Mar 29, 2016 An outsider’s guide to Washington D.C.
Last week, my family and I visited Washington, D.C. for the first time. There was no talk to give, conference to attend, or film festival to take part in. We were simply tourists in our nation’s capital, which happens to have a smorgasbord of monuments and museums. Here are some highlights that may not be in every tour guide:
Located between the Korean War Monument and Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial is a sleeper that doesn’t receive the same notoriety as the iconic Washington Memorial or ever-popular Lincoln Memorial. But the series of spaces representing each of his four terms features everyman statues and succinct, powerful quotes that are very relevant in today’s terror- and fear-laden times. To walk through the blocks of granite and waterfalls surrounded by cherry blossoms is revelatory. Also, FDR’s is the only memorial that includes a First Lady and dog.
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is known for paintings of the first and sixteenth presidents, but The Struggle for Justice is also must-see material. Of course, you will find famous likenesses of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta in various mediums but there are also vintage UFW buttons under glass and a photo-realistic painting of Special Olympics champion Eunice Kennedy Shriver that will blow your mind.
Yes, elementary school me was thrilled to see the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum but what I really wanted to see was an exhibit on the first dogs or monkeys in space. Finally, I located a modest display dedicated to Able, the Rhesus Monkey who flew inside a Jupiter nose cone in 1959 to test the biomedical effects of space travel. Only when I got home and looked up the Smithonian’s website did I realize that it was the actual, preserved primate and not a mannequin. Next time I visit, I will bow three times to my fellow monkey.
The National Museum of the American Indian has a progressive mix of artifacts and fine art. Despite being crammed into a hallway leading to a bathroom, I particularly enjoyed the multimedia exhibit dedicated to the taking of Hawaii. But what the museum should be proudest of is that it had by far the best and most interesting food out of all the Smithsonian museums. The cafeteria had an assortment of buffalo meat dishes, but the espresso bar had not only great coffee but a range of tasty vegan options that might have comprised our best meal in D.C. I’m serious!
It isn’t easy to find the Egyptian mummies section at the National Museum of Natural History. You have to get past the family-ridden dinosaur or insect exhibits but once you find the small but packed Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt display, an assortment of mummified cats will greet you! Scans have revealed that some sarcophagi feature only a paw, but others have completely gutted, treated, and wrapped felines. This is something modern cat lovers will respect and perhaps even admire but hopefully stop short of aspiring to.
You’ll probably want to get away from the National Mall for a meal or two, and H Street is home to a free streetcar and popular restaurants like Maketto, Sticky Rice, and Ben’s Chili Bowl. It’s also the way to the Michael Jackson House, whose occupants not only dedicate their porch to the King of Pop but blast his music on holidays for all to enjoy. We stayed with cousins who live nearby, and they informed us that parties are thrown in which food as well as music is provided for Jacko lovers one and all.
And finally, Dischord House in Arlington. I’m a big fan of the Dischord record label, which has been documenting punk rock from Washington D.C. since the mid ’80s, and couldn’t say no when an old acquaintance (now friend) suggested we meet there and then get some coffee. The cover of Minor Threat’s “Salad Days” 7-inch single shot on the front porch by Glen E. Friedman is about as well-known as any band portrait and now Wendy, Eloise, and I have had our photo taken there as well.
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