Gettin' Some History

My mom and dad came to visit this past week, and we covered A LOT of ground.  We went to St. Michael's and Annapolis, MD, last weekend - and visited the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum - but you'll have to wait for that review because I took pictures on my mom's camera, forgot to download them, and now the camera is probably somewhere between Wheeling and Zanesville, OH on their trip back home to Iowa.  So, alas, our chronicle of museum visits will be a bit out of order.  


I've wanted to take my dad to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Pope-Leighey House since we moved to the DC area seven years ago.  Well, we finally made it.  The house is located south of Washington, DC on Highway 1/Richmond Highway on the grounds of Woodlawn Plantation, which, unfortunately, is currently closed for tours due to an ongoing window restoration project.  You'll need to buy your tickets to the Pope-Leighey House in the Woodlawn gift shop, however, so you'll get at least a little peak inside.    

Mom and Diggory wandering the grounds at Woodlawn.  The public restrooms are under the north wing of the house, just to the left of the portico you see here, and down the stairs.  No changing tables, but very spacious.

If you have time to wander the grounds before your appointed tour time, make sure to check out the vegetable gardens maintained by the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.  There's also a chicken coop filled with friendly hens.  

Our tour guide of the Pope-Leighey House was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the house and how the Usonian design fits into Frank Lloyd Wright's overall architectural career.  Diggory was fairly well behaved and made it through a little more than half of the tour, but since I'd actually toured the house before, we vacated the premises and wandered around outside for a bit, to give mom and dad and the rest of the group a reprieve from Diggory's squealing.  The house itself is a bit of a jaunt from Woodlawn (and the restrooms) but there is a water cooler to quench your thirst - or to provide endless entertainment for the toddler who thinks a paper cup is pretty darn fascinating.

George Washington's Gristmill and Distillery are located about a half mile southeast of Woodlawn on Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, and we just couldn't get that close without visiting.  After you park, stop by the gift shop to buy your tickets - but if you need to visit the restroom before the tour, you'll have to walk back around to the parking lot and down the hill by distillery to the small brick building along the creek.  It's strange, but in this brand new building there aren't any changing tables - not a huge deal, but still, I'm curious why no one thought to install one.  The tour actually starts back around the path at the Gristmill, where one of the interpreters will explain how the mill works, what George used the different milled grains for, and then start up the water wheel to demonstrate how the mill stones grind the grain.  It's loud, but super cool.  

Next, we wandered over to the distillery where another interpreter explained the process of making whiskey, how many barrels George typically produced, and how those barrels were shipped up stream to Alexandria and other points north and south.  On the second level of the distillery, you'll find a small exhibition on whiskey in America.  There is an elevator up to the gallery on the north end (closest to the parking lot) of the building.  Apparently, the whiskey produced here is actually pretty good - but they only distill it twice a year and it's usually sold out within days.  

In the days between our grist mill visit and our sojourn out to Leesburg, Virginia, my mom and dad helped install MORE baby gates, cleaned up our patio and planted new flowers, fixed our doorbell, and generally kept Diggory entertained.  But, once all the work was done, we escaped the big city in favor of the rolling hills of Loudon County.  After lunch with friends in the historic downtown, we stopped at a winery for a quick tasting (because that's what you do in Loudon County), before heading out to Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park and National Cemetery.  It's one of the smallest Civil War cemeteries, but it's very nicely done, and the interpretive signs and maps of the battlefield are quite informative.  There are tours on Saturdays and Sundays, apparently, but the self-guided tour brochure seemed plenty educational.  There are several trails through the park, some more "interpretive" than others, but we headed straight to the cemetery and bluff overlooking the Potomac River.

The path isn't terribly stroller friendly, but it's doable.  Plus, when it's 95 degrees outside, you may want to beef up those arm muscles pushing the stroller at your own pace rather than toddling around with your new walker at a snail's pace in the blazing sun.

Grandma and Diggory enjoying some shade at Ball's Bluff National Cemetery.

After our battlefield visit, we decided to take White's Ferry across the Potomac to Poolesville, and circle back to DC via River Road, with a quick stop over at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center on the Maryland side of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Look!  When you're on a ferry, your GPS shows your car in the water!  

Only my graduate school pals and fellow Fall 2006 Museum Administration students will understand why the Poolesville Town Hall and future Poolesville Museum is particularly exciting to see up close and in person.

