The newest of the Smithsonian Museums.  Although all the Smithsonian museums have free admission,  some require timed entry tickets.  It is an attempt to limit the number of museum goers so all can enjoy their experience…as of today, tickets are not available until July.  They do provide a few “same day” tickets, but you have to call in at 630.  Doug is an early riser and bless his heart, he was able to get us tickets for today. They also allow Veterans to proceed to the front of the line – nice move! 

Our first adventure was to learn to navigate the Metro system. We park at a station about 18 miles from the center of WDC. The Metro took us without a transfer to within 2 blocks of the museums.  One of the few sunny days had us eating at a cafe at the National Sculpture Gardens.  Factoid after I drank a large cup of coffee…the Metro system does not have bathrooms…not on the train or in the station…OH MY!  You actually have to exit the station.

Having been raised in Southern California and coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement, we find we were naive about the plight of African Americans – especially in the south.  The museum follows African American history from 1500-present.  The best history lesson I could have in the 4 hours we spent there.  Quite coincidently we came across Candice Owens and spent an evening watching her U-Tube productions and an extensive interview on the Rubin Report.  She is a liberal turned conservative black woman that is articulate and spunky.  Our prediction is we are going to be hearing a lot from this woman in the future.