My goal for today was simple: to visit two of the best modern art collections in DC. They are located at the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Gallery of Art. The former is part of the Smithsonian. Everyone assumes the latter is as well although it is actually separate. The two museums are located across the Mall from each other, so visiting both is very convenient. Getting there from DuPont Circle required taking the Metro. It’s widely regarded as the best subway system in the US. The stations have an early 70s futuristic architecture that looks dated by modern standards but is still much better than the rat holes that pass for the subway in most of the US. This being DC, most of the stations also contain public art exhibits. The subway is also notable ... read more

The goals for the first day were two-fold: to see contemporary art and to drive to Baltimore. The latter would take up most of the day. The art in question is at the Aldrich Museum in southwestern Conneticut. Getting there, though, entailed experiencing much of what this day would be like. The most efficient way of getting there is I-84. Tollbooth from hell I-84 in Conneticut is very much a Jeckyl and Hyde highway. The eastern half is a pleasant drive; the western half is utter hell. Before even getting there, I had to contend with the Southbridge split. Long distance travel out of Boston generally goes in one of four directions, northeast to Maine, northwest to Montreal, west to upstate New York and the Midwest, or southwest along the eastern seaboard. The last two have ... read more