The museum at the Great Falls Tavern Museum closes at 4:30pm, so we missed seeing the inside by about 25 minutes.  (I guess we'll just have to come back someday!)  There are several interpretive signs along the canal, however, and plenty to look at - including a passenger boat that takes visitors up and down the canal at scheduled times during the day.  The park, as many of you know, is also a recreational haven - and all the bikers, kayaks, and dogs kept Diggory plenty entertained, as did the rocks, gravel, sticks, leaves, bugs, geese, and, of course, Grandma and Grandpa.  The end of our day was punctuated with a pleasantly trouble free commute back to Alexandria through rush hour traffic, and a cold adult beverage on our spruced up patio once we got home.  Mommy and daddy left this morning - but I'll be sure to have a list of historic sites and museums at the ready for the next time they venture back east. 

Ladder of Escape

Last Friday, Diggory and I ventured downtown to meet my friend (and willing cat sitter) Colleen for lunch at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.  The weather was nice, not too, too, hot, and many other tourists and locals were enjoying the sunshine out and about in the garden.  Diggory and I had a few moments to wander the paths and check out the art and fountain before settling down inside with Colleen for salads and ice tea.  

After lunch, we entered the National Gallery's West Building via the handicap-accessible entrance at Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue.  We headed straight to the exhibition Joan Miro: Ladder of Escape, on view through August 12, 2012.  (Here is a longer description of the exhibition and images of highlighted works.)  So, in a way, this isn't going to be a thorough museum review...we only had Colleen's lunch break to explore...but, the exhibition was really fascinating and I can describe (briefly, so as to not totally bore you) how we got from the West Building basement to the East Building Mezzanine with a stroller. 

So, if you are in the West Building and you need to get to the East Building (without going outside), and once you're on the ground floor, navigate your way through the Garden Cafe and the West Building gift shop toward the Fourth Street Plaza entrance.  You'll encounter a set of stairs, so take the elevator up one level to get to the lobby with the security desk.  Immediately to your left, and across the hallway, you'll see another set of elevators, which you'll have to take down to the Concourse level (of the East Building).  Turn left out of the elevator and walk through the children's gift shop, bookstore, Cascade Cafe, and gelato bar.  If you need it, there's a large bathroom with a changing table just after the long spectacularly lit hallway with the moving walkways.  From here it can be a bit tricky to navigate with a stroller.  We entered the auditorium lobby and took the very large elevator up to the mezzanine level, where the exhibition starts.  

The exhibition itself is really quite well done, and covers Miro's career in its entirety - though it is not, strictly speaking, a retrospective.  While the intellectual content and text are a bit high brow, the large colorful works of art were entertaining enough to hold (some of) Diggory's attention.  Colleen's name badge did the rest of the work.  Once you explore the first level of the exhibition, visitor's travel up the spiral staircase to the upper level.  If you have a stroller, back track through the first part of the exhibition and take the small elevator just outside the exhibition's entrance up to the next level.  Then speed through the end of the exhibition, turning right out of the elevator, to the top of the stairs, so you can catch the exhibition where you left off.  Most exhibition's I've seen in this gallery space end where you get off the elevator, but this one continues past the elevator and balcony (with excellent views of the Calder mobile by the way) into the next two large galleries.  You'll find an elevator nearby that will take you down to the ground level and the East Building's fourth street entrance.  There's a ramp here, if you come in or exit the East Building here.

From here, we walked across the National Mall to the Department of Agriculture's farmer's market and bought some blueberries and zucchini, two of Diggory's favorite foods.  Then we dropped Colleen off at work and made our way back to the L'Enfant metro station to catch the train back to our car (parked at the shopping mall across the river...).  All in all, a wonderful afternoon, with wonderful company, and wonderful art.

I'm back!

So, we're back from vacation!  Actually, to be perfectly honest, we've been back for about two weeks.  It's been awfully hard to get back to "real life," so please forgive my delayed post.

It's funny how a single trip overseas can change your life.  I'm not trying to be dramatic.  I swear.  It's just the truth.  In fact, I'm a firm believer that any, and every, experience can change your life, from the mundane to the exotic.  So, if I want to think that living out of a suitcase for two and a half weeks, dragging along a toddler, and putting a bunch of check marks on my bucket list, can change my life...Whoop!  We survived, had a blast, want to open a B&B in Slovenia, and realized we have too much "stuff" in our house.  Time to clean out under the bathroom sinks (done, by the way) and start researching real estate regulations overseas.  

