Beautiful! I actually didn't expect it to be so awesome but it was.

Checked out the Hatshepsut exhibit - it was alright but half way thru I got the heebie jeebies when I realized the majority of the items were collected from tombs. Yes, of course, it was mold spores that killed the people in King Tut's tomb and not a curse but I still didn't like the idea of it all.

There were a couple of paintings that really got me - the works of Chiura Obata were awesome. You've got to see it in person; he paints on silk and so the tones are incredibly soft. Frederic Edwin Church's "Rainy Season in the Tropics" is another one that has to be seen in person - it'll take your breath away. Both artists can be found in the ImageBase at www.thinker.org.

The Japanese Tea Garden is right next door and is always free the last hour of the day. I went over there after my museum visit, walked directly to my favorite bench in the world [right between the Zen Garden and the Buddhist Pagoda Tower] and contemplated life. Didn't come up with any answers...well, not yet anyway.