DC Adventures

We agreed to meet Terri and Blake and Molly at the United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, just adjacent to the Capitol, a little after 10:30 a.m. We planned to take the #83 bus from the bus depot in the park leaving at 9:27 a.m., so we got to the depot about 9:00 a.m. to buy our SmarTrip cards.

We were dismayed to find that the ticket window isn't open on weekends, so we walked across the street to the office. Success--the woman there sold us two Senior Farecards, each of which was valued at $10 and which could only be used on the metrorail. We'd have to pay cash on the bus, and exact change is required, so we got some change. We had plenty of time to catch the bus.

We walked from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station to the Botanic Garden and found Terri and Blake and Molly waiting for us. We enjoyed the variety of focus gardens, like "Medicinal Plants" and "Hawaii" and "World Deserts" in the Conservatory. We climbed up into the treetops and looked down too.

Then we walked out into the National Garden and then across the street to Bartholdi Park, which features a magnificent fountain. By then we were hungry, so we found a bench and low wall in the shade and ate our picnic lunches.

Then we walked to the National Museum of the American Indian. The experience starts on the fourth floor in the Lelawi Theater, which shows a very unusual introductory film titled "Who We Are." The presentation symbolically issues from a large rock in the center of the round space and is projected on four woven screens oriented in the cardinal directions.

The physical symbolism is carried through the building and the exhibits. A multitude of native peoples contributed and are represented by objects and photographs and artworks and words and multimedia. The exhibition spaces are curved and interweaving. The overall effect is very non-linear and immersive. We were surprised to find that native peoples of North, Central, and South America are represented.

Blake and Terri and Molly picked up some fry bread with honey and cinnamon and tapioca pudding at the Mitisitam Native Foods Cafe, which features a menu based on indigenous foods. They decided to call it a day, and we walked them toward their metro station on our way to the American Museum of Art. We had heard a bit on NPR about an exhibition there called The Great American Hall of Wonders.

The "wonders" are emblems of American inventiveness and enterprise in the nineteenth century. No photos were allowed in the exhibit.

We walked out of the Hall of Wonders into displays of modern art--very different in tone and spirit.

Shortly we concluded that we'd save the rest of the museum, including the National Portrait Gallery, for another day. We headed home.
Our connecting 5:22 p.m. bus was quite late, and we were beginning to think we had an hour wait for the next bus, but the 5:22 finally showed up at 5:36. We were glad to get home. Tomorrow we'll go hang out at Terri's and then she and Molly and Ken and I will drive down to the Kennedy Center for a free performance on the Millennium Stage.