National Museum of African American History and Culture

From Smithsonian.com

The Smithsonian Institution has revealed the six architectural designs vying to become the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The concepts—from boxy to spiral-shaped (like the inside of a conch shell, really), geometric to organic—certainly run the gamut. And there’s no shortage of special features, like outdoor amphitheaters, panoramic windows showcasing views of other monuments and roof gardens. (See photo gallery) The designs, photographs and models are on display at the Smithsonian Castle until April 6.

You can vote for your favorite design online. Just go here. I think the design that is currently in first place (Diller Scofidio + Renfro in association with Kling Stubbins) is as ugly as sin. There's enough cement and metal on the Mall already. Check out the use of green space and embrace of nature in the design concept by Foster + Partners/URS Group, Inc. That's where I put my vote.

This is a great opportunity to have an impact on the selection of the winning design. Seize the opportunity! Just go to http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/index.php?s=nmaahc

What's An Adventurer To Do But Rest My Feet...?

When I think back on my last few weekends, I see a series of rapidly moving, blurry images of DC. It's something like
trafficjammetrohockeyfriescrowdstreetfightfriends
beerrainmetrodancepartyfriendsmetrospanishsweat
parkinglotmetrorainstormfreezingconcertrainfreezing
dancepartyindianfoodskeeballtragedymetropizzabaseball

That being my mental state, I decided to force myself to slow down. After the Pirates/Nationals game on Sunday, which the Pirates lost sadly, I decided to avoid the crowded Green Line Navy Yard stop, even though I needed to get to Greenbelt to pick up my car. I figured I'd walk to the next stop or maybe go to Union Station, get on the Red Line, and then pick the Green back up at Fort Totten. I left the Navy Yard station at 4:30pm, and headed North. I didn't really know which street to walk on, I just new that if I walked towards the Capital, I'd eventually get to where I wanted to be. I found a sweet, empty Wendy's and bought a delicious chocolate Frosty shake (wow, Wendy's has come so far since I was a kid) and started merrily on my journey. I followed some other post-game pedestrians, and eventually found a sweet walking path under 395. I was a little weary, not being familiar with the neighborhood and knowing only that I was certainly not in the best neighborhood in which to lose track of myself. However, there were a lot of other baseball folks walking, so I figured I'd go with the flow.

Eventually, I found myself strolling past the Capital, which I hadn't visited since an ACORN-led protest in 2006. I forgot what a massively beautiful building it is. It seemed even more beautiful when I blocked out my knowledge of what happens inside. So I dawdled a little there, admiring all the foreigners and tourists excitedly taking pictures of the marble dome and view of the Washington Monument from a distance. I sipped some tepid, chlorinated water from a public fountain, and continued on a beeline path for Union Station. Only when I got there, I realized it was entirely too close to the Capital. I wasn't ready to stop walking yet. By this time, it was just past 5:00, and I figured the crowds on the Green Line would have dwindled. So I headed for Chinatown.

Again, let me remind you that I didn't really know where I was going. I just knew that if I got to 7th and G, I'd be near the Metro. I'm not too good at the whole NE, NW, SE thing that is required of navigating in DC. But I do have a pretty good sense of direction, even if I don't know what the streets I am walking on should be named. So I followed my instincts and ended up exactly where I wanted to be -- directly in the middle of an intersection of at least four streets, with no sidewalks in sight. Splendid. As I raced my way across the intersection Frogger-style, I paused for a moment on a median strip. A car approached, and I thought I saw the people inside waving. "What? Friendliness to strangers in DC?" No! Of course not. It was a carload of friends. "What are you doing here?" I screamed. It would have been more appropriate for them to ask me, seeing as they were at least enclosed in a vehicle and I was a flip-flopped pedestrian on a median strip at a massive intersection. "Do you maybe need a ride?" they asked, obviously entertained at my situation. I looked around. "Actually, that building over there is where my friend lives. I'll be fine." And with that, I sprinted across the last stretch of roadway and headed to 301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, safe haven for the weary flip-flopped urban hiker.

After a half-hour chit-chat/water break, I was revived and resumed my trek, although from there it wasn't much of a journey. Within 10 minutes of leaving my friend's building, I was on a train headed to Greenbelt. But what an adventure it all was. Thanks to the sweet tools at MapMyRun. com I know my walk was just under 3 miles long. I think I passed through 3 different universes along the way. DC is one bizarrely diverse town. Pockets of this kind of people thrive amongst swaths of that kind of people. I was nearly ticketed for jay-walking by one cop and cheered on as I raced across a different street by another cop. What a strange town. It's nice to see it in the daylight at 3 miles an hour, rather than from underground at Metro-speed.