The White House and American History Museum

Today was all about 'merica!  We had a lazy start and had lunch to begin the day.  We then walked down to the ellipse in front of the White House to get the requisite photo.  Italy has the gelato police, DC has the pedestrian path police: "stay on the path, sir".  We picked up an historic guide to the White House and the DVD that was being shown at the visitor's centre.

This is my actual photo - I'd say a picture-perfect day!

Next on the list was the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History.  

I really only wanted to see two exhibits, "Food: Transforming the American Table, 1950 - 2000" and the First Ladies.  Both were very well done.  

The Food exhibit had Julia Child's Kitchen (the only replicated items were the floor and the plastic fruit, everything else was from her kitchen).  

Part of Julia's kitchen.

In addition the exhibit showed trends and progress over the last 60 or so years.  There were some items there that you might remember:

 McDLT keeps the hot side hot and the cool side cool

If you look closely, Steve continues his trend of dressing for the museums we are visiting..., this time he matches the sriracha sauce bottle behind the hello kitty lunch box.

The First Ladies exhibit was tastefully done.  The dress that Michelle Obama wore to the inauguration looked much better on her than on the mannequin.  I was surprised at the size of some of their dresses.

Jacqueline Kennedy's state dinner dress from 1961and her costume pearl necklace.

Mamie Eisenhower's evening gown, purse and shoes from a 1957 state dinner.

The presidential china sets were beautiful, my favourites were Bess Wallace Truman's:

And Lady Bird Johnston's: