The ocean is a fascinating and foreign world which many of us have yet to explore. Ocean Hall at The National Museum Of Natural History in Washington, DC lets us explore this world.

Ocean Hall is one of many outstanding exhibits and is one of my favorites. You can enter the hall and see life size replicas of large sea creatures adorning the many cases and walls. You really need to spend a few hours to visit every display.

There are numerous interactive displays, movies, and fixed exhibits that will make you say “Wow!” while viewing. Since I love whales I was particularly fascinated by the 45 foot long model of a right whale.

You are sure to learn something about the ocean and how we explore the underwater world. Even if you don’t read any displays or watch any movies you will be impressed by the scale of the exhibits by simply walking through Ocean Hall.

Ocean Hall is located behind the rotunda housing a large elephant. After viewing Ocean Hall you will want to see the many other interesting exhibits including the fascinating and mysterious Hope Diamond.

Press play below to see a short video on my journey through Ocean Hall at The Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History.

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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Hope Diamond

Photo essay of the Right Whale

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Aircraft hanging from the cavernous hall seem ready to fly through the glass windows enclosing the exhibit. At the end of a hall in an exhibit area hang large photos of jet airplanes whose size give the appearance of being able to flying out of the picture. The National Air and Space Museum is awe inspiring and is a fitting venue for an exhibit of such a grand scale.

AirCraft : The Jet as Art is a photographic typology of jet aircraft as they are landing. Most photos taken from the vantage point of passing overhead. The most impressive photos are taken head on as if we where standing at the end of the runway and the plane was about to land on top of us.

The scale and detail of these photos are what initially impressed me. Against a white background the planes seem to jump out of the frame. The photographer Jeffrey Milstein photographed most of the aircraft near runway 24R at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Milstein’s challenge while taking these photos was to get the perfect lighting and position of the aircraft. Much research and patience was required for the capturing of these wonderful photos. To plan ahead for the picture Milstein would listen on his iPhone using an App that relays air traffic controls communications.

Milstein’s fascination with aircraft was fostered by growing up close to LAX. From his backyard he was able to build an inexpensive telescope to identify the aircraft. Later as a teenager he filmed aircraft with an 8mm movie camera at the Santa Monica AIrport. Eventually his interest in aviation grew and he obtained is private pilot certificate at the young age of 17.

The collection of 33 photographs depicts the beauty and incredible power of these large engineering wonders as they gracefully fly through the air. The exhibit is on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum until November 25, 2012. If you can’t make it to the exhibit there is a wonderful coffee table book which I highly recommend.

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Smithsonian Air And Space Museum Exhibit

Jeffrey Milstein Photographer

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The exhibit I visited is “Out Of This World : Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television” at The Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa, Florida. Out of This World brings visitors up close to the costumes worn by famous actors from some of the most successful science fiction movies and television show. This is a traveling exhibit from the EMP museum in Seattle, Washington. Enjoy the short 7 minute narrated video of my visit to the exhibit.

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Tampa Bay History Center

EMP Museum

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The Georgia Aquarium

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Moncton Museum

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The tour begins with a video setting the stage for a journey through Memphis past. Leaving the theater we enter a gallery describing the social and economic history of Memphis. Many poor share croppers migrated from the surrounding fields to the city of Memphis. Looking for jobs and a chance to rebuild after loosing all of their money and possessions during the Great Depression, many found the city to be just as challenging as the fields.

From the countryside people arrived from diverse cultures. This set the stage for a spawn of a cultural and racial revolution in the United States with much of the activity centered in Memphis.

As we wander through the exhibits, the artifacts displayed ranged from the poor share croppers to the opulent outfits of the many famous performers. The music and exhibits brought us back in time with visions of the past causing us to reflect on how fortunate we are today.

Included in the price of admission is an audio tour with a modicum of information. Each exhibit has an associated audio presentation with a musical bonus at the end. I could have spent the whole day listening to all the songs from Elvis and B.B. King to ZZ Top.

This is the first Smithsonian Museum exhibit created in conjunction with a local museum and they have done an outstanding job. With continual updated galleries and a seemingly endless list of music to be sampled during the tour, I am sure you will find your self coming back each time you visit Memphis.

Fun Facts:

This is first Museum built in association with The Smithsonian Museum.

Riley King was known as the Beal Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to B. B. King thus becoming his stage name.

Elvis wanted to change his name from Aron to the biblical name Aaron but discovered his name had been transcribed incorrectly on his birth certificate, therefore his name had always been Aaron.

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Memphis Rock N Soul Museum

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Revolutionary War New Jersey is a constantly growing and informative pictorial guide to the many important Revolutionary War historic sites in New Jersey. This is a wonderful website to begin your journey into the colonial past.

My favorite features of the Revolutionary War New Jersey website include:

1. A guide to all of the New Jersey Revolutionary War Sites.
2. Photos of each of the sites and their historic markers.
3. Directions to each of these sites using google maps.
4.A Revolutionary War Timeline including links to important New Jersey Historic Sites.

The creators of Revolutionary War New Jersey have done a wonderful job in creating and expanding this aesthetically pleasing and informative website. If you are looking to take a road trip to one of the Historic Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey I highly recommend your starting your journey by visiting Revolutionary War New Jersey.

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Revolutionary War New Jersey Website

New Jersey: Crossroads Of The American Revolution

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A crisp blue sky could be seen as I crane my neck to view the tops of the ancient trees full of green leaves. Strolling the cobblestone streets we pass Carpenters’ Hall where the First Continental Congress convened to discuss an embargo and defiance against the King of England.

Slowly walking up and down the many rows of trees we come upon a grand Greek revival building, the Merchant’s Exchange, the oldest stock exchange building in the United States. The wonderful curved building with towering columns is one of the many buildings in this proud city to house a first for the United States since this is where our independence began.

Eventually we made our way up historic Market Street full of shops and tourists, many eating cheese steak sandwiches for the first time. The new visitor center should be any visitors first stop in historic Philadelphia. Interpreters wander the halls in period costumes with exciting stories of the struggle for independence. One can be overwhelmed by the activity in the visitor center while viewing the many multimedia exhibits.

Tickets for Independence Hall are free but, if you are visiting during the summer or a holiday weekend I suggest your reserving tickets online since they sell out quickly. Unfortunately, we did not reserve tickets and all the tours where sold out for the day.

Luckily the Liberty Bell viewing area does not require a ticket but the line was quite long. The Liberty Bell exhibit building contains interesting information pertaining to the history and the long road to the Liberty Bell’s current secure location. The bell is now hanging in a viewing area with a large semicircular window overlooking Independence Hall.

Leaving the building we crossed the street to walk around Independence Hall and read the many historic markers. If you have a cell phone you can call a number and listen to a narrator speak about each of the historic sites. I enjoyed listening to the informative and entertaining narratives and felt as if I had my own virtual tour guide.

The streets surrounding the many historic sites became full of tourists and we decided it was time to move to a more subdued location. Driving back to New Jersey we stopped at Washington’s Crossing Park where George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and then marched to Trenton after defeating the Hessian troops. A visitor center located atop the bank of the Delaware River relates the story of the bitter cold winter and the struggles the troops endured while marching towards Trenton, New Jersey.

It is important to remember the reason this great country was founded and the struggles the early American’s endured to make this a free republic. I find each time I visit Independence Hall and view copies of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and The Constitution; I have a renewed patriotism and respect for those who formed the United States of America.

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Independence Visitor Center

Historic Philadelphia

Visit Philadelphia

Washington Crossing Historic Park

A variety of artists and mediums are on display and interwoven with tales of the horse and its importance to Tennessee history. Numerous farms in Tennessee provide a variety of equestrian training including thoroughbred racing to other forms of equation including hunters and dressage, best described as horse ballet.

An impressive painter of the horse, Bernard De Clavière, is currently on display in conjunction with the Romance of The Horse exhibit. One of the worlds premier animaliers, artists known for their realistic portrayal of animals, De Clavière paintings caused me to blurt “wow!” I wandered the exhibit. Not hearing the docent walk behind me, I jumped when I heard a voice over my shoulder say, “impressive isn’t it?” He then went on to explain how Clavière renown exploded world wide when the French commissioned a gift for the Queen of England, painting her mare and dog in front of their residence at Windsor Castle.

The Romance of the Horse is one of the best exhibits I have seen at the Tennessee History Museum. It will take up to an hour to view the exhibit and if you visit the entire history museum give yourself at least two hours.

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Bernard de Clavière : Nashville Arts Magazine

Bernard de Clavière: Animalier Extraordinaire

Romance of The Horse on View until August 22

Tennessee State Museum

Artwork by de Clavière:

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After crossing a bridge and rounding a corner my ride became smooth as I entered a paved road leading up to an old white farm house. The house is now the home of the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Slowly walking towards the building I was greeted by a friendly and excited volunteer who wanted to know if I was taking pictures of the building for posterity or if studying the trees. I told her I had been riding my bicycle on this road since the early 70′s and was excited by the recent changes especially the new visitor center.

The meticulously preserved and recently updated farm house sits on a beautiful piece of farmland. As I entered the bright foyer more volunteers greeted me and where eager to relate the natural and political history of the Great Swamp.

Who would have know this was a planned site for a large international airport. As the volunteer described the struggle of local conservationists lead by Helen Fenske I viewed the many display cases full of animal specimens and diagrams depicting the rich history of this park.

The volunteer related their many educational programs for both children and adults. The reading room contained an extensive array of books relating to the plant life, birds, and animals found in the swamp and throughout New Jersey. After buying a baseball cap in the gift shop it was time to leave the modern air conditioned building and enter the humid heat outside.

A large picnic pavilion overlooking a field and the woods of the swamp behind seems a perfect place for a relaxing afternoon lunch. I can’t wait to come back again to take pictures of the many migratory birds in this 7,700 acre wildlife refuge.

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Friends of The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife

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