No visit to Washington DC would be complete without a visit to at least one or two of the Smithsonian museums.  The Air and Space museum and the Museum of Natural History are two of the more popular of the museums, but don’t overlook some of the smaller art museums.
The Freer Gallery and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery make up the Smithsonian’s Asian Art museum, and can provide a well-rounded look at some art often over-looked.
The Freer Gallery is location on the National Mall at Jefferson Drive at 12th Street SW, and was the first Smithsonian museum dedicated to …read more

Not many people think of going to prison as a vacation, but the Texas Prison Museum is hoping to change your mind.  The city of Huntsville, Texas is famous for its local prisons (there are 6 of them), and so it turned the lawlessness of the city into an attraction.  The museum features exhibits that give you a look at life in the prison — what is was like to be an inmate at the prison, as well as what it was like to work there, two obviously differing points of view.
The most popular exhibit is Old Sparky, an old …read more

Exploring history, our theme for the week, can provide fascinating adventures my family and I found, whether it’s in your own backyard or as you travel around the country.  My love of history stems from my parents’ interest in our country and the world. 
 When we took family trips, Mother and Father enjoyed stopping at forts, old settlements, historic homes and parks.
When Jim I’ve traveled with our daughter, we’d read historic markers and learn about the countryside we traversed.  These stops made nice breaks in sometimes lengthy drives.  Some of them included:

Following portions of the Oregon Trail
Visiting Living History Farms in …read more

Fans of all things Disney will soon have a new museum to check out – The Walt Disney Family Museum, set to open October 1st, 2009 in San Francisco.  The museum will be contained in three historic buildings in the Presidio, a former barracks, a former gymnasium, and a former storage facility.  These buildings will include 10 galleries dedicated to chronicling the life of Walt Disney.
The story of Disney will evolve from the drawings of his youth, to the founding of his first company (Laugh-
O-GramFilms), to the birth of Mickey Mouse, to the opening of Disneyland.  Along the way, you’ll …read more

On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong announced, “Houston.  Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed.” And Houston celebrated.
Forty years later, Houston, home to Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, celebrates again, with a variety of events, attractions and exhibitions  commemorating the lunar landing and our fascination with space.

Discovery Green:  Spacefest – The downtown park partners with NASA and Rice University to host activities that celebrate the historic lunar landing.  Exhibits and films are designed for education and for fun.  July 17-20th.  FREE.
Houston Astros – For the July 20th game, the Astros will wear …read more

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is one of the most influential modern art museums in the world.  It is on the must see list for most visitors to Manhattan, even if though they may net be huge art fans.  It’s one of the noted architectural locations in the city, has been used as a backdrop in numerous movies, and is one of the quintessential NYC locations.
The prestigious art collection started off very, very small — with a small gift of eight prints and one drawing.  Since then, it has burgeoned to a collection of …read more

Today we have a guest post from Jenni Ingersoll.
If a king was coming to visit my house, I am sure I would be in a whirlwind of preparations.  Such is the case of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.  After months of construction, reconstruction and improvements the world’s largest children’s museum is set for the arrival of the king – King Tut that is.
A new exhibit, Tutankhamum: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs will open at The Children’s Museum on June 27th and run through October 25th, 2009.  Over 130 treasures from the tomb of the “Boy King” and other …read more

Washington DC’s Phillips Collection was one of the country’s first museum of modern art, opening in 1921 in what was the home of Duncan Phillips.  From its inception with merely a few paintings, the collection has grown until it moved to a larger space and officially became a museum.
At its current location among the brownstones of Dupont Circle (1600 21st Street NW, on the corner of Q and 21st), the Phillips has two buildings full of art and a outdoor courtyard for sculpture display.  The permanent collection includes works from American and European impressionists, post-impressionist, and modern artists.  You’ll …read more

Don’t let down time at an airport get you down.  If you have downtime at Dulles Airport (Washington DC), you can visit the Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center, companion museum to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (located on the National Mall).  Between the two museums, the Smithsonian offers the largest aviation and space collection in the world.
Udvar-Hazy is full of exhibits that you may find familiar, including the Enola Gay, an Air France Concorde, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the Gemini VII space capsule, and the quarantine unit used for the returning crew of Apollo 11.   There are …read more

While I like a spud as much as the next person, in Blackfoot it’s elevated to the status of royalty. Not surprising, I guess, for the Potato Capital of The World.
At the Idaho Potato Museum (formerly known as the Idaho Potato Expo) there’s a giant baked potato that just catches your eye and makes you stop the car to see what it’s all about.
The expo claims to enlighten you on information about the agricultural, historical, social, scientific, educational, artistic and economic aspects of the world-famous Idaho potato.
Here are just a few of the “spud-tacular” exhibits full of information and …read more