Shenandoah National Park: Byrd Visitor Center

Date of Visit: May 12, 2015

We mainly stopped at the Byrd Visitor Center to get the National Park passport stamps there. We had already done most of the Skyline Drive and gone to the Natural Bridge and back by that point, so MIk was ready to get to the Skyland Resort and be done for the day. Thus, we didn’t check out the movie that was starting right when we got there. However, we did check out the exhibit.

The exhibit is an interesting one about the history of the park. We accidentally went through it backwards, which worked okay, but would’ve probably been better to go in  chronological order from the start. Some of the highlights are the parts on controversy of eminent domain to take private owned land to create the park and the 1930s and 1940s desegregation in the park.

Destination Info:
Byrd Visitor Center
Milepost 51 Skyline Drive
Shenandoah National Park, VA

National Museum of American History: Lincoln's Carriage

Date of Visit: April 2, 2015

Since we were already going to be nearby on our walking the National Mall and Memorial Parks yesterday, we decided to quickly pop in and see Lincoln's Carriage. It actually is a really easy pop in and see thing if you enter from the Constitution Avenue side, which we always do because until today I didn't even think the other side had an accessible entrance, but according to the Smithsonian access map it does (Note: I don't totally trust it because it's over a year old and I know last time we went to the Air & Space the Independence Avenue entrance was closed, but it is likely the American History now has an accessible entrance on Madison and I just remember it not being accessible before the major remodel).

Lincoln's Carriage is temporarily on display on the First Floor of the National Museum of American History through May 25, 2015 as part of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's death. It's just a the carriage and a few signs with info, but it's still interesting to get an up close look at his carriage, which they rode in to Ford's Theatre the night he was shot.

Destination Info:
National Museum of American History
1400 Constitution Ave NW
Washington DC

Metro Accessibility Note: Closest metro station is Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange/Silver). Smithsonian (Blue/Orange/Silver) is often also recommended as nearby for this museum and if you take the escalator exit it probably is closer or same distance as Federal Triangle, but the elevator is several blocks further, so Federal Triangle is definitely closest if you are exiting Metro via elevator. Of course, we are always partial to Archives (Yellow/Green) since it's a shorter train ride for us to take Yellow instead of Blue into D.C. and it's only a little more walking.

U.S. Capitol - Tour

Date of Visit: March 7, 2015

The last time we toured the Capitol as a family was probably the first time we took Mik to D.C. when he was about 3 or 4 (1997?). Of course, he doesn't remember that at all and the only thing I remember was waiting in an extremely long line outside and being pulled out of it to be given our own tour because they didn't accommodate wheelchairs with the regular tours. Everything is way different now with there being an actual visitor center, which we didn't even really visit because Mik and Mom were worn out after the touring part (regular and our own this time).

Dad had set up for the 11:20 tour, but since we got there about an hour early and Dad got passes for an earlier tour. The tour starts with a movie. You enter at the bottom of the theater and there's an elevator to the top where there's a row for wheelchairs and companions. Overall a good view of the movie, but the companion seats are kind of far back that the barrier in front ends up blocking the bottom of the screen. At first I thought it was just because I was short, but even Dad ended up noticing the issue. All it really blocks out, though, is the closed captioning, but still annoying in the sight line. Mik had no issue, though, because his wheelchair could roll up closer and also sat higher than the companion seats.

After the movie, you exit from the top of the theater and proceed to lines to join a tour group. Here you get headsets to better hear the guide when on the tour, although personally I found it unnecessary. The tour does go up and down stairs, but between each level you go over to the elevators (normally, someone escorts your group for this, I think, but since Dad works there and has a badge he was our escort).

Overall the tour isn't bad, but I'm glad we were able to then go back with Dad because I felt like you really only got to see one part of the Rotunda and crypt depending on where your guide stopped to talk about that room. Only in the Statuary Hall did it seem like you where able to really explore the whole room.

