Diving back into D.C. culture

After a refreshing trip to visit my family in Indiana, I have returned to Washington ready to explore all that it has to offer. Before now, I’ve been a little overwhelmed by the number of things to do here and subsequently hadn’t done much of anything. Makes a lot of sense, I know. But this past week has been a busy one - I’ve visited several sights and museums. I’ll just hit the highlights here.

Monday was the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Museum of the American Indian. I don’t know much about plant life or American Indians, so I did a guided tour of each sight. Both were very interesting. I found the Botanic Garden very relaxing and was amazed by the variety of plants. They even have some endangered species. The thing I really liked about the tour at the Museum of the American Indian was the fact that all of their guides are native peoples. Anya, my guide, was able to add a lot of personal insight during our tour that I really appreciated.

Tuesday evening, Shawn and I went to see the Marine Drum and Bugle Corp and Silent Drill Platoon. Every Tuesday during the summer, they perform in front of the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington at sunset. Besides the fact that it was amazing and a little intimidating to see so many Marines in dress uniforms in one place, the Silent Drill was very impressive. The Marines performed a series of maneuvers, including tosses, with their 10 pound rifles complete with bayonets in total silence.

Thursday, I visited the National Museum of American History, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Jefferson Memorial. The National Museum of American History will be closing in September to undergo major renovations, so there were many exhibits that were already closed. But I did get to see the exhibit on the “Star-Spangled Banner,” which includes the original flag on which the song is based. I had to get downtown early to get a ticket to the tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but it was well worth it. It’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular tours in the city as you follow walkways and look down upon thousands of dollars being printed. It’s hard to believe the quantities of bills being printed at one time.

And finally, on Saturday night, Shawn and I spent some time at the newly re-opened National Portrait Gallery. We saw some classic portraits as well as some modern ones. By far the most innovative/disturbing (depending on your point of view) one was titled “Mom and Dad” featuring a middle-aged nude couple done in the medium of hand-dyed Lite Brite pegs. Yeah. I’m serious.

Whew. So that was last week. Who knows what I’ll see this week. Or maybe I’ll just sleep in.