More Natural History Museum Pictures

We took our friends to the Natural History Museum (this was the first time we went back to back to this museum with out La protesting). We checked out the new exhibit again - Q?rius (curious). This is as hands on as you can get - a must do if you are visiting the area. We also went through the Ocean Hall again - and as usual, we still found more things we hadn't seen before. Great Sunday!!!

More Ocean Hall Exhibit Pictures

Marlon and Noe both have Green Iguanas for pets and Marlon has been studying the works of Charles Darwin - they had a particularly keen interest in the Marine Iguana. The display with the surfboard, paddles, diving and fishing tackle seemed like what they really wanted was an exhibit of me... I could have saved them the trouble and just given them a picture or two of me in the water doing all these things at once (yes you can do it - SUP paddling with fishing gear is surfing, paddling, fishing all in one - throw on a mask to go snorkeling and a speargun and you just pegged the meter on ocean coolness). If you are in the DC Metro area - this place is a must see. Despite the multiple trips we have been there, we always see something new!

New Exhibit at the Natural History Museum

Touching highly encouraged!!! This is on the ground floor. Drawers and drawers full of specimens that you can pull out, examine under a microscope (that displays on a screen) and scan the bar code and review more info at home. If this is what the museums of the future are going to be like, it is going to be an interesting place.

Bye-Bye Dinosaurs

We spent Saturday afternoon checking out the National Archives and the Natural History Museum (yes - again). In case you haven't heard, the Dinosaur Hall at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum is going to close for 5 years starting this April. If the Ocean Hall exhibits are an indication of what is coming with the rehab, the wait will be worth it. The cheesy models of devonian creatures I posted pictures of will come out - and newer, more contemporary will come in. Those models really are cheesy aren't they... A part of the ancient seas exhibit is already closed. You've got a little bit of time before this piece of history will close it's doors for a while - turn off the TV, get off the couch and go check it out!

More Cool Museum Stuff

Moai and the Five Peaks

Smithsonian Natural History Museum - the Ban is Over!!!

For awhile, anytime we had gone to the National Mall, it was to go to the Natural History Museum. Then La put a ban on going there until the kids had gone to five other different museums. Well - the kiddoroosters did get to five different other museums (they are patient...) and the ban was lifted. We checked out the Evolution of Man, the Mammals, the Bones, the Ocean Hall and the Hope Diamond exhibits. I had forgotten how awesome this museum was. Where else can you see a Blue Crab with a tracking device and a coelacanth ten feet away from each other?

NHM - Looks like an ancient tarpon to me

With winter officially here, and our fixed position still not having moved any closer to the Atlantic (darn the slow plate tectonics), I haven't been doing much of anything related to the water. If you are out there paying attention, please accept my apologies. I've got a foam handplane and another paulownia paipo in the works so I'll be more blog 'chatty' soon.

Anyhow... sharks have been around for a while. Looks like tarpon have been too. Marlon and I watched a documentary on fossilized sea animals and they focused in on a Xiphactinus - another 'tarpon' like fish. This isn't one of those, but adds more to the argument "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Merry Christmas - Happy Hanukah - Great Kwanza from the Mosasaur at the NHM!!!

Glowing Mechanical Jellyfish

At least I think is what this was supposed to be. This was an exhibit at the back of the Ocean Hall at the NHM. I felt it was one of the many awesome ways the museum is staying relevant, modern and interesting. I remember going to this museum (as I said before - AGAIN - we been back to this one I don't know how many times) and walking through thinking nothing has changed since the 70's. Not so anymore - especially with this art exhibit -

Recycled computer fans, cool LED lights and a wonderful imagination. Marlon, Noe and I spent a while in the room looking at the different versions buzzing around. I think this one with a set of eyes (we kept debating how a eye that looked human could be arranged like that and function separately - I said through computer manipulation) kinda freaked them out a little.

Natural History Museum Visit

I'm back to work now.

Leaving each time gets harder. The kids are more animated now and I'm missing that part (mostly - thank goodness for Skype).

Before I left, I took the kids to the Natural History Museum (AGAIN) via the Metro. We had a wonderful time.

I MISS YOU BOOGERS!!!!

Museum Tactics

Now that we live in the DelMarVa area and access to DC is relatively easy, we have changed our viewpoint on the museums. No longer do we have to zoom in early in the morning at first opening and systematically absorb EVERYTHING for fear of missing something.

Our adjusted tactics now consist of microviews - go when the crowds are at their thinnest and look at two or three wings in greater detail. This was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (for the second time in three months). This time we focused on the bug exhibit and upon exiting that, the animal skeleton exhibit. Very interesting to see the new exhibits next to the older ones. The bugs look a lot like the other bug exhibits we've seen across the country - very modern, interactive and low to the ground (for kids to see). The skeletons looked liked they were time warped in from the mid 70's - even the colors screamed outdated. Still good info despite the tired scenery (but that in itself says "museum" doesn't it?)