After our regular tour, Dad took us to the Hall of Columns and the Brumidi Corridors. I especially enjoyed the corridors off of the Hall of Columns, which had some really cool ceiling murals including the one below that I took by lying on the ground. I could've spent a lot more time looking at the murals and such, but Mik and Mom were getting tired, so we only briefly saw them.

Destination Info:
U.S. Capitol
East Capitol St NE & First St SE
Washington, D.C. 20004

Newseum

Date of Visit: February 14, 2015

I have been to the Newseum a few times including when it used to be in Rosslyn and the day it opened on Pennsylvania Avenue, but Mik had never been. While I knew it was a well-done museum, the tickets are kind of expensive, so it kept getting pushed down on our list to do. The opening of a temporary exhibit about Lincoln, though, quickly moved it to the top because Mik particularly likes Civil War history.

We enjoyed the whole museum and found it to be well designed to go through. It's mainly designed that you go down one level, then go to the top floor (6th), and work your way back down. There's elevators on both ends of the building (the three in the middle only go to Concourse and 6th) that make it efficient to go through the museum without backtracking much, although we did find ourselves going backwards through some exhibits.

Mik's favorite part was the Berlin Wall Gallery, which I remember as always being an impressive thing to see. He liked seeing the wall pieces and guard tower, but it was the whole experience with the videos about the wall and how news played a role in that period that really made it a history come to life kind of thing that captivated him.

It was too cold to enjoy the Greenspan Terrace from outside, but Mik did like that you could read the signs from inside (or at least you could because no one else was up to venturing outside to block them). The timeline history of the avenue is pretty interesting and with the walls of windows you can enjoy most of the great view of some of the major landmarks in D.C. from the climate controlled indoors, too.

The "President Lincoln is Dead" exhibit was another highlight. It was interesting to see the different editions of the New York Herald that provided new information as the story of Lincoln being assassinated and the hunt for Booth evolved. In particular, we found it fascinating that all editions said assassination and at that time the word only meant a secret attack and not that he was necessarily killed (in fact, he was still alive during the first couple editions). It wasn't until after Lincoln that the word became known as we think of it today.

Mostly Mik wasn't interested in the NBC News Interactive Room, but I convinced him to try out one of the touchscreen stations (they have several with no seats for wheelchairs to roll into) and he actually had fun with the trivia game.

Overall a fun museum to explore at least once, but it still is on the pricey side and not likely to go back anytime soon even though the upcoming Reporting Vietnam exhibit does appeal to Mik (kind of wished we waited for it to be open since the Lincoln one is through January 2016). Only exhibit Mik found disappointing with the FBI one, as it didn't seem to really tie in the news influence into it as well as the other exhibits.

Destination Info:


Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20001

555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001 - See more at: http://www.newseum.org/visit/#sthash.soxnjIVn.dpuf

555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001 - See more at: http://www.newseum.org/visit/#sthash.soxnjIVn.dpuf

National Museum of the American Indian

Date of Visit: January 15, 2015

We've been meaning to visit the National Museum of the American Indian ever since the Nation to Nation exhibit on treaties opened back in September. Waiting until now worked out well, though, as a new temporary exhibit opened this week ("Commemorating Controversy: The Dakota—U.S. War of 1862") and we still got to see the first treaty on display before they switch it out next month.

Since the last time we visited this museum was back in 2006, we ended up wandering through most of the museum. Most of our time was spent in the "Nation to Nation: Treaties between the United States and American Indian Nations" exhibit, but by the end Mik said it seemed too repetitive. I guess to some extent it kind of was with it being making the treaties and then how they were broken or honored with each panel given the perspective from both sides. Mostly, though, I think it was more that he got overwhelmed with information because it covered quite a bit.

Mik's favorite parts of the museum were the displays in the atrium near the elevators on the 4th and 3rd floor. Most interesting to him was the interactive touch screens for the Window on the Collection Exhibitions, which allowed him to get a close up look at the artifacts on display. The ones on the 4th floor (pictured above) were a little tough for him to get up to and use, but once he figured out a good position he spent quite a bit of time using it. The ones on the 3rd floor are slightly different in set up and were easier for him to use.

