A Trip to the Natural History Museum

The middle of February is not the best time of the year for sightseeing... and besides, Alejandro has already seen many of the places of interest in northern Ohio on previous trips.  However one place that he had not visited is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, so on Friday we ventured out into the cold and drove to the University Circle district where so many of Cleveland's cultural institutions are located.

I would not rank our Natural History Museum on the same level as our world-class art museum or our renowned orchestra.  However, it is considered a very good museum.  Its collection of gems and semi-precious stones, donated by Jeptha Wade II, the grandson of the founder of Western Union Telegraph, is one of the largest collections in the United States.  In 1974 the museum gained world-wide attention when Dr.Donald Johanson, the curator of physical anthropology, discovered in Ethiopia the skeletal remains of 3 million year old human ancestor which was nicknamed "Lucy".  "Lucy's" skeleton is on display in the museum.

A recreation of how "Lucy" would have looked. 

 Dinosaur fossils and mounted animals...

  

We also attended a show in the museum's planetarium.  The previous day the news had been announced that scientists have discovered gravitational waves.  The show included an explanation of what gravitational waves are... but, quite frankly, I didn't understand it at all.

It was a pleasant way to spend a cold winter's afternoon.