Crash Course in History in Washington DC

I love the Smithsonian museums. To have such a diverse collection of artifacts in one place, and free to the public, is unbelievable to me. My journal focuses mainly on museums because they were the most interesting and fun things I could do. My favorite was the Air and Space Museum. I spent 2 days in the Mall location and 1 day at the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. The collection of air and spacecraft is mind-boggling and fascinating. If it is a nice day, bring a lunch and spend it going through the museums and memorials on the Mall. I did this even though it was 30°F out, and I had a great time!

Quick Tips:

If you go to one of the Smithsonian museums, take a tour! Most give tours at 10:30am (shortly after opening) and 1pm. Our tour at the Udvar-Hazy Center was topnotch, personal, and made the museum meaningful. The Freer Art Gallery gives tours at 11:30am (of the Whistler Collection) and 12:30pm (museum). The Smithsonian brochure is not unique to each museum, and a tour will make your visit more interesting and educational.

Best Way To Get Around:

Metro, Metro, Metro!!! Renting a car in D.C. is expensive and pointless, as you are hard-pressed to find a place to park. Riding the Metro, however, is convenient and inexpensive. Every major sight in the city is near a Metro stop. Buy a card for to ahead of time to save yourself the trouble of buying a fare ticket each time you ride. Fares are .30-plus (more during rush hour or for long distances). Otherwise, walk! The city is large, but the major Mall destinations, museums, and memorials are within walking distance.

Eastern Market is a well-hidden gem in the Capitol Hill area of Washington DC. I had not heard of this open-air flea market, craft fair, farmer’s market, and brunch spot, but apparently the locals had!

The Eastern Market is located at 7th Street and North Carolina Avenue SE, near the Eastern Market metro stop on the blue and orange lines. Once you exit the metro, follow the signs to this delicious Washington Staple.

The market was originally built in 1873, and is the oldest market in continuous operation in Washington. It features a farmer’s market Saturdays and Sundays through the year, from about 10am to 5pm (though sometimes they close up early). We found delicious apples from local growers, green beans, squash, beautiful flowers, and loads of tomatoes. In addition, the market also features a flea market (lots of furniture and overpriced vintage linens) and a crafts fair. Skip the flea market if you run out of time, but check out some of the handmade jewelry at the crafts booth. I was very impressed by the craftsmanship of some of the pieces. Local artists also exhibit here, showing off their work.

Inside the market is really what draws people here for breakfast on the weekends. To the layman, it’s a stack of hot blueberry buckwheat pancakes, but to the line cooks that whip up brunch for hundreds, they’re called "bluebucks." You can also get a "Brick"-egg, cheese, potato, and sausage sandwich, or the delectable crabcakes. I chose regular buckwheat pancakes with real maple syrup, and they were delicious, as were the seasonsed homefries. Skip the pecan topping-it is just chopped pecans, not candied or sweetened. My breakfast was the highlight of my trip and kept me full all day, supplemented by the fresh apple slices I tried in the farmer’s market. The market is also open for lunch through the week and serves up sandwiches, fresh fish, and its famous crabcakes among other choices. Breakfast starts at 8am each day.

This is a great spot to bring the family for a Sunday brunch. Be sure to get here early, as a long line forms for the bluebucks breakfast. Expect to pay about $5 for breakfast, $1 for any sides, and another $1 for a drink. If you are visiting the area, stop at the Farmer’s Market to pick up some produce, fresh bread, and sweets for a welcome change from fast food and hotel dinners. Or bring your dog and a date to pick out some flowers and have a lovely brunch. Whatever you do, check out Eastern Market!

The National Air and Space Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institute, was by far my favorite part of Washington, D.C.! I loved it so much that I went twice within my 3-day vacation, and I plan on going again soon.

The NASM is the most popular of the museums on the National Mall, although it is spacious enough that you don’t feel crowded in the exhibits (unlike the NMAI--please see my other entry). I arrived first on a rainy Friday afternoon around 3:30pm and ran into several school groups. But once I entered the museum, I was able to walk around at my own pace and did not feel crowded.

