National Postal Museum

Washington has such an abundance of museums to visit and sights to see that in my sixteen years here I am still visiting and discovering new places. The National Postal Museum had been on my list for a while, but its location off the National Mall makes the slightly offbeat museum also more off-the-beaten track. Still, it is conveniently located next door to Union Station, and as a Smithsonian, entrance to the museum is free of charge. Even given its somewhat esoteric topic, it has plenty of very positive reviews online, and the museum is currently hosting a special exhibit in which I had particular interest.

Fittingly, the museum occupies the building which was Washington's main post office from 1914 through 1986. The building itself is quite impressive and attractive.

A step up from the modern America post office, wouldn't you agree?

This clock is in what used to be the postmaster's office.

Home to one of the world's largest collections of stamps and philatelic materials, the museum has done an excellent job of creating colorful, educational, and interactive exhibits. For example, the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery displays many stamps, including a variety of rare ones.

Washington cherry blossom stamp in top left is one of my all-time favorites!

Whoa, the stamp on left looks familiar!

This gallery also has a computer on which a visitor can create - and email to themselves - a stamp or two, including with one's own photo. These are two I created.

Mailboxes from various countries are scattered around the museum. Some looked familiar, but others were quite different than the North American or European mailboxes I have seen.

The museum's collection also includes numerous vehicles - from wagons to cars to airplanes - that have been used to transport and deliver mail by the U.S. Postal Service.

Old mail wagon.

Railway post office.

Interior of the railway post office.

The special exhibit which I had wanted to see is called "PostSecret: The Power of a Postcard." Begun as a one-time community art project in 2005 by Frank Warren, PostSecret has evolved into a cultural touchstone and spawned an empire which includes numerous books, exhibits and speaking engagements. The project has Washington roots, as it was initiated during a local Artomatic exhibit, and Frank himself lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington.

The website Frank runs is updated weekly with postcards containing secrets -- sent to him from around the country and around the world. Some of the secrets have mature themes, thus I will warn that the following link for the website itself might be NSFW - "not safe for work." Frank updates the website every Sunday morning with new postcards, and with classic (older) secrets. The PostSecret exhibit at the Postal Museum displayed a small selection of the millions of cards received over the last decade. Some are heart-warming, others are heart-breaking, while others are funny or slightly strange. The next three photos are just a small selection.

This exhibit runs through September of this year, but on its own the Postal Museum is well worth a visit if you're in the area and have an hour or two!

State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms

Living in Washington means sometimes being friends with movers and shakers - or people whose jobs seem immeasurably cooler than your own. It also means having unique opportunities that folks who live elsewhere don't have. 

The U.S. Department of State offers public tours of its beautiful diplomatic reception rooms, yet because the tours take place only on weekdays, then it had been an item on my Washington bucket list for a long time before I finally could make arrangements for such a tour. A friend who is in the Foreign Service and currently working in Washington before heading for her next assignment in South America was able to join me for the tour. Although she registered us for it, anyone can do so via this website. 

After arriving at State Department headquarters in Foggy Bottom, going through visitors' security and checking in, I met my friend and we waited for the tour to begin. On the dot at 10.30am our group of twelve people was gathered and we were provided with some instructions before we were escorted through several long hallways and into a large elevator which led us to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and the beginning of the tour. Throughout the duration of the tour we were accompanied by not just one, but two Diplomatic Security officers. 

While the State Department headquarter building is a typical office building -- and not a particularly attractive one at that --, these special rooms, opened in 1961, are anything but typical. Designed by Edward Vason Jones, and filled with art, antiques and important memoribilia from American history, these spaces are impressive. They are used for official entertaining purposes, though can also be rented for huge sums of money -- two days before I visited, the rooms had been used for the annual Kennedy Center Honors award dinner, which takes place the evening before the televised show from the Kennedy Center.

The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the many artifacts in the rooms, and she told us many stories and factoids, though the 45-minute length of the tour prevented her from going into minute detail or from showing us every singe item -- and that's okay! It was a bit difficult to take good photos, as I wanted to hear what the guide was explaining, plus lighting was far from ideal. But below I share a few photos from the tour.

This portrait of Washington is used on the dollar bill - except it's flipped.

Desk on which Treaty of Paris was signed - ending the American Revolutionary War.

Desk at which Jefferson probably wrote the Declaration of Independence.

The largest room; through the door you can see the kitchen in which caterers were prepping lunch for an event.

Everything's so ornate!

Room in which lunch event was about to take place. Our tour was cut slightly shorter due to this event.

Beautiful!

Almost a bit gaudy...

Uncanny how much Pres Jackson looks like current Sec. of State Kerry!

