The DC Traveler

You know it’s Springtime when the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC start to bloom.  And while they are not an official DC monument, the cherry trees in full blossom are one of Washington, DC’s most prized and loved attractions.

The 2-week festival begins Saturday, March 29th and runs until Sunday, April 13th, with peak viewing some time during that two weeks.  But I recommend that, if possible, you get  down to the National Mall early (the first weekend) to view the blossoms.  Historically, DC’s spring rains and wind can often put an abrupt and early end to the show.
Historically, the average …read more

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After a five year absence, (and an additional 6-month delay), the “new” Newseum in Washington, DC is scheduled to open in its new location on April 11, 2008. 
The new 250,000-square-foot, seven-level museum dedicated to news and the press covers five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.
Visitors will be greeted by a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment when they enter the Newseum.  They can then explore the 14 main galleries covering:

News History – This gallery highlights 30,000 historic newspapers and 5 mini-theaters covering top news from the past 500 years.
World News and Front Pages – …read more

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Is there a town in America with more monuments and memorials than Washington, DC?  I doubt it.
So with so many of them, it’s easy to miss a few, so here’s a recap of Monument Monday posts from the past few months.

The Washington Monument – Just 897 steps to the top.
The Albert Einstein Monument – Brains to the power of 12.
George Washington Masonic National Memorial – The Freemasons, that mysterious group of founding-fathers.
U.S. Navy Memorial – Dedicated to the fighting sailor.
Vietnam Woman’s Memorial – the unrecognized heroes of the Vietnam War.
The Titanic – Memorializing one of the worst maritime …read more

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I was driving in Northern Virginia yesterday, at the time when the sun was just about to set over the trees and noticed this pond with some explosive colors of fall foliage.
I shot just a few seconds of video and here it is — my first mini-clip. 
This upcoming weekend will be the best time to take a drive to enjoy nature’s colorful rainbow.
And if you need an idea of where to go  for some of the best colors, check out my recommendation and a couple surprising photos from this past weekend (with more to come).

Images – courtesy of Mother Nature, special thanks to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart …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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Tango, the dramatic and romantic tango style of dance, originated in Argentina and Uruguay in the late 1800s. By combining multiple dances from European immigrants with ancient African dance forms, tango was an instant hit in South America and quickly caused a tango craze in several major European cities.
America was introduced in part by dance instructor turned actor, Rudolph Valentino, who introduced the sensual tango to film audiences.
As one of Argentina’s cultural exports, Tango Buenos Aires is probably one of the most authentic tango troupes dancing today with a rich 20 year history of dancing tango. 

Tango Buenos AiresThe Music Center at Strathmore5301 …read more

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While not as controversial as the Vietnam War, the The Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall honors the 58,000 soldiers who were killed in the war and has it’s own history of controversy.  

Six years after both the end of America’s longest war and the fall of Saigon, Congress authorized a three-acre plot of land near the Lincoln Memorial for the site of a monument dedicated to the soldiers of the Vietnam War. Over 1,400 designs were submitted, as part of a $50,000 competition. A committee of nine judges unanimously selected a design blindly by a 21 year-old architecture student of …read more

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Every year around this time, for perhaps the past four years, I’ve pledged to take a drive to enjoy the Fall colors on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. For some reason I always get detoured.  The explosion of reds, oranges and yellows in the area are truly beautiful.  I’ve driven around and even through the park a bunch of times but never on Skyline Drive, this time of year. Bad traffic, rain on the planned weekend, or some other silly excuse has kept me away. Well, no more.  This year, my time has come and my camera is ready.  …read more

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When you think of Thomas Jefferson, the name brings to mind many thoughts – Colonial legislator, member of the Continental Congress, Virginia legislator and later Governor, Minister to France, Secretary of State, Vice President and finally, from 1801 until 1809, President.  He also started the University of Virginia.

But he is probably best known for being the principal author of America most important document to date in American history, and one of the top three today, the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson was a Republican (think Republic, not the political party), and strongly supported the separation of church and state, the sovereignty of the …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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