TWO MUSEUMS NOT TO BE MISSED

I've just returned from a sojurn on the west coast and would like to alert archaeology buffs to two terrific experiences:

In Vancouver, Canada. Don't miss the Museum of Anthropology. It's on the University of British Columbia campus. Built on a long-house replica, this is a wonderful place to understand First Nation as Canada designates them -- northwest coast cultures, including Kwakwaka'wakw, Nisga'a, Gitksan, Hida, Coast Salish to name but a few. There are wonderful resource/storage drawers of other cultures, from the Southwest to Europe as well. We arrived a little before 11:30 am, just in time for an excellent tour by an informed docent.

In San Francisco, at the just opened de Young Museum (stunning architecture) the opening show that runs until Feb. 5 is Hatshepsut: from Queen to Pharaoh. If you've not had a chance to see the wonderful statues of Hatshepsut at New York's Metropolitan Museum -- many of them are on exhibit here. Plus there are artifacts and statues from many other museums as well. A beautifully done show not to be missed if you're in the Bay area.