He also liked the little question and answer displays interactive turning displays that were related to the Nation to Nation exhibit.

He enjoyed watching some of the videos in the Our Universes exhibit. However, some of them were on small low screens in front of a high backed bench, which while architecturally cool they made it impossible to view them well because there was no good angle to roll close enough for him to get a decent view of the screen.

Other than the issue with the design of the screens and benches in the Our Universe exhibit the museum is a good very modern accessible conscious designed museum. This includes button activated automatic doors to enter the building and companion bathrooms at least on the third and fourth floor. Of course, there are also elevators, which Mik was quick to say we had to take a picture of to add to photos of cool elevators we've encountered. The elevators are also nice and large, although the call buttons by each are almost too well blended with the decor/architectural design.

Destination Info:

National Museum of the American Indian
4th St & Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC

Market House in Fayetteville

Date of Visit: December 11, 2014

The reason we stopped in Fayetteville on our way to Florida was to look for a book for my 1940s collection at City Center Gallery & Books, but we ended up also enjoying walking around a little in downtown Fayetteville reading the history signs.  In particular, we enjoyed checking out the Market House.

At first we thought it was odd that the crosswalks over to the Market House in the middle of the Market Square roundabout did not match up with the ramp, but then we noticed it seems the whole lane right around the Market House has a yellow line so it actually is set up for walking in it from the crosswalk to where the ramp is.

It was a little cold for Mik, but he still enjoyed reading the plaques about the history of the Market House and how it stands on the site of where North Carolina adopted the Constitution. Despite how the photo below looks, he even was happy to do another Christmas Tree photo for the collage I'm working on of him and various Christmas trees this year.

Destination Info:
Market House
Market Square
Fayetteville, NC

National Archives

Date of Visit: October 23, 2014

The main reason we visited the National Archives was because we had thought there was a War of 1812 exhibit there closing soon. Apparently, we were wrong or somehow we totally missed it. However, in the half a dozen times I have visited the Archives I have always found there is great temporary exhibit in the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery and the current one definitely did not disappoint us.

The exhibit is called  "Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures." It features a variety of items that feature signatures including sports items given to Presidents (Lakers jersey and Giants World Series bat), letters to Presidents from other famous people (Johnny Cash, etc.), and laws. There is also an interesting part about electronic signatures and duplication machines.

Of course, you cannot go to the Archives and not also go through the Rotunda, which is wheelchair accessible through the exit. Seeing the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution is nice; but Mik's favorite part is actually the murals. Also, he was much more impressed by the Declaration of Independence being engraved inside the elevator doors and he has declared them his new favorite elevator doors (so I guess he's solved his dilemma with the Huntsville Airport elevator ranking).

Destination Info:
National Archives
Constitution Ave NW (between 7th & 9th Avenue)
Washington, DC

San Gervasio Mayan Ruins

Date of Visit: September 29, 2014

Mik has long been interested in the Mayans. Thus, while we knew the ruins were not likely to be very accessible, we decided it was worth trying to see as much of it as we could with him. There are two entrance points with the first being basically just a shopping area for $5 per person and then the next being the ruins for $4 per person. They only take cash and thankfully Mik got in free because we ended up only having just enough cash for three people.

  

The first area has ramps to the left of the buildings to access the area and then get back to the ruins area. The ramps aren’t that great and are rather steep; but very accessible compared to what you end up going through in the ruins area.

In the ruins area the ground is definitely uneven, but there is a decent amount of the sidewalk style path that is not too bad.  The pathway does have steps at points, but only one at a time. However, there were a few places that were definitely rough with big rocks to maneuver through. One of the roughest adventures we have done in a long time, but totally worth it.

Mik had a great time exploring what we could. Not sure how much we really missed, but we definitely saw enough in the hour we were there and left more because it was hot and humid and Mik was tired of getting bit up by mosquitos rather than because we had explored everywhere we could get Mik to.

