After many years of wanting to visit our nation’s capital, I’m finally here. Though it is only a small detour on an infinitely more important journey, I try to make the most of my time here. Knowing the Smithsonian Museums don’t open until 10 am, I take the opportunity to walk around our nation’s capitol building. It is a magnificent site, both visually and in the role it plays to our foundation of government.
As I make my way around to the east side, I see the Supreme Court and have to go take a look. The sky is dark and it’s starting to mist. I continue on around and head for the Smithsonian Museum of American Indians.
While I had really hoped for a celebration of a defeated, yet forever-surviving people, what I found was more of a history book on the struggle between Native Americans and the white man. I feel shame for what my ancestors did to these honorable people, and I yet I am disappointed at the exhibits here.
Moving on to the Museum of Air and Space, I am excited to see several aircraft hanging from the rafters, one of which I hear incorrectly described as the SR-71 Blackbird. The facility is full of models and real aircraft. For me the highlights are the original Wright Flyer, a replica of the Hubble Space Telescope (actual size), and a Mars rover. Far better than the last museum, this one celebrates its subject matter.
A quick walk to the other side of the mall puts me in front of the Museum of Natural History. This may be the mother of all the Smithsonian Museums. Fossils, dinosaur skeletons, amazing mineral formations, “Lucy”, Roman mosaics, and the Hope Diamond are but a few of the amazing exhibits here. After a couple of hours, I've seen a good chunk of the content and decide to move on.
Next Stop, the Museum of American History. First thing to see inside (though pictures aren't allowed) is the one, the only, the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner – breathtaking. I remove my hat as a sign of respect. Continuing through the museum, I discover it is aimed the history of the American people, more than the American nation. One of President Lincoln’s top hats and the recovered gunship, Philadelphia, from 1776 are a couple of the highlights.
As I step outside, it seems relatively clear and so I decide to continue my hike of the National Mall. Reaching the hill, atop which sits the monument to the great man, the reluctant leader, and in the words of King George of England “the greatest man living”, President and General of the Continental Armies George Washington, I can see the capitol building, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial at their respective ends of the Mall.
Making my way through the WWII Memorial and along the great mirrored pond, I head for the Lincoln Memorial. Walking up those steps to the massive temple-covered statue of our 16th president, one cannot help but be in awe. His great oratories appear on the inner walls, flanking the man that fought the final battle of the American Revolution. I turn to leave . . . humbled.
Before heading back to the hotel to rest my aching back, I stroll through the Vietnam War Memorial and suddenly feel obligated to remove my hat again in honor of the thousands of men whose names are forever remembered on these cold, black plates for sacrificing their lives for the ideas of this great nation.
In order to reach this trail, one must leave the main area of the park and re-enter from the southeast corner of Lassen. After a scenic drive and a small area of off-roading (glad I have this jeep), I finally reach the trail head In fact, there are a number of trails starting at his one spot. As it is getting late in the day, I’ll have to settle for just one on this visit to the park.
The early parts of the trail are marked by horse droppings and planked walkways over marshy areas, as the trail weaves between forest and grassy meadows. At one point about three-quarters of a mile in, a stone and earth stairway makes a descent a bit easier. Leaving the woods for a short time, it’s finally time to cross the last section of grassy meadow before the final push to Devil’s Kitchen.
Another mile or so and a hint of sulfur is picked up by my nose, while I admire some young sequoias. Of course by “young”, I mean their trunks are less than ten feet in diameter. As I reach the top of a small rise and cross a wooden bridge over a small creek, sulfur again fills the air and I can see a number of steam vents in the distance.
The trail meanders among a number of hot springs; some active, some not – and steam vents. To take all of it in is truly amazing. The geothermal heat just below the surface must be extraordinary to create an area of activity this large.
As I reach a sort of hot spring valley on the western end of the area, I notice a small stream of super-heated mud, which looks like liquid silver, breaking towards and eventually joining with the creek. Truly an amazing site to behold.
After thoroughly exploring the area, I decide to make my way back to the jeep. Along the way, I hear some clawing sounds in the distance. Looking over my left shoulder, I see a young bear, by its size and coloration, a grizzly, tearing into the trunk of a fallen tree. With events unfolding in my personal life, I wonder if this might be my spirit guide. If so, her message to me must be “determination”, as she barely notices me while working at her tree trunk. I take a couple of snapshots and turn to go, pondering the meaning of my chance encounter.
