped for a period. I found it how remarkable it was just the amount of "stuff" she had -- not one square inch of counter or wall space went unused - but it was all so organized and methodical. |
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| Anyone else remember this kitchen necessity? We had one. |
After a full day at the museum, we headed out to take in more sights. Some beautiful sunshine and warm, Spring-like weather greeted us. We doffed our outerwear and began what would be an afternoon of people watching, memorial visits and soaking up the scene.
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| We walked the entire length of the National Mall. There were countless food trucks lined up. Although we didn't patronize any, this one caught my eye. |
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| Washington Monument |
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| This is as close as we ventured to 1600 Pennsylvania |
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| Lincoln Memorial |
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| Korean War Memorial |
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| World War II Memorial |
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| We have been so profoundly struck by this city's friendliness and charm. We've not met one person who wasn't effusive and leaping to help us find our way. This gentlemen overheard a portion of our conversation and stopped to inquire if we were lost. We weren't, but he was able to offer some helpful advice to get us to our next destination more quickly. In the subway stations, we need do nothing more than look longer than a glance at a map or schedule when a local will appear and inquire if we need assistance. It's been a wonderful experience. |
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| Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial |
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| Our Finale Dinner - Superb start to finish! |
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| We look tired, but let me tell you, we earned it! |
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