All right, I digress, yet again.  This is a blog about museums and babies, and I promise you that I won't make this a travelogue.  (Okay, it will probably read like a travelogue of the museums we visited.)  I'm only posting pictures of museums and historic sites, and a few select other images to provide context.  I'll refrain from describing the excellent food, triumphs and failures of train travel, rental cars, and taxis, and the mostly good (but sometimes bad) of our accommodations.  Also, I won't bore you with too many details about where the changing tables are, etc., etc.  You don't care about that so much.  And, suffice it to say, that the changing tables were generally non-existent, but where they did exist, the set up was awesome.  Go figure.  Also, the "locals" were generally super duper baby friendly.  One generous inn keeper kept Diggory entertained in an adjoining room so Nathan and I could enjoy breakfast "alone," and one very cute waitress "stole" him away to the kitchen to show him how "the pizzas make."  I had a moment of hesitation, but then I realized we were on an island and he wasn't going anywhere, she seemed genuinely nice, and I really wanted to drink that glass of wine (or two) alone with my husband.  

Also, this is going to be more of a photo essay in format.  I'll list the museums and sites we visited below, and then you can peruse the photos at your leisure.  I'm tempted to say, "I've more than made up for my 'one museum a week goal,'" but I won't.  In fact, the main impetus for getting this post done tonight is that I'm going to the National Gallery of Art tomorrow, and I hate not being "caught up."

So, here we go.  The following are the museums/sites we visited on our trip, listed by city:

(Ah, and the caveat here is that I definitely didn't go to everything, or even things that my art-history-major self "should" have visited.  I always tell myself that I'll be back.  For example, I didn't see The Kiss at the Belvedere Palace while in Vienna.  Shameful.  It just wasn't in the timeline.)

Vienna, Austria

• Opera
• St. Stephen's Cathedral
• Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and Imperial Silver Collection
• Hofburg Treasury
• Kunsthistorisches Museum
• Kaisergruft

Hallstatt, Austria (The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.)

• Catholic Church and Charnel House (Bone Chapel)
• Protestant Church
• Roman ruins in the basement of the Dachstein Sport Shop
• Interpretive signs hiking down from the Salt Mine Museum (Children under the age of four aren't allowed in the salt mine.)

Ljubljana, Slovenia (We hardly went to any museums here, but we were too tuckered out after Vienna and Hallstatt.  We wandered about, and that's good enough.)

• Ljubljana Castle
• Riverside Market and Dragon Bridge
• Preseren Square

Lake Bled, Slovenia

• The Island, by pletna boat, the Church of the Assumption and the ninety-nine steps
• Blejski Grad (Bled Castle)
• WWI sites in the Julian Alps through the Vrsic Pass, including the Russian Chapel and Kluze Fort, and along the Soca River
• Postojna Caves and Predjamski Grad (Predjama Castle), on our drive from Bled to Rovinj, Croatia

Rovinj, Croatia

• Church of St. Euphemia (and bell tower)
• Balbi Arch
• St. Stephen's Church, Motovun (We at lunch at Mondo Konoba in Motovun, a hill town east of Rovinj.  Anthony Bourdain ate here on No Reservations.  We left cool.)
• Zavrsje (It's a town, and it's old.)
• Groznjan (It's a town too, and it's also old, and it's also an artists' colony.)

Venice, Italy

• St. Mark's Basilica and St. Mark's Square
• Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs
• Correr Museum
• Accademia Museum
• Rialto Bridge
• Oh, gosh.  I feel like we went more places than this!  I guess we just bopped our heads into lots of churches and such.  I admit, I didn't always know where I was.  Exploring and wandering is part of the fun!)

Istanbul, Turkey (We were here for a twelve hour layover.  We needed a place, not the airport, to sleep, so we booked a hotel, strategically, two blocks from the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.)

• Hagia Sofia

That's it - now, enjoy the photos! (Only 22 of over 1,500!)

Enjoying the audio guide at the Imperial Silver Collection at the Hofburg Apartments.  Amazing!  Seriously, one of the highlights of the whole trip.

Panoramic view of the Natural History Museum and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Diggory feel asleep in the carrier (behind Nathan) so we stopped at the Kunsthistoriches cafe.

Babies aren't allowed in the salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria, so I placated myself with the interpretive signs on the way down.

The graveyard at the Catholic Church in Hallstatt, with the Protestant Church steeple in the background. 

