The DC Traveler

Matinees at the Memorial: The U.S. Navy in Film is the new free, public film program at the U.S. Naval Heritage Center.
Their schedule includes a few classics and mostly contemporary films, but all Navy related -  fighting sailors, Navy pilots going Mach 2,  POWS, sailors on leave, women joining up, ships, planes, submarines and even a talking fish. 

August 18 – Anchors Aweigh - 11:00 a.m. - A 1945 musical comedy , staring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly on a 4-day liberty in Los Angeles. 
August 25 ― Skirts Ahoy - 11:00 a.m. - Three woman with man troubles decide to join the WAVES and …read more

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This summer is the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love”. In 1967, Hippies, revolutionaries, “peacenicks” and radicals fought against the establishment and The Man. 
 
Young people from Haight-Ashbury to the East Village were told to “Turn on, tune in, drop out”.  Hair got longer and the generation gap got wider.
Musical events helped define a generation - the New Port Jazz Fest, Woodstock, Altamont, the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock.

Social conscienceness and activatism in the 1960s and 70s stopped a war and brought about huge social change.  The evening news with Walter Cronkite or Huntley and Brinkley featured live news …read more

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On the first Saturday of each month, the elegant Ritz Carlton in Washington DC, usually in conjunction with a local embassy, hosts a sampling of food and drinks from a foreign land.
The Ritz’s chefs create three dishes (smaller portions) plus dessert along with local cocktails from the featured land. The embassy or a travel bureau also presents an informative multimedia presentation about the destination.
“Mmmm….on M Street,” takes place in the Ritz’s ritzy lobby lounge.
The schedule for the rest of the year is:

September - Swaziland - celebrate their Independence Day.
October - Austria - enjoy the traditional fun and food that’s …read more

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Today, in 1961, the Berlin wall, or at least the first blockade between East and West Berlin was erected. The following day, the Brandenburg Gate between east and west Berlin was officially closed. The Iron Curtain was quickly assembled out of barbed wire with a stone wall constructed later.
There’s a piece of the Berlin Wall on display at the Ronald Reagan Building. Click here for more details.
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Ever try kayaking? Now that the waters of the Potomac are a bit warmer, it’s a perfect time to take a class and try your luck at paddling the rapids or just drifting on the river. 
The 3-hour Basic Strokes introductory kayaking class at Piscataway Creek Kayak Center in nearby Fort Washington, MD can get you started quickly.
You’ll be introduced to the basic tools of kayaking - boat, paddles, PFDs (personal flotation devices) and other safety gear.  Then learn entering and exiting the boat, basic strokes and safety.  In no time, you’ll be ready to hit the water, in a safe and sheltered cove.

You can …read more

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Albuquerque is known for it’s annual balloon festival, but next week you can attend a local balloon festive, complete with colorful, giant hot air balloons.
You can also take a ride in one of the balloons or a vintage biplane as well (subject to availability and weather).
Besides the balloons, there’s also the flying circus air show each afternoon, which I wrote about on The DC Traveler last month. (See the old post for air show information and for directions.)
The Flying Circus Air ShowWarrenton/Fauquier (W-66) Airport on Ritchie Road Midland, VA 22728 (map it)540-439-8661
Date and Time - Sat. & Sun., August 18 & …read more

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I recently wrote about the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and thought a few more photos would illustrate how truly beautiful the park is at this time of year.
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This weekend, the earth will be bombarded by a meteor shower called the Perseid. Extra-terrestrial debris and dust particles will hit the earth’s atmosphere at 37 miles per second or 133,000 mph and burn up creating a beautiful natural light show.

The best times to watch are this weekend starting tonight (Saturday) and running through Monday, each morning between the hours of 1:00 – 5:00 a.m.  The shower may also be viewable in the evening.
I’m told the best direction in the DC area to look for the shower is toward the northeast, but the Perseid meteor shower is so wide …read more

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Once in a while the Travel & Culture Channel has a theme day and this month it was “reviews”.  The topic was left fairly open, we were asked to review something - a restaurant, a travel destination, a travel-related product, whatever.
Here’s what some of my fellow writers came up with for their “reviews”.  And thanks to Lynn at The Paris Traveler who’s hosting the review round-up. 
Since I’m in DC, lets get the politics out of the way. Alex at Sirened reviews the Democrats Running for Prez.  I’m looking forward to his review of the GOP candidates after the next Republican debate.  And is anyone fearful …read more

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If there’s one king of pop parody, it’s “Weird Al“.
From his Michael Jackson “Beat It” parody video entitled “Eat It”, to “Smells Like Nirvana”, listed on Rolling Stone’s “Top 100 Music Videos Of All Time”, Al has generated 3 Grammy Awards, 28 Gold and Platinum records, plus more than a half dozen gold videos.

Al got his start as a teenager in the 1970s by sending his homemade parody tapes to the nationally-syndicated disc jockey, Dr. Demento (who is still on the air in about 100 markets). At that time, Al was in school studding architecture and working part-time as an …read more

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