"A day at the museum"

I'm 54 years old. I've lived most my adult life in Alaska. Today I had and amazing experience that until today I had only seen in books of on-line. My wife and I visited the NOLA museum of Art. Located not far from where we live. Mind you now that New Orleans is New Orleans but this is still a community of a little over 300,000 souls. This museum had an amazing collection on display. Today I stood inches from Renoir, Monet, Degas, Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe..a JACKSON POLLACK!..There was a real genuine Faberge Egg..along with a mind boggling array of gold and jeweled cigarette cases, mini eggs, all types of royal bric and brac(Tzar Nicholas was stinking,stupid rich) The galleries took you thru Dutch, Italian, French and German painters that have spanned the last 1000 years or so. It was amazing to me to stand so close as to see the texture of the last brush stroke the master left. What I found so cool is none of these Master pieces weren't roped off,behind glass cases (well the Tzar's stuff was) they were just sitting there hanging on the wall.I walked into one gallery where they had very large painting of both Marie Antoinette and Louis the 17th. Marie's painting was on a slightly raised platform with two original chairs from the period. My first impression was to take a seat and get a pic(there was a little sign asking you not to) all very public assessable. I stood there being transfixed by the Jackson Pollack and realized I haven't lived or seen much. They were doing a large display of Disney stuff. It was very cool to see original pencil sketches of Snow White, The Little Mermaid etc. We went thru a section that featured class and pottery. Allison said she was struck by the fact they had "class" bottles that dated back several centuries BC. For a city this small to have a museum of this quality...unreal..That place will deserve a "come back"....the adventure continues.....live well..and PAINT!