Inside the mountain under Ljubljana Castle, Slovenia.

The view of Ljubljana from the castle tower.

Diggory enjoying the museum at Bled Castle, Slovenia.

The view of the Island and the Church of the Assumption, from Bled Castle.

Bled Castle.

The Russian Chapel, Vrsic Pass, Slovenia.

Predjama Castle, Slovenia.

Rovinj, Croatia at sunset.  That's the bell tower of St. Euphemia, upper right.

The steps up the bell tower at St. Euphemia, Rovinj.  Yes, I climb these with a baby strapped to my back.

The view of Rovinj from the bell tower.  

The view from our room in Venice, Italy.

Me and Diggory in awe, the Accademia.

The Campanile, St. Mark's Basilica, and the Doge's Palace (left to right.)

This is the "Get Diggory in a photo with the Rialto Bridge, 'cause when's he's fourteen he won't be able to say we never did anything fun with him" photo.

Inside the courtyard of the Doge's Palace, with St. Mark's Basilica in the background.

The view of Hagia Sofia from our hotel's roof.  Yea, pretty awesome.

Crazy happy, inside the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey.

Paper and Stone

Wow!  Two posts, two days in a row!  I'm on a roll!  Today, Diggory and I had the great pleasure of meeting two of my friends, and former graduate school classmates, for lunch in Old Town Alexandria.  They also just happen to be the director and curator at Carlyle House Historic Park, so we just had to take a tour!  Built in 1753, the house is one of the very few 18th century buildings still standing in Old Town.  It's a great house in itself, with great collections, but the story of the people who lived there and it's place in local history are even more fascinating.  Please, please go, if you've never been.  (Full disclosure, I interned here in 2007, so I'm a bit biased.)  

The house is big.  Diggory is tiny.

We parked in the garage under City Hall.  It's directly across the street from Carlyle House, but it's cash only.  It's $2.00 an hour, up to a maximum of $8.00 for a full day, so it's among the very cheapest parking arrangements in Old Town.  If I even remotely think I'll be more than two hours (the limit on the meters), I don't even bother with street parking and head straight to this garage.

Tours of Carlyle House are guided.  Our docent was excellent and very accommodating of the wriggling toddler on her tour.  (The docents at Carlyle House are the most dedicated and loyal crew I've ever seen.  They are the model that I've mentioned in all my museum jobs since my internship there five years ago.)  There's a small temporary exhibition gallery on the lower level, between the gift shop and the video room.  On view currently, Nurses, Spies and Soldiers: The Civil War at Carlyle House discusses the house's roll during this tumultuous period of American history.  Explore the exhibition before you watch the video and start your tour.  You'll cautiously climb the very narrow, and very steep servants' stairs to get up to the main floor.  Don't, under any circumstances, bring your stroller.  Carry the baby.  Also, there's no changing table, but one of the restrooms is big enough for a stroller, if you have it.  

We made it through the first floor of the house on our tour before Diggory became too much of a fussy distraction.  We exited out the front door and made our way around to the garden for some wandering.  The tour would have continued up to the second floor, the bedrooms and architectural room where you can actually see the horse hair in the mortar.  I used to work here, so I didn't think I was missing out...and Diggory was SO not paying attention by this point. 

Diggory perked back up into his happy self once we were in the garden, behind Carlyle House, free, and open to the public between 6am and 8pm.  If you're lucky, you  might even catch an impromptu wedding in the gazebo.  I've seen a few, and they are so cute!  It was a quick visit, but well worth it, and we'll definitely be back.  Check out their schedule of public programs and special events online here.  

Oh, and I should mention that I'm going to be out of town for a few weeks starting on Sunday.  No posts from me for a while, but I PROMISE that I'll have lots and lots to write about when we get back.  Wish me luck!  I'm taking a one year old to Vienna, Slovenia, Croatia, Venice, and Istanbul!  Should be quite the adventure!

Art!

Well, well, well.  Once again, I have been lacking in my ability to update my blog in a timely manner.  I've been thinking about it, I have.  I just somehow haven't found the time to sit and write up a proper post.  I know, I know.  Excuses, excuses.

