Red and Green

Thursday, March 15...

Katherine is in town, so yesterday we hit the tourist spots! We started out early at the Library of Congress. We had a great guide. I love this building. The art is over the top, and it has this unbridled, romantic American can-do-ism about it. It's gorgeous, and you don't have to be on drugs to trip out.

The Library was built in the early 20th century. I thought it was older than that. The architects invited artists to decorate the Library, and decorate they did. It is such a collection of the romantic virtue of the time. I need to go back and study the details, because it is quite overwrought, in such an American way. It is suffused with the optimism of the time, and the ultimate vindication and triumph of the American Experiment. I think there is no better example in Washington, DC.

After the Library of Congress, we headed on down to the United States Botanic Garden. It was all things orchid there. One of the conservatory areas was filled with dozens of different varieties. I think that orchids have a magic about them. I took dozens of pictures. Smartphones are a great tourist accessory. The Conservatory has a "jungle" area that has a canopy walkway. What an interesting experience to be walking among the treetops and look out and see the Capitol and some of the Smithsonian museums.

From the Botanical Garden, we headed down the Mall to the National Museum of the American Indian. It was well past lunch time, and we were hungry. The museum has a cafeteria featuring Native American-inspired food. I had a wild rice cranberry salad, and a pulled chicken chipotle barbacoa taco, real man food. Katherine and I walked around the displays near the cafeteria enough to know that we'll be back to visit sometime next week.

After lunch, we opted for some more culture, and walked to the Hirshhorn. It featured a show, Suprasensorial. It's a show of immersive, interactive art, very interesting pieces. The photo on the right is that of people walking through a series of three rooms, each of which is lighted by a different colored hue. As you move from room to room, your sense of the color of the room changes because your eyes adjust to the light. You also see colors differently when a specific hue saturates the space. It has an ethereal feel to it, almost dreamlike. I noticed other people dancing, or spontaneously striking poses.

We ended the day at the Kennedy Center. We took in a late afternoon tour. The tour guide had been providing tours for many years, and she knew every detail of the Center. We were able to see the Concert Hall and the Eisenhower Theater. We also saw one of the rooftop theaters, and the rooftop terrace.

We had a great view of Georgetown and Rosslyn. After the tour, we stayed for a concert on the Millennium Stage. It was a performance of the NSO Youth Fellows, some very accomplished area high school students playing violin, viola, and bass solos.

We finished the evening in Foggy Bottom at a Mediterranean restaurant, and headed home.