Expect discounts of at least 25% on just about everything that National Geographic sells, with some books and other products discounted up to 90%.

National Geographic’s Holiday Warehouse Sale
DC Armory
2001 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 2003  (map it)
888-647-6733

Dates and Times – Friday – Sunday, November 14-16, 2008.
Hours:

• Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Admission - FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Blue and Orange line, then a 3-block walk.

Parking – free

Image – National Geographic covers _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

His organization fights the poaching of these majestic animals and helps educate the world about the lives and habits of elephants. He helped secure a global ban ivory trade and as a result, elephant populations are growing, especially around the Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya.  An estimated 5,400 African Bush elephants are suspected to live in and around the game reserve.

The article’s award-winning nature and travel writer, David Quammen, along with photographer Michael Nichols join Iain Douglas-Hamilton for a lecture and to discuss the future of Africa’s majestic elephants at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC.

Elephants of Samburu
Grosvenor Auditorium
National Geographic Society
1600 M Street, NW
Washington , D.C. 20036 (map it)
202-857-7700

Dates and Times – Tuesday, September 9, 2008 6:30 p.m.

Tickets – $25.00 with reception following, and are available online.

Nearest Metro subway station – Farragut West – Orange line, then a two block walk, or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Elephants at the waters edge, on the move

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The Grand Sushi and Saki Event – Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

• Join grand master sushi chefs as they present sustainable sushi offerings, Japanese Saki and beer selections. The tasting is immediately after a presentation by the author of  The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket, Trevor Corson. Cost – $95.00

The Master Cheese Monger’s Favorites – Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

• Foodie and author of Cheese Primer, Steve Jenkins was the first American to be inducted into the prestigious Guilde du St. Uguzon in France. He an also be heard on NPR’s The Splendid Table.  He’ll be serving up some great cheeses from around the globe, many not available in the U.S.  And what’s cheese without a nice glass of wine? Best Sellars wine stores co-founder, Joshua Wesson, will be serving a sampling of especially selected wines to pair with the cheeses. Cost – $75.00

The Italian Beer Renaissance – Thursday, May 8, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

• I’ve been drinking Italian beers for years. And I guess there’s a beer revolution in Italy. Several fine mircobreweries have opened around the country and the brews they create go far beyond traditional Euro-styles.  Join Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table for a sampling of some of Italy’s newer beers.   Cost – $75.00

National Geographic Explorers Hall 
1145 17th Street, NW, at M Street, NW
Washington, DC (map it)
202-857-7588

Tickets – Available by phone at 202-661-7585. Attendees must be 21 or over.

Nearest Metro subway station – Farragut West – Orange line, then a two block walk.

Images – Flickr: beer coasters, cheese, sushi. 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

While Christopher Columbus used a fleet consisting of just three ships and just over 100 men to cross the Atlantic, Zheng’s mostly unknown voyages in the early part of the 1400s included fleets of up to 300 ships, requiring crews of up to 27,000 men.

In contrast to the ships in the Columbus fleet, which were all less than 60 feet in length, the largest of Zheng’s ships were somewhere between 400 and 600 feet.

His voyages covered vast areas of the Indian Ocean and included stops throughout Southeast Asia, India, Persia (Iran), Arabia and the Red Sea. His traveles also included areas of southeast Africa as far as Mozambique.  There is speculation that he led his ships around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa as well.

It’s been proposed that Zheng’s fleet may have traveled as far as North and South America, leaving settlers behind as far as eastern Canada. 
 
The book, Seven Voyages of Sindbad, is potentiall based on accounts by sailors who traveled on Zheng’s seven voyages.

You can learn more about the voyages and life of Zheng He at the lecture and photo presentation by Michael Yamashita at the National Geographic Masters of Photography Series – The Epic Voyages of Zheng He.

Yamashita, a regular contributor to National Geographic and author is also an award-winning photographer.

He has written books on Zheng He and Marco Polo. His recent book, Zheng He, Discovery, details the travel of Zheng He by retracing each of his journeys. 

National Geographic Masters of Photography Series – The Epic Voyages of Zheng He
The Grosvenor Auditorium
National Geographic Society Headquarters
1600 M Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
202-857-7700 – Press “2″ for tickets

Date
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
7:30 p.m.

Tickets
Adults: $17.00, children: $8.50

Nearest Metro Stop
Farragut West – Blue Line, approximately a 4-block walk

Photo credit: Zheng portrait – Zheng Institute

Post from: The DC Traveler