The DC Traveler

Close to 200 unforgettable photographic images from 50 photographers, reflect the cause, struggle and changes the nation faced during the civil rights movement the tumultuous 12-year period of the 1950s and 1960s at the Smithsonian International Gallery through March 9, 2009.
The collection chronicles from the historic event of Rosa Parks being arrested for not giving up her bus seat, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination in 1968.
The Road to Freedom – Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement – 1954-1968, offers historic mages that capture the non-violent civil rights movement movement through non-violent awareness raising, the events surrounding the …read more

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Visiting the 2008 Capitol Christmas Tree located at the front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. should be a holiday tradition. 
This year’s tree, from the Sapphire Mountains of Western Montana, was originally 100 feet tall, but was cut to 73 feet.
It’s open to the public daily.
2008 Capitol Christmas Tree U.S. Capitol Building – west grounds  1 1st Street, NE, between Constitution and Independence Avenues Washington, DC  (map it).

Dates and Times – Daily through January 1, 2009
Admission – FREE
Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Center SW – Blue and Orange line, …read more

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…A day which will live in infamy.
I was walking through Arlington National Cemetery last January and happened across a headstone that caused me to freeze in my tracks.  The date first caught my eye.  Then, I realized the significance of the ship listed on the headstone.
The headstone for sailor, Gunners Mate Robert Edwin Kline, of New York, listed him as killed on December 7th, 1941, aboard the battleship USS Arizona. IThe date on the headstone was the same as the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which caused the U.S. to declare war the following day and enter …read more

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The 2008 National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC will be lit this evening, Thursday, December 4, 2008, at 5:00 p.m.  It is the last time the tree will be lit by President and First Lady Bush.  Next Christmas, President Obama will have the honors.
Tickets went fast for the event, but the grounds will be open to public 24-hours through January 1, 2009.
Besides the National Christmas Tree, visit the Pathway of Peace, with decorated Christmas trees from each of the states and U.S. territories, along with the National Yuletide Log.
The grounds are illuminated each evening from dusk until 11:00 p.m.  …read more

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Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA opened last night under the yellow and blue Grand Chapiteau at National Harbor in Washington, DC.
The only word to describe KOOZA is… AMAZING!!!
I’ve seen several Cirque du Soleil productions and KOOZA was by far, the most physical, high-energy and awe inspiring show of all. 
The audience’s reaction to the gravity defying, body contorting, magical balancing, and fearless performances resulted in at not several, but many moments during the show, of audible group gasps, screams and shrieks. The story, led by a team of very funny clowns made for a slap-stick, …read more

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Looking for some last minute ideas of things to do tomorrow on Halloween?
Here’s a recap of some of the posts on The DC Traveler of some interesting things to do both with the family and for a night of ghoulish pleasure with the adults.

Check out the always wild Nightmare on M Street and other parties for the over 21 crowd.
Shoot off some steam (and pumpkins) at the Pumpkin Cannon in Thurmont, Maryland
Take the kids to see haunted forests, spooky trails and ghoul filled forests.

Halloween not your thing? 

Check out the Gem & Jewelry Show in Timonium, Maryland
Enjoy …read more

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Besides a three corn mazes spread out over 14 acres and over 6 miles of trails, Lawyer’s Winterbrook Farms, in suburban Maryland, offers something unique…a pumpkin cannon.
Using highly compressed air, the pumpkin cannon can project a pumpkin 100 yards at a target across a field. If you prefer something a little less deadly?  Try their double-barreled apple, small gourd and corn cannon.
And if you are looking for a few other Halloween ideas, check out some of my other family-friendly recommendations for Halloween, including a 9-acre corn maze in Midland, Virginia.

Lawyer’s Winterbrook Farms 13001 …read more

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Today, I’m writing about some ideas of fun Halloween activities for kid and the family, in and around Washington, DC.
Check back tomorrow for a list of some of the fun adult activities.
There are several great places for the kids. But be careful, some may not be appropriate for the very young. Check the links for address, directions, admission prices, and days and hours, which vary by venue.

First is the always popular and usually sold out Boo at the Zoo at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Trick-or-treat along haunted trails, learn about bats spiders and other creepy and spooky …read more

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Enjoy live music surrounded by priceless pieces of art, every Sunday evening, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
These free public concerts include both classical music by famous composers, such as Beethoven, Bach and Haydn, as well as holiday and live film scores.
One notable concert is on Sunday, November 9th that includes the screening of the 1914 silent film, In the Land of the Head Hunters, together with a live orchestra to accompany the film.
The fictional documentary film entitled In the Land of the Head Hunters tells the story of the Kwakwaka’wakw people of British Columbia, Canada. Motana, …read more

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The Pentagon’s new 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on the 7th anniversary of the September 11th attack and crash of American Airlines Flight 77.

Located on the western edge of the Pentagon’s grounds, just across the Potomac River from the National Mall in Washington, DC, the site is open 24 hours-a-day to the public, it is adjacent to the original impact spot.
The 184 victims of the tragedy (59 victims on the plane and 125 died inside the Pentagon) are commemorated by a "memorial unit" or steel bench, one  for each person killed. 
A gray concrete retaining wall around …read more

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