Once the tour had concluded, and our group had returned to our starting point, my friend and I exited through that less-than-impressive exit, scurried around the corner to the main exit where she checked me in as her visitor, and she proceeded to show me around. The main entrance is impressive, as it contains flags from all the world's countries with which the U.S. has official relations. Typically tours are also taken here, but due to the VIPs being expected for the aforementioned luncheon, we were not shown this area.

The Latvian flag - among others.

In the basement of the building she showed me the two competing privately-owned gift shops. I couldn't resist, and a pink "Future Secretary of State" t-shirt found its way into a special three-year old's Christmas stocking a few weeks later. After my little shopping excursion we moved onto lunch in the cafeteria, and that concluded my interesting State Department visit. Special thanks to my friend A for hosting me!

Wonder - Exhibit at Renwick Gallery, Part I

With its prime location across the street from the White House, the Renwick Gallery is easy to find. Being a part of the Smithsonian Institution's American Art Museum means it is also free to visit. For whatever reasons, however, in my 16 years in Washington, I had never visited this small museum. For the past two years it had been closed for extensive renovation, and reopened in November with an exhibit titled "Wonder," which I saw referenced on Twitter numerous times. Thus during my staycation I made it a point to finally make my way the Renwick, and am incredibly glad I did. Since then I have been telling all of my local friends they need to see this exhibit! Words do not adequately express how awe-inspiring and amazing it is.

The Renwick itself has a fascinating history -- it was the first American building built specifically to serve as an art museum.  Designed in 1859 by architect James Renwick Jr., who also designed the Smithsonian’s “Castle” and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, the museum was initially built to house William Corcoran's private art collection. However, the Civil War - as wars do - disrupted construction, and the building was even used by the Union Army. Finally, in 1874 the building opened to the public as an art gallery, although that did not last particularly long, as from 1899 to 1964 the Renwick was home to the U.S. Court of Claims. In the 1950s Congress even proposed that the building be razed, but in 1962 forward-thinking First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy led a campaign to save the gallery as part of her greater plan to restore Lafayette Square, which is behind the White House. Fortunately in 1965 the Secretary of the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley asked President Lyndon B. Johnson that the building be turned over to the Smithsonian Institution. That did occur and the Renwick Gallery was finally returned to its intended purpose as a museum when it opened in 1972 as home of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s contemporary craft and decorative art program. Now, after a two-year-long renovation, the gallery has re-opened once again.

As explained on Renwick's website, "To celebrate, we're transforming the entire museum into an immersive artwork with our debut exhibition, WONDER. Nine leading contemporary artists—Jennifer Angus, Chakaia Booker, Gabriel Dawe, Tara Donovan, Patrick Dougherty, Janet Echelman, John Grade, Maya Lin, and Leo Villareal—are each taking over different galleries in the building, creating site-specific installations inspired by the Renwick. Together, these installations will turn the building into a larger-than-life work of art." To be honest, I had little idea what to expect -- all I knew was that I'd seen a couple of intriguing and beautiful images on Twitter.

If you live in the Washington area, or will be visiting anytime in the next six months, I highly recommend seeing this amazing exhibit yourself -- as I can assure you that you will enjoy it, and that my snapshots do not do it justice! If you are in a hurry, you'll be able to see it in thirty minutes, but an hour is really all you truly need.

Untitled. Tara Donovan

Main material used here: Index cards!

The piece that has gained the most recognition - at least on social media - is Gabriel Dawe's "Plexus A1." Using only threads and light he created a magical rainbow.

Whether up close or from afar - a beautiful sight!

A ladybug "stuck" in the threads.

The next piece was all natural...

Shindig. Patrick Dougherty

Located above the gallery's stairs, Leo Villareal's "Volume (Renwick)" is best described by the text on Renwick's website: Only part of Villareal’s artwork is visible in the materials suspended above the staircase. This hardware serves primarily as a vehicle for the visual manifestation of code–an artist-written algorithm employing the binary system of 1s and 0s telling each LED when to turn on or off. This simple command creates lighting sequences that will never repeat exactly as before. (Source: here.)

Watching this was mesmerizing!

To be continued...!

Washington Walk

Washington is a city to which tourists flock, and for good reason -- with so many historic and free attractions, it is an ideal vacation destination. When one lives here, one occasionally forgets how many sights and historical monuments there are. On the same day I visited the Library of Congress, I met a friend for lunch near George Washington University, and given the stunningly beautiful weather, I decided to walk from the Foggy Bottom area (home to both GWU and the State Department) to the Library instead of taking Metro. Having slightly underestimated the distance, I walked over three miles, but the my brisk stroll was rewarding: the weather was glorious, and I noticed a couple of things I had never seen before, and photographed a few photos to share with my loyal blog readers.