So, I guess I'll just jump right in.  A few weeks ago, I took Diggory to the Phillips Collection to see the exhibition Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard.  It closed last weekend, so I'm sorry I didn't get this written up in time for you to go.  It was quite good, and I'm glad I went.  I've had an interest in early photography since taking a few American studies classes in graduate school, so I felt like I was getting a bit of some much needed intellectual stimulation.  Hopefully my brain isn't getting too mushy from baby talk overload.  (I often find myself shaking my head when I hear myself say things like, "Diggory.  Do you see the round blue ball?  Bring Momma the ball.  Bounce the ball.  Yeah!")  We took the metro to Dupont Circle and exited via elevator on the north end.  From there, follow the signs to the Phillips Collection, just a few blocks west and north (turn left out of the elevator.)  We headed straight up to the third floor (of the new building) to see the special exhibition, and then worked our way back down.  I love, love, love the Phillips Collection, but it is NOT a particularly child friendly place.  Diggory loved making his voice echo, and even got "shushed" once by a probably, well-intentioned older lady.  Also, the special exhibition starts on the third floor, but ends on 2U (whatever that stands for), so you need to take a "lift" between floors.  The staff will help you.  In fact, I was told that they HAVE to help you use the lift.  It's a bit of an inconvenience, so my suggestion would be to NOT take your stroller.  Carry the baby, and you'll get around much quicker.

I know that the exhibition is closed, but I just want to point out one striking thing among the myriad compliments I could pay to the show.  There were a ton of photographs of children!  Turns out, parents have been taking "too many" pictures of their kids since the very beginning!  

Two elevator doors, and too many buttons make Diggory a confused little boy.

I tried to keep notes on where I was in the museum and how I got there.  I thought I did a good job, but I can't make heads or tails of it now.  I guess that's my punishment for waiting two weeks to actually write up our experience.  Suffice it to say, that perhaps the best way to go through the Phillips, especially if you have a stroller, is to just wander around and ask for directions when you need them.  Once you navigate your way through the older building (with it's own elevator) and permanent collection galleries, you'll eventually find yourself in the Music Room.  If you have a stroller, you'll have to back track the way you came...which basically means you'll have to go through the special exhibition twice.  Also, I should point out that there's only one changing table in the whole museum (unless I totally missed something).  There's a large handicap accessible/family restroom on 2L with room for a stroller and a changing table.  The bathrooms on G2 and L2 don't have one.

One more logistical note.  Strollers are NOT allowed in the Rothko Room.  I completely understand why, of course, but it's sort of a shame because I think Diggory would really like the bright colors.  (Though I suppose I could have taken him out of the stroller.  See, mushy brain.)  Also, speaking of things you can't do.  You can't wear your backpack diaper bags on your back.  Again, I get it, but still, good to know.  

No strollers allowed in the Rothko Room.  Diggory is sad.

Once we thoroughly explored the older part of the museum, we retraced our steps and took the elevator in the new part of the museum all the way down to L2, the level with the classrooms and young artists exhibition.  I have to say, I loved the modern day tortoise and hare collage triptych by Ms. Daniel's 1st-2nd Grade Class at Tyler Elementary School.  (See below.)  Their parents should be very proud.  

Also, if you're looking for a quiet place to feed your baby...try the gallery at the back of L2, past the seminar room.  The whole time we were on this level, we didn't see a single soul.  The bathroom on L2 doesn't have a changing table, but there's lots and lots of counter space.  The courtyard and adjoining cafe, which you can access one level up, might be a good place for a bit of a break too, if you need to feed or otherwise entertain your babbling child.

Our final stop was the gallery of large scale contemporary art.  Bright colors and open space - I love it!  All in all we had a great time...but next time, I'm not bringing the stroller.

 Mommy captured too much floor in this one!

Our latest museum outing was to the Kreeger Museum in northwest Washington, DC.  Momma still needed an art fix, so we did two art museums in a row.  We invited our dear friend Julie to meet up with Rachel and Max - our museum going mother/son pair, of which you are, by now, very familiar.  The Kreeger Museum is in a fancy pants residential neighboorhood and was once the private home and collection of David (chairman and CEO of GEICO in the 1960s and 1970s) and Carmen Kreeger.  It's best to drive here, and parking, as described by the receptionist, is a "free for all."  There is a small lot on the right side of the building, and if that's full, "park in the circle driveway, just make sure other cars can get around you."  I love that.  We ended up with the most awesome parking spot, right in front of the front door.  

Strollers aren't allowed in the museum, which is just as well, because you have to take a long flight of stairs to the lower level, where the temporary exhibition is located, and there isn't an elevator.  But, you can park your stroller inside, behind the reception desk and near the restrooms.  There's also a big coat closet for your diaper bag if you don't want to lug it around.  And, speaking of restrooms.  There are two, and they're huge.  No changing tables, but lots of counter space and there's a padded stool in each, which might come in handy for those nursing moms among us.

