I got up early and drove back into DC to visit the museum on Sunday. With an earlier-than-planned arrival at the Mall I opted to walk around the Capitol, letting time pass before the museum opened at 10am. Joggers, walkers and dog strollers were already out in full force. And so was the sun.
I had been to this museum in 2005 when it had opened, but back then just one floor was ready. This time I meandered around all four floors, starting with the 4th floor and circling downward.
I was especially interested in all things American Southwestern. of which there were a few exhibits, but there were so many other tribes that got no recognition: Nez Pierce, Blackfeet and the California tribes.
At 1:30pm I went into the auditorium to watch a 40-minute fictional movie about Native spirits. I left the museum at 3pm, exhausted. I was in no mood to walk some more, so I drove to the White House, found a convenient parking spot across from the WH and walked around the complex, spotting Michelle's Victory garden in the southwestern part of the lawn. Her garden isn't even that big, no more than a 20' x 20' raised bed garden.
I had been to this museum in 2005 when it had opened, but back then just one floor was ready. This time I meandered around all four floors, starting with the 4th floor and circling downward.
I was especially interested in all things American Southwestern. of which there were a few exhibits, but there were so many other tribes that got no recognition: Nez Pierce, Blackfeet and the California tribes.
At 1:30pm I went into the auditorium to watch a 40-minute fictional movie about Native spirits. I left the museum at 3pm, exhausted. I was in no mood to walk some more, so I drove to the White House, found a convenient parking spot across from the WH and walked around the complex, spotting Michelle's Victory garden in the southwestern part of the lawn. Her garden isn't even that big, no more than a 20' x 20' raised bed garden.
The many vehicle barriers made walking cumbersome. I walked around the White House, both front and rear, talked to the No Nukes Widow who, together with her husband William Thomas, had been holding a daily vigil in front of the White House. Just like her husband Tom, she hid partially under the shade of a small tent, with a secret service cop on a bicycle watching her carefully. I remember this couple from the late 1980s.
The heat, the crowds and my fatigue kept me from exploring more. By 5:30pm I was ready to head back to Iris' place, taking the long way there through DC, driving north on Georgia before turning west to hit Connecticut Avenue which took me past the I-495 Beltway into Silver Springs, then on MD29 into Baltimore.
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