The first part of the walk I passed newer office and apartment buildings which are not particularly scenic. Once I reached the White House, the views became more memorable. Due to recent fence jumping incidents, more barriers and fences have been set up outside the White House, and it's more difficult to get a good view. Besides you have all seen that photo a million times in the news!

Continuing toward the Capitol, there is quite a bit to see. Although I am no fan of Donald Trump, I suppose it's good that his company is renovating the previously under-utilized Old Post Office Pavilion, which occupies prime territory on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the White House or the Capitol. Next year the renovated building is slated to open as a luxury hotel.

Behind the National Archives (best known as the place where visitors stand in line to catch a glimpse of the Constitution), I spotted this statue and spot-on saying.

What is past is prologue.

Once a tourist has visited the many free museums and sights in Washington, the Newseum, a museum about news and journalism, is worth a visit. If you don't have the time (at least a couple of hours) or money ($22.95 plus tax for regular admission), at least walk past the front of the building, where that day's front pages from newspapers from each state are displayed. Front pages of even more newspapers can be viewed online.

That is the First Amendment inscribed on the left.

Next door you might be surprised to spot a row of Canadian flags, but there's a logical explanation - the Embassy of Canada has a slightly unusual location here on Pennsylvania Avenue. Many embassies are located on Massachusetts Avenue or in other areas not quite so close to the U.S. Congress and President.

Then I continued on to the front of the Capitol, which is currently looks different due to scaffolding because the dome is undergoing restoration. As is often the case, a school tour group was taking a group photo between the reflecting pool and the Capitol; they had just begun to disperse as I walked up to the pool, but I managed to snap this photo which I have titled "Portapotties & Pink."

The scaffolding on  the dome is quite impressive. Theoretically it should come down by Inauguration Day 2017, but I have heard through the Washington grapevine that the renovation will most likely take longer.

After my Library of Congress visit I walked from the Library to Union Station to catch Metro, and that meant passing the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court. I must confess that I had never taken the time to inspect this impressive structure, which looked even more majestic in the bright sunshine, with an shockingly blue sky behind it.

"Equal justice under law."

A panel on front door of the highest court of the land.

And one final view!

History & Wine in Winchester, Virginia

Leaving Maryland in the rear view mirror after our visit to Distillery Lane Ciderworks, we headed toward the Shenandoah Valley. We made a quick stop at Winchester Ciderworks, where the tasting cost $5 and took place outside. The ciders were not to my liking, but my friend picked up a can of the Malice cider, which was also purchased by the case by a local who stopped by, so they do have fans.

As we drove toward Winchester's Old Town, we had to stop at the highly visible Virginia Farm Market - for the pumpkin displays alone. However, the market turned out to be a produce and treat paradise. All of their current apples were available for sampling -- the Cameo was among the sweetest I had tasted, while my friend loved the Nittany, and we bought a few of each for future snacking. Less healthy options such as donuts could also be sample and purchased.

After a picnic lunch in the car, we explored part of Winchester's old town, which contains many historic buildings, most of which have been restored and some of which can be found on the pedestrian mall. It being Sunday, not all the stores were open, but I was glad the cozy bookshop, Winchester Book Gallery, was open for business. I could have browsed for a long time and spent a great deal of money as their selection of books, cards, and gifts was well curated.Yet I managed to limit my purchases to a few cards and one children's book, the absolutely lovely new "Thank You & Good Night" by Patrick McConnell. The shop had fantastic decorations.

The loft area was dedicated to children's books, as well as a cozy reading corner. I could easily spend an hour or two here!

The murals in the children's area were just as wonderful as the murals on the first floor.

Many of Winchester's old buildings were constructed of stone and brick, and looked like they will last another two hundred years.

After strolling around town, we were chilled to the bone and chose to examine a winery recommended by a local. What a perfect suggestion that was! Located a bit south of Winchester, in the small town of Stephens City, Valerie Hill Winery & Vineyard is a true destination winery. The tasting rooms are located in a 200-year old home, which provides a comfortable and rather cozy atmosphere. A couple of rooms had tables that seat four, while the area in which we relaxed had a couch and smaller tables for two.

Although the tasting ($8) was tempting, the moment I saw mulled wine ($5 a glass), the deal was sealed. Many northern European families, mine included, serve mulled wine at Christmas, but it's also the perfect drink on a chilly autumn day. Chili and cornbread were also being offered, and a duo was singing and playing guitar on the heated porch. We arrived close to 4:30pm, which is last call on Sundays, but one could tell that most guests had spent their afternoon enjoying the wine and the atmosphere. The woman at the table next to ours had chosen to do her writing and studying at Valerie Hill instead of a cafe or library. In warmer weather the winery also has outdoor seating on a patio and in the backyard.

Our slightly boozy day of exploring had been fun, but it was time to find a hotel in Winchester and rest up in preparation for the next day of adventures.