The DC Traveler

In 1912, a gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo was presented to the people of Washington, DC.  Since then, the annual cherry blossom festival has been a reminder of the bond with Japan.
For two weeks at the Kennedy Center, you can enjoy Japan Culture + Hypreculture as it explodes with over 40 performances, 450 artists, lectures, cultural events, music and dance performances, anime and more. Plus, many of the events are free. 
Some of the free events include:

Robots, robots and more robots at Robotopia Rising – Feb. 7–17, Mon. – Fri. 12:30–7:30, Sat. & Sun. 10–7:30. Free, …read more

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Love to eat? Love to try new restaurants? How about 170 possible options?
It’s time for the annual  DC Restaurant Week.
With over 170 participating restaurants, offering two and three course prix-fixe menus for seven days, what’s not to like?
An with prices at just $20.08 for lunch and $30.08 for dinner, you can try several new places as well as hit a couple old favorites, without breaking the bank. 
How about checking out Acadiana, Butterfield 9, D’Acqua, or a couple of personal favorites, Zaytinya and Mie N Yu.
Ned a place for a low cost “power-lunch”?  Try The Palm.
While some restaurants like Hook, Capital …read more

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With the New Year upon us, it’s time for many people to start living up to that New Year’s resolution of losing a few pounds. And it’s especially challenging if you frequently dine out at any of DC’s great restaurants. 
But one possible solution, courtesy of The DC Traveler, is to go out for a meal of tapas.  If you order just a plate or two at a time, not only will you have a very relaxing meal, but you’ll probably eat less, and perhaps keep at least one of your resolutions this year.
The history of tapas is clouded with many stories …read more

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I’m a huge fan of nature and animal photography and DC is a great place for attending exhibits of award-winning natural photography. 
The latest example is the 2007 Nature’s Best Photography International Awards and the National Wildlife Photography Awards competitions now showing at the National Museum of Natural History.
The top 60 award-winning photos are on display and represent 15 categories, such as wildlife, landscapes, birds, oceans, art in nature and the always a fun category — animal antics.  Most are presented in a very large format, with exceptional detail.
The winning photos are the result of the annual competition with over …read more

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The Willard Hotel has been probably the most famous unofficial center of power in U.S. history.  
President Ulysses S. Grant, a frequent visitor to the Willard Hotel, allegedly coined the term “lobbyist”, when describing running a gauntlet of political wheelers and dealers he preferred to avoid hanging out in the lobby of The Willard Hotel.  All he wanted to do was to enjoy a brandy and cigar in peace.  
In reality, the term”lobbyist” had already been around for over 40 years before Grant used it, yet he usually gets credit for it.
Another story goes that the phrase “What this country needs is a …read more

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While it may seem strange with the mild Fall weather we’ve been having, sometime during the middle of this month (hopefully the 17th)…weather permitting applies, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will be transformed from this…

To this…

The ice skating rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opens for it’s 9th year of winter family fun.  The ice rink accommodates a couple hundred skaters and is surrounded by sculptures created by many of the world’s greatest 20th-century artists such as Joan Miró, Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Calder and Roy Lichtenstein.
The rink is illuminated at night, which …read more

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In a traditional inter-service rivalry since 1890, the Army-Navy football game is one of the nations oldest football games. Usually played in Philadelphia; but this year, the classic will be played in nearby Baltimore.
And you may still be able to find tickets for the game. 

The hometown favorites are the Navy Midshipmen based in suburban Annapolis, MD.
And they hold the bragging rights, with 51 Navy wins, yet Army is only a couple historical wins behind with 49. The two teams have also tied 7 times. In recent match-ups, the Midshipmen have a strong lead, winning 8 of the last 10 games and …read more

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The fastest anyone has climbed the 897 steps to the top of the Washington Monument is 6 minutes, 42 seconds. But it’s probably best to just take the 70-second elevator ride up 550 feet to the top.
But if you have your heart set on walking it, walk-down tours are twice offered daily based on the availability of National Park Rangers, at 10:30 a.m. and Noon.
Built in honor of the first U.S. President and for his leadership in American independence, the Washington Monument opened in 1884.  But its history of construction was anything but smooth. The project took two 8-year phases of actual construction …read more

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Suburban Bethesda, MD, especially around the Woodmont Triangle boasts some great restaurants, including Black’s, Grape Seed, Centro, Persimmon, and David Craig Bethesda, plus a favorite of mine, Mon Ami Gabi, not because the food is fantastic, but their melt-in-your-mouth Steak Bordelaise with mounds of caramelized onions in a red wine sauce is pretty yummy, but because it reminds me of several places I used to hang out with in Chicago with good friends. 
At the Taste of Bethesda, you can sample food from the menus of 50 Bethesda restaurants and enjoy five stages of live music from 11:00 until 3:00 p.m.  Sadly, none …read more

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One of the nation’s greatest American presidents was Abraham Lincoln.  He is remembered mostly for preserving the Union during the Civil War, for ending slavery and for paying the ultimate price, at just the exact moment in time when the war was ending and the Nation’s healing process was beginning.

At his his Inaugural Address he stated to the South, ”You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.”  His deep commitment to save the Union, kept the country united but cost him his life.
The road to the White …read more

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