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!
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