The museum upgraded many of the environmental and physical facilities (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, lighting, fire and security systems, elevators, heating, etc., along with a 600-seat cafe), but will also feature several major upgrades and visitor enhancements, including:

• A new state-of-the-art gallery for the giant Star-Spangled Banner flag that flew over Fort McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became The National Anthem.
• 10-foot-high artifact walls on the 1st and 2nd floors displaying 400 of the museum’s 3 million historical objects
• A Visitor Welcome Center
• Hall of Invention and Spark Lab, a hands-on science and invention center

The major exhibits, favorites of visitors, such as America on the Move, The American Presidency and The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, will all be reopening.

Other favorite items will be on display, including:

• Mohammad Ali’s boxing gloves and robe 
• Dorothy’s Ruby Red Shoe and the Scarecrow costume from “The Wizard of Oz”
• Babe Ruth autographed baseball
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt NBC Fireside chat microphone
• Several First Lady’s Inaugural Ball gowns
• R2-D2 and C-3PO from "Return of the Jedi"
• White House copy of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, penned by Lincoln himself (on display through January 4, 2009).

National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. (map it)

Dates and Times – Reopening starting November 21, 2008 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (until 7:30 p.m. on 11/21/08)

Admission – FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Triangle and Smithsonian, Blue and Orange lines, then a 2-4 block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Limited metered street parking is available. 

Images – building from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti, all others courtesy of the NMOAH.   _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The exhibit catapulted these eight independent American artists and a new artistic movement. The artists, called The Eight, were a group of American painters who united to oppose academic traditions held by the established art world.

Their style advanced modernism, incorporating realist artistic movement, was dubbed the Ashcan style, (or the Ash Can school); named for its gritty portrayal of people living in the crowded tenements of New York’s working class and poorer neighborhoods.

The show toured the U.S. after becoming a New York sensation.

The styles and subject matter of The Eight vary greatly, but the original exhibit paved the way for future modern art shows. The Eight included Robert Henri, George Luks, William Glackens, John Sloan, Everett Shinn, Maurice Prendergast, Ernest Lawson and Arthur Bowen Davies.

The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC remembers the exhibit’s centennial with a special installation of 20 Ashcan works.

American Art Rebels – The Eight
The Phillips Collection
1600 21st Street, NW, between Q and R Streets
Washington, DC 20009 (map it)

Dates and Times - September 27, 2008 – January 11, 2009. Hours – Saturday 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m., Thursdays until 8:30 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and major holidays.

Tickets – Are available online and are $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors (62+) and students, free for 18 and under.  Tickets include admission to the museum as well.

Nearest Metro subway station - Dupont Circle – Red line, use the Q Street exit. Then a

Parking – Metered street parking is available, but can be a bit challenging to find. Paid parking garages are available nearby.

Images – public domain – Bellows, Shinn,

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Perhaps “recognized” is a better word, because I’ve never heard of an “Aviation Day party.  But I am thinking about starting a new tradition and hosting one.  I did a quick search for aviation-themed cocktails and I never knew there were so many. If you decide to celebrate Aviation Day, check out the list of cocktail recipes at the end of this post.Established by President Roosevelt in 1939, August 19th was designated National Aviation Day.

With two great Air and Space Museums in the area, it’s a great time for a visit and admission is free to both museums.But first, here’s a few interesting video clips of the history and evolution of flight.First Flights – early 1900s

F-22 Raptor

Remember the James Bond Jet-Pack??? It lives!!

World War II Warbirds in Action.

National Air and Space Museum
Independence Avenue at 6th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20560 (map it)Dates and Times – Daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Nearest Metro Subway Station – L’Enfant Plaza – Blue, Orange, Green and Yellow lines, and Smithsonian – Blue and Orange linesParking – Limited metered street parking is available.
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The Udvar-Hazy center is about two times larger at almost 300,000 sq. ft., and is housed in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.  It’s big enough to hold a space shuttle…in one of the side halls.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, Virginia 20151 (map it)

Dates and Times -  Daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 PMParking - $12.00Nearest Metro Subway Station  – Transportation – Getting to the Udvar-Hazy Center by public transportation can be challenging. There are a few options.First you need to get to Dulles Airport.  The easiest way is to take the Metro subway to the West Falls Church station (Orange line), then  take a Washington Flyer Coach to the airport ($16.00 round-trip). Buses run every 30 minutes.You can also take the Metro subway to L’enfant Plaza (Yellow line) or Rosslyn (Orange line), then the Metro 5A bus to Dulles Airport (cost about $9.00 round-trip).From Dulles Airport, catch the Virginia Regional Transit shuttle bus to/from the Udvar-Hazy Center daily from 10:45 – 5:50 ever 45 minutes.—————————————————————-Aviation-themed Cocktails for your own Aviation Day Party.

Aviation -  gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juiceKamakazi – vodka, triple sec, lime juiceTailspin – gin, Sweet Vermouth, Green Chartreuse, Campari,  (sounds horrible, no wonder it’s called a tailspin)

Jolly Pilot  – gin, brandy, Cointreau, Sherry, Angostura bitters

Sky Pilot – gin, crème de noyeau, orange juice, Sherry

Sky Pilot - applejack, rum, grenadine, lime juiceFlying Fortress - Cognac, vodka, anisette, CointreauFlying Tiger – white rum, gin, grenadine, sugar, aromatic bittersParachute Cooler – coffee, kirsch, brandy, egg white

For specific recipes, click here. _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

From over 24,000 entries, the winners represent the best in wildlife and nature through the art of photography.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20560

Admission – all and Smithsonian museums are free

Hours - Daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through March 25th

Nearest Metro subway station - Smithsonian Station (use the Mall exit) – Blue and Orange lines or use the DC Circulator.

For some excellent reading on nature photograpohy techniques, check out these selections from Amazon.com.

Photos courtesy of the Smithsonian. 
Photo 1 – Cheryl Opperman
Photo 2 – Marsel Van Oosten
Photo 3 – Robert J. Amoruso
Photo 4 – Mark B. Bartosik __________________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler