Spending days as a DC tourist, something I think most residents put off until they wonder why they never got around to it. Visited The National Art Gallery, where I wandered through the impressionist area and then hiked underground over to the newer, more modern East Wing (under a way trippy moving walkway with a million lights and shadows moving through them; had to be there). Saw interesting pieces, and then I discovered a new artist to love: Jean Phillippe Arthur Dubuffet (1901 – 1985). If you’re interested in learning more, please see link at the left. Then on to the National Building Museum, particularly to check out the special show where Adam Reed Tucker, a Chicago architect who left his practice to become one of only 11 certified Lego professionals in the world, has recreated 15 large-scale models of some of the most impressive buildings in the world. After touring the buildings, there’s a huge room to create your own masterpieces, of course. I skipped that and continued on to a small, private gallery that had a very unusual show with art requested from local up-and-coming artists in the DC area. Whew!! That’s all the feet could take for the day. But next day up and at ’em for more! Started with the International Spy Museum – thank goodness I got there at 9ish because there was a line down the block when I exited. I guess everyone wants to be Bond, James Bond. Then to the Newseum, which chronicles the history of news reporting in the world and what a fantastic structure! I highly recommend it to curious monkeys of all ages. 4-D movies, Pulitzer Prize winning picture area with backgrounds on the winning shots, a radio antenna and front pages from around the world reporting 9/11, part of the Berlin Wall, a memorial area to journalists fallen in the line of duty, history of news from storytellers in the middle ages to twittering today, etc etc. Then a breeze through the American Portrait museum to admire the Norman Rockwell collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Magazine covers, ad campaigns (most notably for General Electric), charcoal sketches and paintings. I had no idea! I definitely had a favorite – the emotion he could evoke in his work was occasionally startling. Treated myself to an incredible Greek/Lebanese lunch, then hopped the metro to visit with my old friend, Lee, and his wife Lil. What’s next??