Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Things I've seen, things I've done ... while in DC

I love D.C. 

Love this city -- enjoy every damn minute I'm here.  I was first here back in 1996 when I was dating a guy that lived here (no need to comment on that, the only good that came of it was the all-access pass I had that week as he worked for a Senator (in the pre-9/11 days) and I went where people certainly aren't allowed to go now).   Seeing the city that first time cemented a love affair that just hasn't stopped.

Each time I'm here I try to see something else, something different. 

This time: National Portrait Gallery, "Old Town Trolley" tour and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. 

The National Portrait Gallery is best known for having all the presidential portraits.  Each of these was interesting in its own way -- Clinton's was very art nouveau, Nixon's was very flattering (done by Norman Rockwell) and LBJ's was "legislative" focused, which wasn't out of character for him.  I loved walking through and seeing them all.

The funny part of this was -- well -- to get to the presidential portraits you had to go through a whole series on the human form.  So basically it was nothing but 'penis-land' before seeing the Presidents, which was actually kinda ironic and funny given that: a) the Presidents are all men and b) you'd think with the propensity of many of the Presidents to have a mistress (or many), the nudes would be women

Also at the Portrait Gallery, an exhibit on Norman Rockwell -- courtesy of George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg.  Yep, two of the biggest moviemakers ever are also two of the biggest fans of Norman Rockwell.  It was moving -- in fact, it moved me to tears in some -- and gorgeous. 

The Trolley Tour -- I confess to having taken these in Key West and in St. Augustine from the same tour company.  They have actual driver/narrators (rather than taped narration) so each tour is different and unique, with the "basics" being covered by each driver and also liberty allowed for extra facts.  Consequently, some drivers talk a lot, some a little, but either way you get a good dose of "what's what" on the tour.  Worth the money every single time.

The Museum of Natural History has dinosaurs, animals, displays of man evolving, ocean displays, and a gems/minerals display among many other things.

The Hope Diamond.  It's big, sure.  Blue.  Sparkly. Attractively showcased.  However, and this is a big however, I actually enjoyed the rest of the gems/minerals display more.  Those were far more beautiful than the Hope. 

Dinos were cool.
Animals were awesome.
Man-evolving was fascinating.
Ocean display was way cool.

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