However, yesterday we decided to embark on our first field trip of 2010. We set off in the bitter cold to the city, hoping for rock star parking and the promise of adventure of a new museum. The Newseum in DC opened this past April and is privately owned (not part of the Smithsonian Institute). Its a huge museum, 250,000 square feet with seven levels and encompasses five centures of news media. Fascinating for us...for the kids, not so much. But I think they were just so happy to be out of the house, it didn't matter where we went.
First stop, the Berlin Wall. The exhibit contains the largest display of portions of the original wall outside of Germany. It features eight concrete sections of wall, each weighing about three tons. A three-story East German guard tower that loomed near Checkpoint Charlie stands nearby as well.
We checked out the amazing Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss. Unbelieveable that he started his career at 16 years old. Absolutely gorgeous photos of athletes from all shades of life.
We took in the Woodstock exhibit, Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln's Killer, the FBI exhibit including the Unabomber’s cabin, Patty Hearst’s coat and a life size real model of the car the DC Snipers used as their shooting nest. It was hard to explain this part of the museum to the kids... hard to explain why there are crazy people in this world and how they can often look just like everyone else.
But particularly haunting and jarring was the 9/11 exhibit. I didn't realize the magnitude of what I would feel when we wandered into that part of the museum. It was so utterly silent, though filled with people. A single box of tissues sat on the wall outside of a small documentary theatre that I couldn't bring myself to go into. And a multiple story wall full of front pages of newspapers from all over the world that day...
The top of one of the World Trade Centers buildings. A twisted mass of rusty metal that seems as if its a movie prop or some massive abstract steel sculpture. Even taking a photograph of it felt wrong; like I was breaking a sacred code.
As you circle around it, chronological photographs tell the story of that day. From what started as a serene, beautiful morning of blue skies and turned into a horrendous day of death that would change the world forever. And the photos that always get to me the most... the people free falling from the burning towers to their tragic and very untimely deaths.
How do you explain any of this to your children? We didn't let the boys spend too much time in this area either. I know someday we will have to explain to them what happened that day and how the world was changed forever. I would like to go back to museum someday, no kids, and spend time focused on the photos and artifacts more instead of feeling like I needed to rush through to shield them from these images.
We tried to lighten the mood by looking at photos of all the presidents First Dogs. And, the boys had their photo taken with the News Hound (or puppy, as Logan called him).
Afterwards, we braved the icy winds and walked a few blocks to Rosa Mexicana for a feast most delicioso. Fresh guacamole prepared tableside and served in a molcajete with petite warm corn tortillas. Andrew enjoyed the Mole de Xico beef enchiladas. The mole sauce was made with raisins, plantains, hazelnuts, pine nuts and mulato, ancho and pasilla chiles. Very rich, very complex flavor and delicious. I had the grilled skirt steak tacos marinated in guajillo and pasilla chiles, garlic, cumin and black pepper with melted Chihuahua cheese. My meal came with corn esquites which is something I'm going to have to to replicate at home. It was my favorite part of the meal. And the kids loved their refried black beans and quesadillas. It was muy bueno and a great way to end our field trip into the city!
