1. Get in the front of the depression-era Bread Line at the FDR Memorial for a great photo op.

2. Pose for a Springtime photo overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument from the tulip beds next to the Iwo Jima Memorial. The location is actually in front of the Netherlands Carillon tower, just a short walk from the Iwo Memorial.  Tulips bloom in April and May and the location offers a great view of the National Mall.

3. Pick a sunny day with blue skies for a photo at the U.S. Air Force Memorial, overlooking the Pentagon and planes landing at Reagan National Airport.

4. Enjoy the beauty of nature during the annual blooming of the lotus flowers at Kenilworth Gardens.  Lotus and lilies bloom all summer, starting in late June and make a great location for a portrait or family photo.

5. Visit one of the prettiest waterfalls on the East Coast, at Great Falls National Park.  Climb the rocks and smile for a picture post card photo as the water rushes over the falls in the background.

6. Hold the Washington Monument in your hand. No, not by purchasing a desktop souvenir. From the base of the Lincoln Memorial, stand with your back to the Reflecting Poll and the Washington Monument, hold out your hand, palm up and have the person taking the photo position your hand at the base of the memorial.  It makes for a fun and memorable photo.

7. Pose next to one of the World’s Largest Chairs, all 19½ feet of it.  Built in 1958, chair was created by the Bassett Furniture Co. for a local Anacostia furniture retailer.  After the original wooden chair decayed beyond repair, it was replaced in 2006, with an replica made from aluminum.  It’s located at 2101 Martin Luther King Ave. SE, in Washington, DC.

8. Most people who visit the White House, take photos from the picturesque South Lawn.  But along the fence at the front of the White House, on Pennsylvania Ave, between East and West Executive Avenues, there are usually a couple vendors with life sized cut-outs of the President and other political figures (Bill Clinton, Hillary, etc.). For just a few bucks, you can pose with the President or one of the other cut-outs at the fence overlooking the White House. 

Opt to use your camera and take your own photo, as the Polaroid’s the vendors offer aren’t the best quality, plus using your camera is usually cheaper.    

9. Have your photo taken in front of the Capitol Building columns.  The picturesque original Capitol Building columns that were relocated to a hill at the National Arboretum in 1984.

10. Exercise your First Amendment right to assemble peaceably and join in on one of the many protest marches or rallies that occur somewhere around the National Mall just about every weekend.  Just ask one of the protesters to borrow a sign and smile while someone takes your photo.  The cause doesn’t really matter – it’s all about the photo op and saying “I was there!!” 

Where’s your favorite place for an alternative photo in DC?  Just leave a comment to share your favorite place.

Images – Flickr – Chair & Santa,  all others from personal collection, © 2008 – Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The new 270 foot stainless steel memorial honors the millions of men and women who have served in the U.S. Air Force and its predecessor organizations, such as the Army Air Corps and Army Air Force, as well as to the 54,000 service personnel who have been killed in action. 

Located adjacent to Arlington Cemetery, it overlooks Washington DC, the Potomac River and the Pentagon. It’s clearly visible from many places in Washington DC and is now part of DC’s (actually suburban Northern Virginia’s) skyline.

It’s the only monument in the Washington DC area honoring the Air Force.

According to the Air Force Memorial Foundation’s website, the three spires are intended to “invoke flight and the flying spirit” and “represent the three core Air Force values of – integrity first, service before self, and excellence”. 

The $30 million memorial also includes a Runway to Glory, a glass “Missing Man” Contemplation Wall, which honors airmen and women who died in service to their country, as well as a bronze Air Force Honor Guard statute. 

The original planned location for the memorial was about 200 meters from the Marines (Iwo Jima) Memorial, but was changed to its current location after much controversy and protests from the Marines about its proximity to the Iwo Jima Memorial.  Celebrated architect James Ingo Freed, also the designer of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Ronald Reagan building in DC, designed the new memorial.

The Air Force Memorial is located just off Interstate 395 just south of Arlington National Cemetery and a bit west of the Pentagon in suburban Arlington.

U.S. Air Force Memorial
One Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, VA, 22211.

Directions
While the online map services have yet to add the memorial’s address to their database, here are direction from DC (source: U.S. Air Force Memorial site).

Take I-395 South toward Virginia.  Merge onto I-395 S toward Richmond and stay on it for 2 miles. Next, take exit 8A – Washington Blvd / VA-27 West toward Ridge Rd. Take the Columbia Pike / VA-244 ramp toward Bailey’s Cross Roads.  Turn slight right onto VA-244 / Columbia Pike. The Memorial will be visible on Columbia Pike on your left.

Parking
Parking is free, but limited.

Tickets
No admission is charged.

Photo credits: photo 1 flickr photo 2 flickr

Post from: The DC Traveler

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 List…. (in no particular order):

1.  The U.S. Capitol
2.  The Washington Monument
3.  The White House
4.  The Smithsonian Institute Museums – all 15 of the DC area museums – here’s a link to an article on just one of the museums, the new Air & Space Museum near Dulles airport by my friend Mary Jo who writes Fly Away Café.
5.  Lincoln Memorial
6.  Jefferson Memorial
7.  Arlington Cemetery
8.  Vietnam Veterans Memorial
9.  National Archives
10.  National World War II Memorial
11.  The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
12.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
13.  Library of Congress
14.  Korean War Veterans Memorial
15.  George Washington’s Mount Vernon
16.  The National Zoo
17.  Ford’s Theater
18.  Washington National Cathedral
19.  The International Spy Museum
20.  Great Falls National Park
21.  The Reflecting Pool on The National Mall
22.  Bureau of Engraving and Printing
23.  The Pentagon
24.  The Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial)
25.  The many wonderful DC restaurants

Okay…It’s obvious I wasn’t able to keep my must-see tourist attractions list to only ten places. In fact, it was impossible to keep it under twenty.   I think that demonstrates that there is so much to see and do in Washington DC. Plus, my list only covers the most popular tourist attractions.

There’s so much more to do – music, events, festivals, sports, the arts…and then there’s the food. Washington DC’s rich and culturally diverse population makes it one of the easiest cities in the U.S. to great restaurants serving fantastic foods from around the world.

Care to add to my Top Ten List?  Post your additions now!  Simply click on the “No Comments/Comments” link at the bottom of the article or click on the main title of this article and leave your comments at the bottom.

Post from: The DC Traveler