One of the great things about living in Washington, D.C. is our sweet spot location between the mountains and the shore. However, judging by the traffic on Route 50 every weekend, I think the beach "wins" by a long shot, and always has. Many of my summer memories go way back to an old hotel in Ocean City, Maryland called the Del-Mar which had a dining room, rocking chairs on the double decker porches and beds with sunken mattresses. My brother and I shared one bed which was okay except we tended to end up in the exact same space, and then a lot of kicking ensued. Remember that "I Love Lucy" episode when they all slept in a cabin by the railroad tracks? Fred and Ethel had the bunks, and Lucy had to tuck Ricky into their bed with a tight fitting sheet so they both wouldn't roll down to the middle... It was like that.
This summer you don't have to fight traffic to experience the seashore. The Building Museum has got our backs on this with its own version of "The Beach" - a 10,000 square foot space devoted to the illusion of sand, sea and light. Admission (which includes access to the entire museum) seems a bit stiff at first - $16 for adults and $13 for kids, but maybe that's because I am spoiled rotten having grown up with the Smithsonian Institution. Today, and every day, the weather at "The Beach" is 70 degrees with no chance of rain, and when you think about it, the entry fee is not much more than a movie. Plus one million translucent balls don't come cheap.
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| photo by Christine Hansen Martin |
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