Census says Americans meeting at the museum

Gas stations are growing harder to find, even though -- as your wallet knows -- they're pulling in much more money.

Manufacturing, whether it's clothes or computers, continues to shed workers as America shifts to a country that sells its services and knowledge instead of its hammers and silicon wafers.

And despite America's lowbrow reputation in some quarters, museum receipts are growing at a faster pace than those for gambling casinos, golf courses and theme parks.

"There's hope for the country after all," joked Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, which represents the interests of more than 3,000 museums across the country.

The U.S. Census Bureau opened the first trough …