Toddler-eating plants!

Diggory and I just got back from a wonderful morning outing to the United States Botanic Garden with our inherently blog-worthy museum-going buddies, Rachel and Max.  See previous posts for other Diggory and Max museum shenanigans.  The weather was beautiful - perfect for exploring the indoor plant exhibits in the Conservatory and for strolling in the two outdoor gardens, the National Garden and Bartholdi Park.  And, Diggory and I tried something new!  I'm so sick of taking the stroller on the metro, so I used our Boba backpack carrier!  It was awesome.  We hadn't used it since our trip to Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, and Venice, and I had forgotten how much I love it.  There were times I wished he wasn't strapped to my back, of course, but it sure beat navigating the multitude of metro elevators, and we never had to worry about steps, ramps, doors, etc.

We arrived at the main entrance to the Conservatory via the National Garden at Third Street SW and Maryland Avenue SW, found Rachel and Max, and then played with pebbles for a while.  The boys did, not the grown ups.  Upon entering the building, we headed straight for the East Gallery and the exhibition Savage Gardens about carnivorous plants on view until October 8, 2012.  Diggory and Max loved exploring the inside of the ten-feet-tall tropical pitcher plant!  

The pitcher plant ate our babies!

After thoroughly exploring the fate of unlucky insects, we headed out to the Children's Garden...where I quickly realized that I didn't bring a change of clothes for Diggory, and the three fountains and water pump could be particularly problematic.  Somehow, wonder of all wonders, I dissuaded him from getting completely soaked.  Though I think he was a bit jealous of Max...who did get utterly drenched.  Luckily, there were plenty of other distractions available for Diggory's amusement, such as the bamboo forest, play house, and vine-covered tunnel.  Older kids can try their hand at planting small plants in a dedicated garden plot...small trowels, shovels and watering cans provided.

Diggory playing nicely before soaking an entire shirt sleeve.

Trying out the water pump.

Escaping the tunnel in the children's garden.

After a quick snack and Max's wardrobe change, and my continuous attempts to keep Diggory out of the Garden Court fountain, we entered into the Jungle, a multi-story wonder of tropical plants.  The canopy walk is super fun - and amazingly, handicap and stroller accessible via the elevator in the northwest corner of the room.  After our stroll through the jungle, we explored the rest of the Conservatory.  I can't remember the exact route we took, but as Rachel pointed out, there's really no wrong way to go through it.  Even if you have to back track a little bit, you'll probably see something you didn't notice during your first pass.  I will mention briefly, though, that the restrooms are located in the "back" of the Conservatory, between the desert and medicinal plants rooms.  Changing tables and spacious.  Our final stop in the Conservatory was the West Gallery exhibit Plants in Culture, highlighting how plants are used in everyday life.  I thought the "sensory experience" of smelling different plants and their products, like spices and tea, was really neat...and many of the aroma laden sculptures are at a child's nose height.  I should also mention that when we arrived, there were many children gathered for the Sprouts program for children ages 3-5 years old.  Cute!  Check out the calendar for other programs that might peak your or your child's interest.

Aerial view of keeping Diggory out of the fountain.

After we were done inside, we ventured out of doors and strolled through the Rose Garden before crossing Independence Avenue SW to arrive at Bartholdi Park, named for the beautiful cast-iron "Fountain of Light and Water" designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and originally displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876.  There are two handicap ramps to enter the garden, one on Washington Street SW and the other on First Street SW, but the steps at other entrances are rather short and deep, making it easy enough to pull your stroller up or down without going out of your way to find the nearest ramp...neither of which are at the entrance closest to the Conservatory.

After our stroll through the garden, we walked up Independence Avenue to the National Museum of the American Indian for lunch at the Mitsitam Cafe.  I love that place.  Also, I realized another plus to the backpack carrier...two hands to hold your tray of yummy food!  All in all, an incredible morning spent with awesome people!

Posing for the camera in Bartholdi Park...what a view, the Conservatory dome and the U.S. Capitol!

The Lyceum

Diggory and I visited the Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria yesterday.  I'd never gone, despite more than one post of employment at area museums and historic sites, and it was time to make amends.  Plus, it certainly helps my motivation that the weather was perfect, there's free parking, and it's close to many of my favorite Old Town shops.