Titan Missile Museum

Date of Visit: May 3, 2014

Despite living in Tucson for almost 20 years the Titan Missile Museum was one of the few places neither Mik or I had been to before.  Considering Mik's fascination with military history it is rather surprising we never even thought about visiting before.

We arrived a few minutes after the noon tour began and decided to join it and miss a few minutes of the movie rather than wait for the next tour at 1 p.m.  The movie is interesting about the history of the silo and launch center, but I don't feel we missed out on anything since you get some plus more info while touring the silo and the tour guides seem to be quite capable of fielding questions.

After the movie ended, the tour heads outside to go down to the launch center.  Before heading down we stopped to hear them sound the siren, which was not a regular thing.  It is very loud, but surprisingly Mik didn't freak out too much, although that was mainly because they gave a clear warning that it was happening.

There are 55 steps down to the entrance of the control center and for those that cannot do stairs they use what originally was more for freight use.  When going up and down the tour guide made sure we knew when the bell was going to sound for the closing and opening above the elevator shaft. The sound was really nothing after the siren, but still Mik can be sensitive to sound and really appreciated having warning.

The rest of the tour is all on the same level and involves going through the blast doors, doing a simulated launch in the control center, and going over to see the Titan II Missile in the silo.  We found the tour to be interesting.  The only part Mik did not really like was the bumpy metal ground in the hallway down to the missile silo, but his comment was just that he was glad he did not have that flooring in his house.

Back up top the tour ends, but you can then wander around up top before heading back out through the museum building.  Mik did not want to spend too much time wandering around in that he did not want us to stop in read every sign, which I agreed was unnecessary with the tour giving all that info already.  Walking over to the top of the silo and going up the platform they have built over it to allow you to look down at the missile was worthwhile.

Destination Info:
Titan Missile Museum
1580 W Duval Mine Rd
Sahuarita, Arizona

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

Date of Visit: May 25, 2012

This first stop on our trip was unplanned.  After we left Tucson early, I decided to look at what places had National Park stamps and were pretty much on our route.  The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum ended up being just a few miles out of the way and it has El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail stamp.


It ended up being a pretty interesting museum to visit, although we did not take the time to see it all.  Of what we saw, the New Mexico Centennial exhibit was the most interesting.  Mik and I had fun doing the scavenger hunt in that exhibit and then we used the 10% off from doing it to get some yummy New Mexico grown pistachios in the gift shop.

We looked at the Heritage Gallery a little and the John Deere exhibit.  We certainly could have spent more time there, especially since we did not even venture outside to see the animal exhibits.  However, we still wanted to get the Chamizal National Monument even though it technically was on the plan for the way home.

Destination Info:
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
4100 Dripping Springs Road
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011

U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center

Date of Visit: March 26, 2012

We have been to the U.S. Navy Memorial several times, but somehow never noticed that there was a U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center next to it.  The only reason I knew to look for it this time was that there is supposedly a National Park Passport Stamp for the memorial at the Heritage Center Bookstore.  We did not find it, but then again we did not ask about it and the whole place seemed to be in a major overhaul mode.  It must be there, though, as the day after we visited it the last confirmation date for the stamp in the Park Stamps database.

On the level you enter the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center there is not much other than a ship model.  There is an elevator and stairs down to the exhibit space and bookstore/gift shop.  There was not really much to see, as they were taking stuff down and had ladders and such in a big part of the area.  The bookstore had the displays of items so close together that Mik could not get his wheelchair through most of it.


Overall we wish we had skipped the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center.  Not that it does not have potential to be an interesting stop, but they were actively dismantling exhibits and there was clutter of coat racks in the elevator hallway and such.  The U.S. President's Room was interesting, but really it was not worth the visit at this time.  Now if there was not exhibit turnover going on it would be a great stop other than Mik did not like that the buttons to select the floor you wanted to go to where at about his eye level.

Destination Info:
U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center
701 Navy Memorial
Washington, D.C.

