A Day at the Museum

Having yesterday off was wonderful - a treat made even sweeter since I didn't find out I had it off until Friday, so I hadn't overwhelmed myself with plans or tried to squeeze in a trip. I had a full day with nothing to do!

Since it was a comparatively balmy 46 degrees out, Wright and I decided on a picnic in the park followed by a museum trip. We'd gone to MoMA the day before, had already seen the fabulous Kandinsky show at the Guggenheim (twice), and with the Met closed on Mondays, we ended up at the American Museum of Natural History - a little bit different than our usual art-focused ventures.

We had the most wonderful time wandering the halls of this enormous and fascinating museum. Returning there is always nostalgic for me. The dioramas still look the same as they did when I was in a stroller and no matter how tall I've gotten, the whale remains enormous.

While I attempted to insist we just wander the permanent exhibition (for free), Wright was steadfast and sweet, treating me to two of the special exhibitions. We first went to see the film "Journey to the Stars," narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, and shown in the Hayden Planetarium. If you've never seen anything in this theater, let me tell you, it is a real treat! Forgive me for botching this explanation, but the images are projected onto a large, circular screen above you, so that you lean back in your chair and really feel as if you are looking up at the stars. With stunning images taken from telescopes, the show was a real knock-out, and well worth the splurge.
We also saw The Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World, a fantastic exhibition with plenty of interactive and interesting components. I have to admit, I learned a lot!! Thinking back on the exhibition from a curator's perspective, I can't even imagine what it would be like to put together a show of that magnitude and breadth. It takes us long enough to arrange a hanging of work on paper in the gallery I work in, let alone if we had taxidermy camels, interactive smelling spices, digital movies, ancient artworks, etc.!

It was such a blast exploring all that this museum had to offer, I was so glad we stepped off of our beaten path to do it. What a reminder of how lucky we are to live in New York!