This past week, I accompanied my husband to Washington, D.C.. He had a conference. I went along to have fun and explore. I also got to see a bunch of ladies that I call the Transit Mamas. We are all married to current or former transit managers or consultants. I hadn’t seen them in a couple of years. What fun!!
There are so many massive buildings in DC! It takes a long time to just walk between museums. I had been to DC several times, so I zoned in on two newer museums to visit.
The first museum that I visited was the Museum of African American History. It was a great museum. I started on the bottom floor area, that represented the winding path that the slaves took, and told their history. It was an area that produced great empathy for the slaves and how they were treated. It was also an area that made me feel really guilty, as a caucasian person. No…I wasn’t alive then, but it was still a horrible way to treat people. I found the auction block to be really touching.
The other floors told the story of African Americans through time, and all of the things that they had contributed to society. My favorite floor was at the top. It had exhibits of popular entertainers and their things. Front and center was the bright red car of Chuck Barry. So cool! As you moved around the area, you saw jazz and blues exhibits. There were also samples of great writers, singers, politicians, etc..
The only drawback to this museum was there was no coat check. It was a really cold day, and we all had heavy coats on. They had some small lockers, but they were either all in use, or the lock was broken.
As I walked out the exit door, the Washington Memorial was straight ahead of me. Wow! Though I’ve seen it before, it’s still rather impressive, especially when you’re up close to it. At the corner of the block, there were about 30 or 40 food trucks lined up. People were gathering around them, and then sitting on the grass to eat. I met a nice family and sat and talked with them.
The next day, I ventured out to the Museum of the Bible. Part of my adventure involved riding the Metro. I could certainly get used to that! I was rather proud of myself, when I was able to navigate the ride and make a transfer too.
The Museum of the Bible is pretty new. I especially wanted to go to this museum. My son lives in the Oklahoma City area, and has worked for a couple of years for the Museum of the Bible. That’s where the headquarters are. Chris has helped develop aps for the museum, so you can use their device and follow around the museum. It’s still in the trial process. We’re so proud of him!
The museum had a lot of history of different kinds of bibles , including old scrolls and bibles in many different languages. It was neat to see several editions of the Gutenberg Bible. I also saw the Rosetta Stone. One of the valuable scrolls was found in someone’s trash heap. One floor of the museum had an area to do research.
I really enjoyed the Walk through Jesus’ time, with the landscaping of Nazareth and people portraying different scenes . Next to that area, was a Hebrew Walk Through. It was really neat! I got there at just the right time, because it’s one of the most popular areas of the museum and usually has long lines. It was a visual and listening delight.
Another fun area was the Washington Experience. It’s like being on a ride over DC, seeing all of the areas that have bible verses or statues in them. It seems like you’re going to fly right into buildings. This was very fun. There was a cost for this exhibit.
I ate at The Manna cafe. The food was really fun. There was another cafe on the lower level. The museum had a nice gift shop, AND a coat check room. There is a suggested donation to get in this museum. I would highly recommend this museum.
Which museums do you like to visit in DC? What is your favorite place to go in DC?