The museum is divided into two wings, one primarily dedicated to aviation and the second to space. I spent my first day among the rockets, satellites, and lunar modules that grace the lobby. You can see the spaceship Columbia, in which the Apollo 11 crew returned from the moon! For me, it was absolutely amazing to walk among these objects and think, "These have been in space!" Exhibits in this wing cover all aspects of space: early astronomers, planets and stars, early space flight, satellites, and the space race.

I returned to the NASM on the last day of my trip because I had seen less than half of the museum--and never even entered the aviation wing. My father and I started our trip by going through the Flight Simulator on the first floor ($6.50). We were strapped into a simulator and were able to duck, roll, and spin just like real fighters. You do go upside down in this must-see ride, but it can be tamed down for young children.

From there, we went through the Wright Brothers exhibit and learned how these former bicycle makers jump-started aviation. The original Flyer is also on display--it is hard to imagine this flew once you see it up close. Exhibits here teach the basic principles of flight and follow the aviation boom (think Lindbergh, Earhart) to the First and Second World War fighter planes. See planes that flew around the world and in many of our wars.

Finally, my dad and I were hungry, so we ran to the food court to eat. While it looks cool, the prices are sky high! Expect to spend at least $8 bucks a person on the bare-bones Donato’s, Boston Market, or McDonald’s fare. I guess if you don’t have to pay for the museum, you can spend more on lunch. But if you have the time, find food outside to save money. Tip: The small ice-cream cones are huge and are only $1!

If you can only go to one Smithsonian on your trip, pick the NASM, and plan on spending the better part of a day here. With 24 exhibits, plus dozens of real planes and spaceships throughout the museum, there is something for everyone.
Hours: 10am-5:30pm every day but Christmas
Web: NASM
Metro: L'Enfant Plaza
Cost: FREE!

The National Museum of the American Indian is the newest addition to the Smithsonian Institute. It opened less than a month before our visit. We arrived at the museum early Sunday morning to avoid the lines. While admission is free, timed admission passes may be required for entry. The museum is so popular that these passes were in use every day for the first month and are now used when the entry wait is more than an hour. Visitors and groups can reserve passes in advance. For more details, see .

The front desk offers two brochures on the museum (map and guide), but neither is helpful in navigating the museum. Visitors are instructed to start at the fourth floor and work down, beginning with a movie Who We Are. The line was too long, so we started with a few exhibits on the top level. One case features a novel computer interface to display information on a particular artifact. Touch the object on the screen you want to learn about and the origin and age of the arrowhead pops up. This database also links to objects in the collections. Unfortunately, only one or two people can see the screen at a time, so it is not much use when the museum is crowded (as it was when we visited). Another large exhibit follows the American Indian’s roots from South and Central America. This exhibit was hard to get around, as each tribe had a small inlet of the exhibit. You walk in, look around, and get trapped by more people walking in behind you. Few explanatory signs detailed what was in each exhibit.

On the third level was an exhibit detailing the life of the American Indian now: blood profiling, casinos, loss of land, and joblessness. It made the struggles of the American Indian to retain their culture and traditions in today’s society very real. Surprisingly, the issue of casinos was given very little attention. One thing that bothered me about this exhibit, as well as the rest, is that it told me about the problems American Indians face, but it didn’t tell me what to do about them. I left feeling aware of the destruction of their culture, but very helpless as to what to do next.

Overall, I was disappointed in this museum. I’ve been to the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, and the Eiteljorg here in Indianapolis; both are art museums, but focus a great deal on the lives of the Indians each represents. Both are excellently signed and have many documents available for tours and questions. The NMAI left a lot of questions unanswered, and I didn’t see the people or resources to answer them. It was also extremely busy. I can attribute a lot of this to its recent opening and hope that it will develop more as a museum in the future.
Hours: 10am-5:30pm every day but Christmas
Cost: FREE!
Metro: L’Enfant Plaza
Web:

One thing I noticed while traveling in Washington DC is how green the town is. I got my first taste of the Mt. Vernon Trail as soon as I landed at Reagan National Airport (DCA). My father bypassed the airport metro stop and walked me through the parking garage, up a bridge, and voila! I was on the trail.

