Going to the National Gallery of Art ("NGA") in Washington, D.C. is always a wonderful experience. In the early 1970s, our school was given the opportunity to see the "Mona Lisa". I want to say that the late J. Carter Brown spoke. The children (and their teacher) were enthralled with his talk. Subsequent visits included surveys of Van Gogh and John Singer Sargent that moved me to tears.

I recently joined a friend and art colleague to see "Faking It". As early as the 1840s, the first photographers were inking in the skies on their landscape negatives. Whatever paper and/or chemicals they used gave skies unwanted "debris".

Driving from southern Anne Arundel County in Md., I took the Suitland Parkway off of rte. 4 (it becomes Pennsylvania Avenue). I stayed left once in D.C. and went through a little underpass. You can stay to the right but you end up having to get back into the traffic that goes through the underpass! Keeping far right takes you to 395 which is another option for downtown D.C.

Anyhow, my goal is to park right at the gallery. I worked my way to 4th St NW and took a left on Madison. This street is right in front of NGA and has free parking. Nothing there so I turned right on 7th St. NW and found 2-hour meters available. I used a credit card for the meter. I may need correction but I think it was $4 for 2 hours. Great that it was at the west end door and on the same end and level as the exhibit, cafeteria and large gift shop!

It took us almost 2 hours to look at all of photos and to read most of the accompanying text. I think you'd be amazed at what the early photographers managed and agree that they would have LOVED digital. At this point, I went back to the car and feed quarters into the meter for another 2 hours. I used coins as I didn't know if the meter would "remember" my card and "say" 'Find another spot"!

NGA was offering an English buffet ($20!) that included Ploughman's plate, Beef Pasty, Bubble and Squeak, Peas salad, Barley and something salad, Carrots and Parsnips in a Sauce, and Cherry Sherry Trifle for dessert. It was very good.

We shopped and looked a little more and I left around 1:30. Glad to have done so as a couple of the traffic lights on Suitland Pkwy. were backing up. Also, please try to avoid driving in the area around the Capitol and Supreme Court. People more important than you and I get in and out of taxi cabs where ever they want. The goal is to get to South Capitol St. as it becomes the road to get to Suitland Pkwy. (watch signs).

If you are interested in including NGA and this exhibit, please check the link below. It runs through May 5, 2013.

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/faking.shtm