I spent my last day in D.C. at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Of course, I arrived minutes after the doors opened and quietly pushed myself to the front of the line in front of the larger school groups gathering outside. Being a party of *one* has its advantages, especially in D.C.
Admission to the museum is free, but I spent nine dollars to see an IMAX film on coral reefs. It. Was. Ahhh. Mazing. Watching IMAX films is a thrill to me. What’s better than watching a video on a screen that’s 66-feet-tall and 90-feet across? I felt like I was flying alongside the gliders and diving with the photographers on their quest to save reefs in the South Pacific.
To see a preview of the IMAX film that I watched, click HERE.
Of course, my trip to this museum would not be complete without a visit to the Harry Winston Gallery. In this collection of gems, is the itsy-bitsy jewel known as The Hope Diamond. It’s a tiny little thing at 45 perfect carats. You might have seen it before, it’s real ugly. I can’t imagine anybody wanting to wear such a dreadful piece of jewelry. (tee hee hee)
For a small fee, I think $129, you can buy a replica of The Hope Diamond in the gem store at the museum. No, I did not purchase one for myself ……. but I thought about it.
As a coal miner’s daughter, it was really neat to see the exhibit of items from the Chilean mine rescue. The 33 men trapped underground for 68 days were brought to the service with this capsule. The Chilean flag (top right corner) flew over the mine and contains numerous well-wishes for the miners and rescuers.
One of the exhibits inside the Smithsonian was the 2011 Nature’s Best Photography. It, in simple terms, was absolutely stunning. I stood in front of each photo and said *WOW*
To see all the photos in the gallery, click HERE. You don’t want to miss this!
After several hours in the museum, my stomach was growling so loud that people began giving me strange looks. I boarded the METRO train and made my way to DuPont Circle for lunch at Ping Pong, a dim sum restaurant. I had never tried dim sum (steamed dumplings) before, but this was definitely one of my *favorite* meals in D.C. I’m a serious fan of dim sum and hope to find a restaurant in the DFW area.
My waiter, Jeremy, is a native Texan (born and raised in Dallas) studying international commerce at George Washington University. He was a jewel at helping me order dim sum.
I saved the menu so I could share exactly what I had with you:
- lime and crushed mint iced tea
- spicy pork dumpling (steamed)
- crispy shrimp wontons with sweet and sour sauce (fried)
- chicken and cashew nut dumpling (griddled)
- chicken and black pepper spring rolls with spicy mango sauce (fried)
After lunch, I walked around DuPont Circle and eventually found myself in the middle of Embassy Row, an area of D.C. where diplomats and international institutions are housed.
I walked along Massachusetts Avenue, where more than 75 embassies are located, and stood in front of the embassies of Greece, Japan, Haiti, Finland, South Korea, and India. A green space in front of the Indian Embassy includes a statue of Muhammad Ghandi.
I didn’t realize that Massachusetts Avenue was (and still is) considered one of Washington’s premier residential addresses for its mansions housing social and political elites. It’s also been called Millionaires’ Row. The architecture is very beautiful and there were even some properties for sale (hint hint to Husband).
Well, I went to D.C. and I’m already looking forward to the next trip. There’s so much to see and do and experience and savor, and enjoy that a person cannot see it all in a few days. Perhaps the next time I’m at the nation’s capital, Husband can join me on the sight-seeing tours. My pictures don’t do the city justice.
Thanks for reading all about my adventure in D.C. ….. I appreciate it!!!!!!!!