National Museum of American History

Date of Visit: March 22, 2011

The National Museum of American History is my all time favorite DC museum and not just because they have a Dumbo ride vehicle as one of the landmark display items.  There is a lot to see the museum, so we just focused on going through a few of the exhibits we really wanted to see.  We skipped the Star Spangled Banner, as that is the only exhibit Mik remembers seeing when we went during the Ballpark road trip in 2009 and it was too crowded to see anything else.



The main area we saw was the Transportation exhibits.  Mik really enjoyed the On the Water exhibit and seeing the different miniature boat models.  He also loved the touch screens he could roll up to and select to hear different things to be read to him.  The American on the Move exhibit is also fun including rolling into the CTA car that makes it seem like you are actually riding with people to work in Chicago.



We really wanted to see the Gunboat Philadelphia, but either the wheelchair lift up to the viewing platform sucks or we are unlucky in that it was also out when we visited in 2009 and was out again on our March 2011 trip.  You can see the front of the boat from the exhibit entrance, but the majority of the artifacts and good viewing of the gunboat is up a few steps on a raised viewing platform.  Mik loves boats and maritime history, so it really annoys him that he keeps missing out on really seeing the exhibit because it has steps and a broken lift.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
National Museum of American History
1400 Constitution Ave NW
Washington DC

National Crime and Punishment Museum

Date of Visit: March 21, 2011


The National Crime and Punishment Museum is one of the expensive paid admission DC museums that normally I would not even think of going to with so many free museums to explore instead in D.C.  We got a Groupon deal, though, so it did not cost much.  After seeing this museum, it is not bad, although perhaps not quite worth the high admission price, as it still is not that big.


Accessibility wise the museum is pretty good.  You do end up doing some odd backtracking and such to get back to the elevator to go between floors sometimes, but they give you a paper explaining how to navigate through the museum if you need the elevator between levels.  We got one automatically because they noticed the wheelchair, but we ended up having to help a person figure out how to get out of the museum because they could not do stairs.  If it is not obvious you cannot do stairs, just ask for the elevator guide through the museum when you purchase your tickets.


Mik really enjoyed the National Crime and Punishment Museum.  The CSI Experience in the basement is kind of cool, although a lot of the stuff did not seem to work, was not well explained, or it was at a level that did not work for Mik.  In the booking area it was cool that you could get your fingerprint scanned and a card printed out with it as a souvenir of your visit.  Mik had a little trouble with this as the scanner is stationary and you have to roll up sideways.  Would have been better if it was on a table that had room for the chair to roll under.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
National Crime and Punishment Museum
575 7th St
Washington, DC 20004

National Museum of American History

Starting today at the National Museum of American History. We might also hit the Natural History Museum.

Sent from my iPhone

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Exhibit at Arizona State Museum

Yesterday, Mik and I went to the Arizona State Museum on the University of Arizona's campus to see the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Exhibit, so that he could get some extra credit in history class.  We thought we would also explore the museum, since we had not ever been there.  It ended up being a special event and quite crowded, so we just quickly saw the treaty exhibit (interestingly a not crowded area) and decided we could go back anytime the rest of the year when there are much fewer visitors.


I thought the entrance was a different one for wheelchairs, but I forgot they had finished a remodel right before I graduated in 2007 and wheelchairs can now enter through the front entrance.  Note that the left and center doorways have a bar in the middle, but the entrance on the right is wider and has a button to open automatically, although all the doors were kept open at all times during the special event that was going on this weekend.



Due to the crowd and it being so close to home that we can easily return at a later time when it is much less crowded, we saw very little of the museum, especially since the special exhibit was in a small room not far off to the left of the entrance area.  We did still encounter that there were steps for one exit to the exhibit, but right next to them it conveniently had a wheelchair sign with an arrow to point you back to the ramp area that you entered the exhibit from.  It is rather obvious that you have to go back that way to get out, but the sign is helpful in that the stairs lead to the restrooms and the ramp area leads in two directions from the exhibit entrance and one gets you to the restroom area without using the stairs.

Photos by Mik
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input