Day 3: The Smithsonian Museums

In an attempt to not disrupt Curtis’ normal daily routine, I decided to embark on a solo journey to downtown DC, specifically the Smithsonian museums. 

Curtis dropped me off at the metro station, where I bought a one-day pass and hopped the Orange Line from Vienna/Fairfax station to Smithsonian station. The ride took about 35 minutes. Once I emerged from the station, I had to get my bearings. I took note of the buildings around me and was surprised how quickly I recalled the layout of the area. It had been years since I had visited The Mall and the museums. 

My first stop was at the Smithsonian castle. It is a large information center where you can view a model of the Mall and surrounding area. You can get information on any one of the museums there and can even by tickets for the special attractions. I was all about the free museums. 

I took the front entrance from the castle and entered the courtyard. I decided my first stop would be the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery- one of the Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art. Their special exhibits were “The Orchid in Chinese Painting” and “Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan.” The latter was an amazing exhibit of sculptures and etchings taken from the cave temples. I cannot express how truly amazing and humbling it was to view such huge sculptures. I stood in front of an about 6-foot tall statue of Buddha and just felt so peaceful. It was a very self-reflecting time for me while walking through the exhibit. Especially in the 3-D rendering of the cave that was shown on three large screens that you stood in the middle of. 

After the Sackler Gallery, I walked back through the castle and out onto the Mall. I stopped to take some pics of the Washington Monument and Capitol Building. I then continued the journey to the National Museum of Natural History. If you’ve never been to this museum, it is well worth the visit. It is enormous and you can literally spend an entire afternoon there and still not see every little thing. 

Highlights from the National Museum of Natural History included the Hope Diamond, the Ocean Hall and the giant squid they had on exhibit. (Yes, it is dead and preserved), the “Orchids: A View from the East” exhibit, the Live Butterfly Pavilion, and the “Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef”. 

After the Natural History Museum, I walked outside and found that the wind had picked up a lot and the temperature dropped significantly. I decided it would be a perfect time to head back to Fairfax and avoid the after work rush on the metro. 

Curtis kindly picked me up from the metro and proceeded to get a babbling account of my day. We returned to the house and I enjoyed some wine until Sally got home from work. Dinner was at the house and was cooked by Curtis. The food was yummy and just hanging in for the night was what I needed after a long day downtown.

*Photos from my museum trip are up on my Facebook page.