Washington, DC 6/13/14

We visited the National Museum of the American Indian in the morning,...

and saw the interior ceiling of the entryway,...

as well as a Yup'ik Indian mask, c 1905,...

a painted buffalo-hide shield, c 1850,...

a carved mask from British Columbia, c 1880,...

a vessel from Guapiles, Costa Rica, c 800 BC-800 AD,...

a female figure from Las Mercedes, Costa Rica, c 300-800 AD,...

a gold pendant from Las Palmas, Panama, c 500-1500 AD,...

a gold necklace from Parita, Panama, c 500-1525 AD,...

a carved shell necklace from Venado Beach, Panama, c 550-700 AD,...

a vessel from Guapiles, Costa Rica, c 300-800 AD,...

a vessel from San Salvador, El Salvador, c 900-1200 AD, and...

a Maya incense burner-cover from Nebaj, Guatemala, c 250-900 AD.

In the afternoon, we visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and toured their gems and minerals where we saw...

mesolite from India,...

wulfenite from Sonora, Mexico,...

elbaite from San Diego County, California,...

and other minerals.

We ended the day at the Butterfly Pavilion where we walked through an enclosed butterfly garden while butterflies flitted all around us.