Endangered Species Sculptures on the National Mall

On our morning walk this week on the National Mall I was on the lookout for a photo - of anything. We parked the car across from the American Indian Museum and made our way towards the pond there that alway has some interesting scenes. Then we walked to the Enid Haupt gardens by the Hirshhorn Museum. It was an extraordinarily beautiful day and there was so much less traffic and pedestrians about. On our return route towards the Capitol we noticed an odd spectacle in the middle of the mall across from the National Gallery of Art. Upon closer inspection there were three massive sculptures of an elephant, a rhinoceros with a chicken in its back, and a polar bear placed together. And there was also a coyote standing across from them. In the background was a looping story about what animals really think about us. Apparently this was a project sponsored by PETA, though we didn’t know it at the time. The sculptures were interesting in sheer size, the shape, and the materials that were used. The artist is Quill Hyde. Set against the Capitol in the background made it even more unusual. You never know what you will come across on the Mall. We haven’t seen anything like this before. 

Virginia Safari Park Day Trip

We’ve been to Busch Gardens in Florida many times - way back in the 60’s when it was only a brewery. Then came the animals where the monorails rode high above them. A while back I came across information about the Virginia Safari Park and thought it might be interesting to visit. I don’t recall ever being in a car where the animals come to you - for food. Being the fall season and wanting to see the leaves changing anyway, yesterday was a great sunny day for a road trip to Natural Bridge. And it was. From the minute we entered the gate, the animals “attacked.” My husband and I shared one small bucket of feed, but all the animals have your number. With the windows down, they literally walk up to your face and stare at you. One llama sniffed the back of my neck. Before long one bucket was snatched. The HUGE horns on the beasts could easily break the window glass and side mirrors. It was actually getting frightening! So we shut the windows and watched the other cars get attacked. The llama literally walked in front of the car and wouldn’t budge - giving us the royal stare down. All you could do was wait for them to finally move. The smaller critters don’t stand a chance. You could always honk your horn if you needed help. The ride is three miles and really very interesting as it twists and turns along the mountainside. Along the way you see giraffe, rhinos, bison, zebra, cattle, elk, ostrich - they all seemed to get along. Afterwards we walked through the village and visited the budgies, kangaroos, monkeys, tigers, vultures, cheetahs, penguins, anteaters, tortoises, lemurs, and snakes. Summer is the busiest time of year in this Shenandoah Valley adventure, so we were glad to visit as the season was winding down. I think we may have missed a few things, but it was a very interesting experience. I’ll never forget how big these creatures are - especially when you are looking at them eye to eye.