The DC Traveler

If you love horses or horseback riding, this week check out the 48th annual Washington International Horse Show. This 6-day competitive event includes dressage (ballet on horseback), barrel races, show jumpers, side saddle riding and a polo match. There’s even humorous Jack Russell terrier races. 

Over 600 horses and riders from around the world will be competing, including former Olympians and World Champions.
Tickets start at $15 for day passes and $20 for evening passes.
The Washington International Horse Show
October 24-29
Verizon Center, 601 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004 (between 6th and 7th NE) 
Hours: Event hours vary by day.
Nearest Metro subway station: Gallery Place / Chinatown (the …read more

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If you need a book for your flight home or just a great place to take a break from site sighting, there’s an interesting and funky little used bookstore in about a half mile from The Capital. 
Jim Toole, a retired navy man, took over Capitol Hill Books about 12 years ago.  With a classic dry sense of humor that he shares freely with his customers, he’s also always ready to display a rather broad knowledge of books and authors. 
His shop is literally crammed from floor to ceiling with roughly 20,000 reasonably priced used books, from first editions to more current popular …read more

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Parking in the District
Like any large city, parking can be challenging at times, but much of the city offers free or metered street parking. 
All it takes is a bit of patience and you can usually find a parking spot within a few minutes just a short walk to your destination.
 
Parking meters in most areas require payment (quarters) from 7:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. (in Georgetown and close to the Verizon Center until 10:00 p.m.). Parking tickets for expired meters are $25.00 and filling a meter multiple times throughout the day is illegal and can result in a ticket, but it does …read more

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In the heart of Georgetown, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of retail shops, offices and restaurants, is The Old Stone House. It’s the oldest building on its original site in Washington DC.
The Old Stone House is an excellent example of pre-Revolutionary Vernacular architecture.  Built in 1765 before the District was even planned as the nation’s capital; it reflects an early-American middle-class home and cabinetmaker’s workshop.
Before being purchased by the Federal government in 1953, it housed among other things, a paint store, a clock store, a haberdashery, a tavern (perhaps) and even a used car sales office.
Now furnished with period …read more

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On October 29th, the 31st annual Marine Corps Marathon will again this year be a huge event in Washington, DC. Last year almost 28,000 participants from over 50 countries and 300,000 spectators attended.
 
Witnessing the mass wave of runners starting the race, even with the two main groups using a 15-minute staggered start, is truly a spectacle.  Starting near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, runners weave their way through suburban Arlington, VA and cross over the Key Bridge into Georgetown. 
 
During the 26.2 mile route, runners pass the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lincoln, FDR, Korean, Vietnam and Jefferson memorials, …read more

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Washington DC can initially be a confusing place to get around in on foot or by car.  Understanding the basic framework of streets, avenues and circles can make traveling in DC significantly easier.  
It’s rumored that the city’s primary planner, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, designed the city to confuse potential invaders. Well, he probably succeeded in confusing at least a good portion of the tourists some 200 years later.  Once you understand the city’s grid, numbering and street naming system, getting around is fairly easy. Besides, if you’re planning on invading…you’ll first need a government permit.
General City Layout
Washington DC is a city divided …read more

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Photo Location: The 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue at W. Executive Avenue in front of the Old Executive Office Building Washington DC.
Several government agencies that make up the Executive Office of the President work in the building, including the Office of the Vice President, the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget.
The closed street, which is now a pedestrian mall in front of the building, is also used for pick-up street hockey games.
 

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Let’s try something easy on The DC Traveler – a Top Ten list of tourist sites to see when visiting Washington, DC.  Whether you’re a first time visitor to DC or have lived here all your life, it’s always fun to visit or revisit some of the District’s top tourist attractions.
So if you only have one or two days in the Washington DC area for sightseeing, I think this list covers the most popular sites to visit.
I’ll post detailed articles on all of these must-see icons and sites in the coming weeks, but here’s my Top Ten DC Must-See Attractions …read more

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Going back to the days of George Washington when the south lawn of the White House was purchased from a local tobacco farmer, it’s had a history of beautiful gardens.  President John Adams was the first to have flowers planted in the White House gardens; while President Rutherford B. Hayes was the first to have commemorative tree planted marking the nation’s centennial in 1876.  Woodrow Wilson’s wife planted the first rose garden in the west garden, which is the location of today’s famous White House Rose Garden. 
During President Kennedy’s term, he had the Rose Garden, located just steps from the …read more

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First, I’d like to start with a bit of history about the original layout and design of Washington DC.
 
As the new federal capital was being planned in the early 1790s, U.S. Army Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant, urban planner and architect, was appointed by George Washington to design the initial street plan of a Capitol or Federal City – now called Washington DC.
 
He previously served on General Washington’s staff as well as with him at Valley Forge during the infamous winter of the American Revoliution in 1777-8. He was later promoted to Major in the Corp of Engineers in 1783 due …read more

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