Located on Washington Street, the "through Old Town" portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Lyceum is Alexandria's history museum.  The beautiful Greek Revival building was built in 1839 as a community cultural center, and it still functions, in part, as that today, hosting a full calendar of lectures and concerts.  The suggested donation is $2.00 for adults, an admission price I will gladly pay for the free parking.  A quarter buys you nine minutes at some Old Town meters, so the free parking is a major bonus.  The main entrance is located on the Washington Street facade, up several steep steps and through the columns.  The stroller accessible entrance is located through the parking lot or from the ramp just to the left of the main entrance.  The museum's exhibits are all located on the first floor, making a quick stroll through the galleries fairly straightforward.  The chronologically arranged permanent exhibit situated on either side of the main lobby follows Alexandria's history from its earliest inhabitants in 10,000 BC through the Civil War era and to the modern age.  The rear of the first floor is dedicated to changing exhibits.  The current exhibition is Occupied City: The Civil War in Alexandria, on view through September 2013.  The restrooms, plenty spacious and with changing tables, are located just past the gift shop and near the exit to the parking lot.  

The lecture hall upstairs is a good place to let little ones wander, or so I was told by the friendly staff at the information desk.  We traversed the long flight of stairs to check it out, but all the lights were off, so we came back down fairly quickly.  There is also an elevator, if you are so inclined.

Diggs humored me with actually sitting mostly still for this photo outside the Lyceum's main entrance.

There are several child-friendly features for children, such as a scavenger hunt, this coloring table, and several interactive, flip-book style text panels.

Just across the street from the Lyceum, or, actually, IN the street at the intersection of Washington and Prince Streets, is the Confederate Statue, or Appomattox, dedicated in 1889 to the Confederate soldiers from Alexandria who had lost their lives in the Civil War.  Given the number of sesquicentennial events happening in Virginia and beyond this year, I thought it was appropriate that we go to an exhibition about the Civil War this week, and contemplate the significance of that small statue that has wrecked havoc on my commute, oh so many times.  

Luckily, the Lyceum, as I mentioned, is conveniently located near many wonderful shops and cafes.  In fact, just on the other side of the parking lot is the opened-not-so-long-ago Society Fair, the latest project of the masterminds behind Restaurant Eve, The Majestic, and Eamonn's, among others.  It is, indeed, and "epicurean delight," and I very much enjoyed browsing the sweets table, cheese offerings, and other goodies nestled throughout the market.

Diggory enjoying a beverage while momma has an espresso at Society Fair, next door to the Lyceum.  The Confederate Statue is in the background, top center.

It was a wonderful morning, topped off with a trip to Paper Source, 529 Kids Consign, and the newly opened Bucket List Boutique just a few blocks down the road.  Diggory had so much fun that he fell asleep in the car on the way home and even stayed asleep while momma carried him to bed for the rest of his nap.  Wonder of all wonders.  He's such a good little tag-a-long.  

Home again, home again.

Before too much time passes, I should probably update my blog, yes?  We found ourselves, yes, all three of us (momma, daddy, and Diggory) in Iowa again.  And although the circumstances were less than ideal, it was such a pleasure to spend more time with our family.  But, we're back in DC now, and getting back into our daily grind...and hopefully more regular blog posts from me.  During our second trip back to Iowa, we did visit one more cultural institution, not a museum per se, but a respected gallery space and arts venue nonetheless.  

The Octagon Center for the Arts is a non-profit institution in downtown Ames, Iowa, offering a variety of educational arts programs, a dedicated gallery space, and a retail museum shop filled with goodies from local artists in a variety of media.  We visited out of a sense of desperation...Diggory was cranky, really wanted to go outside (but Grandpa Doug, his outdoor companion, wasn't home yet!), and I needed gifts for our kitties' sitters.  What better place to fill the void?!  Plus, it helps that the Octagon is only three blocks from Nana's house!  So, Nana and the doggie Zoe joined us too!

We found what we were looking for...awesome goodies for our kitties' sitters in the shop...and also stopped by the Ames British Foods store next door (the former, smaller Octagon space) for some Iowa wine.  Yes, Iowa wine at the British foods store.  The street-level gallery space is currently hosting the exhibition Box, Book and Board: Svec, Anders-Bond, and Garcia through October 27, 2012.  I was particularly enthralled because I've recently taken an interest in creating my own stationary and even purchased some hand-marbled paper form the Octagon shop during our first trip back to Iowa about three weeks ago, so I loved the paper-based shadow boxes and book arts on display.  It's a small gallery, but beautiful, and easy to access from the shop.  Restrooms are located in the back of the gallery.  There are no changing tables, but they are plenty spacious and very clean.

After our quick trip through the gallery, we strolled over to the nearby Bandshell Park.  Daddy used to play the trumpet with the Ames Municipal Band here, so we thought it would be a fun place to visit, for old time's sake. Diggory didn't really like the stage, but he loved swinging with Daddy!  

Tiny human on a big stage.

Diggory loves swings!

All in all, it was an excellent afternoon, even if it was 100 degrees outside!  We'll definitely be back...we love Iowa, and Diggory loves those swings!