Smithsonian 6/18 and Library 6/19/18

After coffee and a leisurely breakfast, we set off for Washington, more specifically, the Smithsonian Museums of American and Natural History, Our  campground, Cherry Hill Park, in College Park, MD, is probably the best we have stayed at in the environs of a city (and just about anywhere). It is impeccably clean, has great WiFi, cable TV, the RV sites are widely spaced and treed, and the staff is awesome. It's the only campground we've ever stayed at where the office is open from 7 am to 10 pm. On Monday, we had an issue with our cable connection, and no more than a half hour after we complained at the office (at about 8:30 pm), a young, personable tech guy named Trey arrived to diagnose the problem (our TV cable). We love this place.

Anyway, after breakfast, we drove the 3 or so miles to the closest Metro stop where we parked and purchased transit tickets. A short ride (maybe 15-20 minutes) later, we stepped off the subway a few blocks from the museums. The last time we were here, we explored one floor of the American History Museum, and we wanted to see the rest. There are exhibitions on the presidency and first ladies, art in industry, numismatics, and so much more. I took part in a presentation offered by two

staff performers at the spot in the museum where the Greensboro NC Woolworth counter is displayed. In 1960, 4 black college students sat at this counter and asked for service. When asked to leave, they refused. Their sit-in sparked the movement that led ultimately to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

The remnant of the actual flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner is displayed here as well. Almost 200 years old, this 30 x 34 foot flag is really inspiring. Originally, the flag was 30 x 42 feet, but through the years before it came to the Smithsonian, previous owners had chopped off pieces as mementos.

At the Museum of Natural History, we viewed a stunning exhibition of nature photography. The Smithsonian owns over 145,000,000 artifacts and specimens. They have a new exhibition that highlights some of the unusual items: the last known passenger pigeon (stuffed), chunks of whale earwax (apparently has scientific significance!), and one of the world's largest gem lapis lazuli.

On Tuesday, we set out for the Library of Congress--same route as the day before. It is worth the visit just to look at the building. It was cleaned, restored and updated in 1997, and what a magnificent work of art it is! Not only is it beautiful, but the library has permanent and temporary exhibitions. We saw one of the 3 surviving original Gutenberg bibles in good condition, and Thomas Jefferson's original book collection on which the library was built.

You could spend days exploring each of the museums. What a national treasure! Here are pictures of the Library: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GqrGTWh6uwhBLq339