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Smithsonian

There is so much to see in the museums on both sides of the National Mall I cannot possibly mention everything. I will list that which stands out.
     Mueum of Natural History:  a huge stuffed elephant that dominates the rotunda, dozens of dinosaur skeletons, the Hope diamond, gemstones galore, and Egyptian mummies.
     Museum of American History:  the section on civil rights from 1863 to 1963, the stories of Medal of Honor winners, the section on America at War, the section on Thomas Edison.
    Air and Space Museum:  the Wright brother's plane, all the Apollo space stuff about how we went to the moon, the section on telescopes,  the section on aircraft carriers, the section on taking photographs from the air.  This last sectio
n covered everything from the first pictures taken from the air in baloons and from cameras strapped to the bellies of birds to pictures taken from modern satellites.  Of all the museums, I like the Air and Space best.  David agrees.
     National Art Museum:  paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens, Monet, Rembrandt, and a Roman sculpture called "The Dying Gaul" that was on loan from a museum in Italy.  Everyone was making a big fuss over this, but to me it just looked like an exhausted naked guy.  It was interesting to listen to the art snobs.  "This painting must have been done when Monet was very young.". It looked like all the other Monet stuff to me.  Of course, I don't know Monet from Popeye the Sailor.
     Many of the exibits in these museums have not chnged since I started coming here 25 years ago.  But they bring in new stuff all the time so much is fresh.  The Smithsonian is one place that never disappoints.

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