Museum – Journeys 3.1

Polynesian Journeys

At the Bishop Museum, we traced the Polynesian diaspora leading to the discovery and settlement of the Hawaiian Islands around 1,000 years ago. In the planetarium we learned about their sophisticated navigation techniques which relied on the stars and other natural elements, rather than instruments.

Remembering the Pacific War

Visited the Battleship Missouri, the ship where Japan surrendered, ending World War II. My friend Dave’s father served on a sister ship, and his story tracks much of the Pacific War. He was an electrician, so we signed up for a small-group engineering tour. I was impressed by the sheer size of the vessel and the enormous network of electrical cables.

They Paved Paradise

Visited Foster Botanical Garden via city bus, where we encountered some rare trees, including one species extinct in the wild. Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi,” based on a trip to Honolulu, references Foster Garden in the lines, “They took all the trees, and put ’em in a tree museum / And charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ’em.”

“The World is Going Our Way”

Reminisced with a friend while we explored the Northwest Airlines History Center. Resisted bashing the gong while improvising the “Northwest Orient (insert the sound of a gong) Airlines” jingle. Got the inside scoop from a retired pilot who flew one of my favorites, the 747-200. Click through to hear the jingle.

A Tiny Museum

Every now and then, when out cycling, I like to take in the latest exhibit at The Smallest Museum in St. Paul. The current show is “Paint it Before you Eat it” by local artist Lisa Burke who “loves the idea of art that can fit in one’s pocket, or in an Altoid box.”