You can take a guided tour or wander about on your own.  Oh, and Diggory learned how to walk (!) between our Phillips visit and our Kreeger visit, so he enjoyed walking around (mostly while holding my hand) too.  While you're wandering, take a moment to visualize attending a private party here.  The Great Hall is filled with some of the best of the best...Van Gogh, Monet, Miro...and there's a Calder mobile above the staircase.  The temporary exhibition of works by Joan Miro was fantastic.  

Take some time to enjoy the outdoor spaces as well.  The terrace off of what I assume is probably the dining room overlooks the fountain below, and the gardens, to the left of the house, have several works of outdoor sculpture.  The current installation in and around the tennis court is pretty intriguing.  Oh, and if you notice the "Do Not Enter" sign in the background in the image below...it's because there's a really steep incline in the terrain.  

The boys had a picnic on the lawn, and then tried to eat leaves later on the tennis court.  You're free to wander the grounds...though a sign will tell you to be aware of the urban deer.  We didn't see any.  

I really liked the Kreeger, and I'll definitely be back.  Also, I can't wait for Diggory to be a few years older.  They have an awesome-looking story time program for ages 3-5, including a craft!  They seem to be pretty popular, as dates into June are already full.  Maybe I can get my name on the list NOW!

Max and Diggory being cute.

Catching Up! (Finally!)

Hum, weird.  The layout of the blog writer thingy is different, so forgive me if this ends up looking weird.  Anyway, our computers are finally networked and I can successfully access (and post!) pictures of our last several museum outings and finally, FINALLY, get caught up!  I might take this opportunity to just blow through these, rather than describe all the nitty, gritty details, so I apologize in advance for my brevity.  I will, however, make sure I include all the important things - like how to actually get inside the Artisphere!  Not an easy feat.

Let us begin...

Parking at the Artisphere is free on weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends.  If you take the metro, you can just enter the building through the main entrance on Wilson Blvd. between Lynn St. and Kent St.  If you're driving, you'll want to park in the garage, entering from Kent St.  BUT...make sure you get there by turning onto Kent St. from Wilson Blvd. If you try to access the garage from 19th Street, Kent St. becomes one-way (in the wrong direction) right before you get to the garage, and you'll have to turn around, and circle back to Wilson.  Anyway, I did that, in the rain, and it wasn't fun.  Lesson learned.  Once inside the garage, follow the signs for Artisphere parking and look for the elevator lobbies, the follow the directions for how to get to the Artisphere.  Once you're out of the elevator, you'll be in the office building's main lobby.  You'll need to go up one level to access the Artisphere's main entrance.  So...if you have your stroller, go outside and take the ramp, or, if you're feeling adventurous, take the scary, manually-operated "lift" between the elevators and the stairs up to the Artisphere entrance.  It's hard to describe, but if you see it and use it, you'll know what I mean by scary.  We took it up, but we took the ramp down.  Now, or before you leave, stop by the main desk to get your parking validation.

Our museum-going pals, Rachel and Max, and Ian (Rachel's husband and Max's dad), met us to see the exhibition Frida Kahlo: Her Photos before it's last day.  We went on the second to last day.  Yea!  It was actually really impressive, if a bit text heavy, but I guess that was sort of the point.  You wouldn't necessarily understand why certain photographs were significant unless you read the text or somehow had the uncanny ability to identify the people and places in the images on your own.  

After spending a good bit of time in the exhibition, we explored the rest of the museum and gallery space, taking a breather for some Mum Mums and crawling.  There's a good amount of temporary and more permanent installations, including the Bio Wall (or some such title), which Diggory may or may not have taken a bite of.  The Artisphere also has a full calendar of public events covering many genres - visual arts, dance, film, theatre, music, etc.  We stumbled upon a kids art camp while we were there, something I think Diggory will (hopefully) find really cool in a couple of years.  

This was my first visit to the Artisphere, and given what I saw, I'll definitely come back.  I suppose the caveat here is that I'll need to be drawn to something specific.  The Frida Kahlo exhibition was a pretty big deal and drew greater than the usual number of visitors.  I guess they're in a bit of a financial bind, unfortunately, so we'll see what the future holds.

