Gotta Love D.C.

6/8/2009

Seeing as how my friends are all employed, I took on D.C. today on my own. Went to see the Freedom Documents: The Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution. From reading the info provided while I was waiting in line, I learned that the rotunda room where the documents are kept is only two footcandles in luminosity. Apparently a footcandle is the distance of a candle a foot away from you. A sunny summer's day can reach 12,000 footcandles. But no matter what the lighting is like, seeing those documents is an experience every American should have. 

From there I took a walk to the sculpture garden in the middle of the mall. Among the many interesting pieces a few stuck out in my mind. One being the Wishing Tree for Washington D.C.

by Yoko Ono. While I do despise her for breaking up the Beatles, this piece is pretty cool. It's just a tree. But next to it is a box full of tags in which visitors write their wishes and place them on the tree. I'd tell you what mine was but I'm afraid it's like a birthday wish, and it may not come true. 

Another nifty piece was this two-dimensional house that looked very three-dimensional. 

I decided more art was in order. So I continued my day at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Modern Art museum. As you may recall from an early blog on modern art, I have mixed feelings on it. But this gallery had quite a few I could get into.

Today had it's fill of art, but I could use a bit more history. So I checked out the Native American Indian Museum, which was worth the stop just for the incredible design of the building itself. But inside I dove into the world of the America Indian, from the Incas to the Alaskan tribes. 

The museum closed on me before I could get in all that I wanted, but no matter. It was time to end my night. I had dinner with my gracious host Sara at Bangkok 54, a fantastic Thai place. Then ended my night with a few beers and catching up with my other Sara friend, this one from college. 

We finished up our beers just in time for me to catch the last Metro leaving Foggy Bottom.