The DC Traveler

Mousetrap Lighter, the world will beat a path to your door.
In 1932, George Blaisdell took a cumbersome, flimsily-built and unsightly Austrian cigarette lighter and reworked it by adding a hinged metal case. The new lighter could be operated with one hand and the chiminey design protected the flame in windy conditions. The following year, Blaisdell created the first Zippo lighter.

Charging $1.95 for his lighter, the Zippo carried an unconditional lifetime guarantee and was marketed using the using the catchphrase “It works or we fix it free TM.”
In the mid-1930’s, Kendall Refining Company ordered 500 Zippo lighters with their logo printed …read more

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The highlight of this year’s annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival include:

Roots of Virginia Culture – Marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. Meet the crew of the Captain John Smith’s. Chesapeake Bay exploration reenactment boat.
The Mekong River region – With craft demonstrations, dance and musical performances, and hands-on activities, learn about the region and how the river impact Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and the Yunnan province of China.
Northern Ireland – Presenting performers, artists, storytellers, craftspeople and chefs to celebrate the Northern Irish culture.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival
National Mall
Between Constitution and Independence Avenues, and 7th …read more

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Hopefully you have noticed the new format and template of The DC Traveler.
Thanks to the b5media design team for their great work.
Also, special thanks to Holli at New Moon Designs, a great design, marketing, PR and communications firm for developing the new icon.
I’d love to hear any feedback you might have regarding the new look of The DC Traveler. Feel free to e-mail me at jon@b5media.com or simply leave a comment.
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June is National Steakhouse Month and DC has its share of great steak houses (at least 22 just in the District). Some of the more popular include The Palm, Morton’s, Charlie Palmer Steak, The Capital Grille, Fogo de Chao (for a South American steak experience), Montsouris, The Prime Rib, Ruth’s Chris and more.
But, since I love to cook, I thought I’d share one of my favorite personal steak recipes to help you turn your own kitchen into a world-famous steakhouse.
Black Pepper Gorgonzola Filet Mignon
with Cabernet Sautéed Mushrooms (for 2)
Ingredients:

2 8-10 oz. filet mignons
3 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns
2 strips bacon
1 …read more

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Now what guy wouldn’t want to play on this Jungle Gym??

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The nation’s first drive-in movie theater opened today in 1933 in Camden, New Jersey.
Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr., chemical company magnate testing showing movine in the driveway of his home. He set up a projector in his backyard, and nailed a screen to a couple trees in the backyard. Within a year, he open the first American drive in theater.
As a kid growing up in the city of Chicago, there weren’t many drive-in theaters. In fact, within just a few miles of where I live we had some of the grand old theaters that sat upwards of 3,000 moviegoers. But I …read more

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What better way to get a jump-start on Independence Day activities than with a performance of 1776, The Musical?
Originally played on Broadway from 1969-1972 and won three Tony’s, including Best Musical, it tells the story of the period in 1776 Philadelphia, when the Second Continental Congress was drafting the Declaration of Independence.
Using actual words written at the time by the country’s founders, musical numbers and a good bit of humor, it accurately reflects the tension and precarious nature of the revolution that almost never was.
Set in the summer heat of Philadelphia, leading character including John and Abigail Adams, Ben Franklin, …read more

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For the Military History Buff … If you enjoy military history, and DC is a great place no matter what your interest, between the revolutionary war and civil was battlefields, the multiple service memorials, the Air & Space museum, to name a few. If any of these interest you, you should enjoy the Military History Carnival .
At this fun military history blog carnival, you’ll find about 16 links to military history posts, covering subjects from WWI British generals, the history of the longbow, the military service of U.S. Presidents – focusing on Richard Nixon, as well as posts about the …read more

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On the second of June in 1608, Captain John Smith along with fourteen English colonists departed the Jamestown settlement in a open 30-foot boat. Their expedition was to explore and map the Chesapeake Bay region. During the 3-month expedition, they traveled over 1,500 miles making maps of the areas traveled.
This was the first major exploration by Europeans of the bay region. Spanish explorers and settlers established colonies in the area during the previous 85 years, but had not traveled the bay extensively.
The English sailed to the area in 1607 for three major reasons; to find precious minerals, to discover a …read more

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Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!!
As a tribute to my Dad, who past away last month… Thanks Pops, for being a great “DOD” (Dear Old Dad)!

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