Just two days later, we joined several other museum mommas and their babies at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon.  I'm not kidding - five babies and five mommas who all currently or used to work in historic house museums.  There must have been something in the water.  We decided to meet up at the Visitor's Center first.  There are two entrances to the park - one closer to Centreville Road and the other closer to the Fairfax County Parkway.  If you arrive via the Fairfax County Parkway, you'll encounter the Visitor's Center entrance first.  Modern bathrooms with changing tables are a big draw.  There's also a small exhibition about the history of the park and farm life in Fairfax County.  At first, I was wondering if I could count this outing as a "blog outing," but when I saw interpretive panels, I knew it was a sure thing.  

Look!  More interpretive panels inside the Cider Press Barn!  (See below.)  There was also a display of farm equipment - also cleverly and thoroughly described on panels. My father would be pleased with the quantity of John Deere tractors and implements.

After exploring the Visitor's Center, take the long gravel path toward the other barns and out buildings.  There are cows, horses, sheep, goats, chickens, a turkey, pigs, rabbits, and a peacock.  I may be forgetting something, but the point is that there's no shortage of adorable animals.  And speaking of adorable, there are lots of BABY animals!  Check out the 2012 birthing schedule here.  

Here is the long path to the animals - with farm equipment displays on the right.

Here are the mommas and babies with a momma and baby cow.

Here's Diggory with a litter of baby piglets!  Too cute!

After exploring all the animals, we took a break for snacks in the grassy lawn between the barns and the gift shop and carousel.  Diggory's still too little for a carousel ride, so I guess I'll just have to wait a few years for that photo opp.  I really enjoyed our visit, and we'll definitely be back.  In fact, Spring Farm Day is Saturday, May 12th from 10am to 3pm.  Something to definitely pencil in.

So, I think we're pretty much caught up now.  And, to go one step further, here are a few notes on our recent visit to Anderson House, the headquarters of The Society of the Cincinnati.  Full disclosure:  I used to work here.  We didn't actually take the tour, but I can certainly give you the basics and tell you about the bathrooms.  I was actually planning to write up the Anderson House when they launch their new fancy pants website, but I just couldn't wait.  (I hear the new website will launch May 10th, though, so I guess I'm not so far off.  Check it out when it's up!)  Diggory and I came for the Lunch Bite object chat given by Whitney Robertson (who holds my old job as museum collections manager) on Larz Anderson's diplomatic uniform.  (We also came to have lunch with our friends afterward!)  

Anderson House is one of the hidden gems of Washington, D.C., though they certainly wish they were better known - but they're getting more well known all the time!  It's right on Embassy Row (Massachusetts Ave., NW) in Dupont Circle, across the street from the Gandhi statue and right next to the Fairfax Hotel.  It's the house with the bronze statue of George Washington on the front lawn.  I won't give you my speech on the founding of the Society and the history of Anderson House - you're perfectly capable of reading the extensive info. on their website.   

  

Suffice it to say, that the house is open to the public for guided tours from 1-4pm, Tuesday through Saturday.  There's a whole host of public programs, during the day or in the evenings, on the weekends and during the week.  There aren't many programs for kids specifically, but plenty to look at inside the house for sure.  Also, check out what temporary exhibition is on view when you go.  The only other details I'll mention here are that there's no changing tables - something I may need to discuss with my former colleagues.  The handicap accessible restroom on the main floor is large enough for a stroller and you could certainly change a diaper on the floor.  We've all had to do that from time to time.  The ladies room on the left side of the great staircase isn't stroller accessible, but there is plenty of open counter space if you need it.  Sorry, I haven't been in the men's room since checking for stragglers during the last rental event I worked before locking up, so I can't adequately comment on the baby-friendliness of those facilities.  Also, there is a ramp to enter the building, but I've found it just as easy to bump the stroller up the five inch step to the front door.  The door is locked, so if someone doesn't immediately open the door for you, you may need to ring the bell to get in.  Push the big white plastic square, not the historic looking doorbell button.  There's also an elevator to move between the first floor and the second floor (the only floor open to the public), which your docent will help you operate.  I will say, however, that it will probably be easier to strap your babe into a carrier and walk.  Plus, traversing the great staircase is a thrill - and you won't want to miss out.

Whew!  That's all for now.  I'm hoping to make it to the Phillips Collection next week before the Snapshot exhibition closes.  No, I'm not hoping, I WILL DO IT.  I WILL.  I WILL!