American History Museum

My favorite Smithsonian museum is American history. The first time I visited was with my sister when she was in college in DC. I was in high school on a journalism trip to New York. I loved the First Ladies dresses and have visited this exhibit many times before and after we moved to DC. Last week we drove in to town for the purpose of taking photos for the 52Frames weekly challenge, and Edith Roosevelt’s dress photo turned out well. Aside from the First Ladies gems there are so many other things to see - White House place settings, President section, Judy Garlands ruby slippers, Julia Child’s kitchen, Carl Yastrzemski’s hat, a host of vehicles and water craft through the ages. When we left the museum we walked back to the car and stopped in the National Gallery sculpture garden. The fountain was dancing and the kids were having lunch with squirrels and ducks. After that we saw an albino squirrel on the national mall. You couldn’t miss him! It was a nice outing and we had a lovely time. Unfortunately I didn’t get to pay attention to my surroundings as much as I would have liked. It’s as if I have tunnel vision when I’m in search of the best photo op. It’s nice to know we can always come back for another visit. 

First Ladies Exhibit at the Smithsonian American History Museum

It’s a good excuse to go to a museum when you have out of town guests. And if the out of town guests don’t have a particular venue in mind, the American History Museum is one of my favorites. My sister first took me there many years ago when I was in high school and she was studying at Catholic University. Since then my husband and I have been there several times. My favorite spot was the First Ladies gowns. Back then, they were arranged from Martha Washington to the current inhabitant - the styles of the dresses and the sizes of the women that wore them changed over time. Now the exhibit doesn’t have as many, but they are still interesting to see. Museums in general don’t have the same appeal as they once did before the internet. And, unfortunately the place is being renovated so we didn’t get to visit some of the fun stuff - like Judy Garland’s red ruby slippers that are being restored. Indiana Jones hat and whip were showcased. The school groups and tour buses still pack the place, which is why we try to go when it is off season to avoid the crowds. I’m not sure when we will return - perhaps when we have more out of town guests? 

American History Museum First Ladies Gowns

On my first high school visit to DC, we went to the American History Museum. It became one of my favorites. One of the more interesting exhibits - to me - was the First Ladies gowns. The six wives of Henry VIII display at the St. Augustine, Florida wax museum also piqued my fancy when I was in grade school. It must be something about the clothes that brings history to life for me. Since then, I've read about most of these characters that all had stories to tell. So as we make our way on our morning walks on the mall, we have lately been stopping by the various Smithsonian places if the crowds are small and there are no lines to get in. Today was the American history museum and we headed right to the First Ladies section. The museum is under renovation so there were a lot of exhibits closed or moved. It's always nice to be able to actually see the items without a lot of people in front of and behind you. The gowns of Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Dolly Madison are striking, as is anything Jackie Kennedy. The display gives you a real feel of the sizes and shapes of these historical figures. Included also are china displays of which Abigail Adams is my favorite. I'm glad this was an exhibit that was still open to see, but it really deserves an update. The first time I saw it the gowns were in chronological order and there were more of them. It had a big impact and I remember it to this day.

Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove

Being a history buff, I have read many biographies of interesting characters. Living in DC affords us the opportunity of visiting the places these folks actually lived in and worked. And there are a lot of memorials to visit. My husband recently read something about Lyndon Johnson and I read his biography quite some time ago. After walking about Alexandria for a bit, we were driving back towards home on the George Washington Parkway. Because the weather was so spectacular, we decided to stop at the Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove. We had passed by it many times, but had never explored it. It can be entered by way of the GW Parkway directly, or through the back end from the Pentagon Parking lot. What's so nice about it is that one never thinks that such a serene place can be found in this busy town. And I'm sure it looks so very different each season. We walked across the bridge, saw a duck family, turtles and humans sunbathing, and a lot of locals who were at the marina, biking, walking dogs, enjoying the views, and remembering how life was in the 60's. Here is one President that I knew and grew up with. We had Grant Park in Milwaukee on Lake Michigan. It was just a block or two from our house. It too had an interesting view, but simply not the same as this.

The Pentagon parking lot- the Air Force Memorial on the right

The entrance

The Marina in the distance

A lot to keep track of in muddy water

Really shallow and muddy water

On the other side

A peaceful place

The Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac

Walking through the grove

Three quotes are embedded in stone

As big as the man himself

I was still quite young during his time, but I remember him well

Pentagon City behind the marina

Good advice

Wouldn't be the same without mentioning Lady Bird

Goodbye!