I visited the Smithsonian for the first time during my high school senior trip in 1965. We were the first class to ever leave the State for our trip. We went to New York City and then Washington, DC. Until that time, I had barely been out of Indiana, so this trip was surreal to me. I was just a naive farm boy visiting the big city.

The pictures shown here were taken in 1988 with my bride. This is the trip that finally sealed my rather intense interest in U.S. history. I have read hundreds of books about the subject since then. Of course, the Smithsonian is the apex of museums. It contains artifacts from every era of our existence.

I know history is not of much interest to many citizens today, but I think everyone should visit the Smithsonian at least once in their lifetime.

(click on any picture to see a larger view)