The Mt. Vernon Trail begins at Roosevelt Island on the Potomac, a popular recreation destination with many running trails. From there, it follows the river down and you run right by Arlington Cemetery, near the Pentagon, and right by the airport. If you have some time, or an afternoon with a picnic lunch, stop at Gravelly Point. This small inlet is just at the north end of the airport’s runway, and the incoming planes fly right over your head. My dad stopped us here on our morning run-the planes look like they might crash right into you! In the summer, this spot is very popular with families who bring picnic lunches to catch the planes overhead. It’s definitely worth a look!

If you continue south, keep an eye out for the Jones Point Lighthouse, the Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove, and the Navy-Marine Memorial. Farther down is historic Alexandria, a former shipping port, with its hip shopping/eating district on King Street. The trail winds up after 18 miles in Mt. Vernon, once home to George Washington.

As the trail is paved, it is extremely popular with cyclists and runners, so if you are just walking, keep an eye out for others. There are several tunnels and bridges near the airport, so keep an especially watchful eye here. For a detailed map and a good description of the trail, check out http://bikewashington.org/trails/vernon/vernon.htm. This site also lists additional nearby trails that can make your bike or run even longer.

While most tourists to Washington take in the Smithsonian, the Mall, and memorials, it is easy to fit the Mt. Vernon Trail into your itinerary. For example, if you are staying in Pentagon City or Crystal City, it is a short 15-minute walk from the airport via the trail. Or take a break from the National Mall. Roosevelt Island is near the Rosslyn metro stop and the Lincoln Memorial. Grab the kids, a Frisbee, and a bite to eat and walk a mile or two down the trail to the Arlington National Cemetery.

The trail is free, open, paved, and fairly safe. The area near the airport and Pentagon is heavily patrolled by several police forces, and for the most part, the trail is lit. But use common sense and use the trail only during daylight hours.

Typical distances:
Roosevelt Island to Pentagon City, 3.5 miles
Pentagon to Reagan National Airport, Gravelly Point, 1.5 miles
Pentagon to Alexandria, 5 miles
Alexandria to Mt. Vernon, 10 miles

I saw a movie preview the other day for a blockbuster hit in which a treasure map is printed on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Having recently seen this document at the National Archives, I know first hand this is not true. In fact, the Archives have a photo of the actual back of the Declaration available on their extensive website, www.archives.gov.

The major draw of the National Archives is the aforementioned Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. All three are on display in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in a brand new, high-tech display case. The new glass cases took over 5 years to design and contains argon, which does not react with the centuries-old parchment. An excellent 18-minute video explains the significance of the documents, how they were originally handled through the Revolution (hung in direct sunlight! gasp!), and the preservation techniques currently in place. Until the new cases were built, the national treasures were removed each night into bunkers built to withstand an earthquake or nuclear blast. How’s that for preservation!

Having recently been to Philadelphia and having visited Constitution Hall, the birthplace of the Declaration, I was very excited to see them in person. I was shocked to see the condition of this treasures-no fault of the archives, but the writing so clear in 1776 has faded almost beyond recognition now. It pained me to think my grandchildren may see nothing but blank parchment (if not for the trusty argon-infused cases!)

When you enter the Rotunda, there are more documents on display than just the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Preceding the Charters of Freedom are several documents that influenced their creation. Following are several documents that used them for interpretation, such as amendments, speeches by Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., and more.

The National Archives has just undergone an extensive remodeling, so several new exhibits were not yet open on our visit. The Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery will house an exhibit of candid photographs of our nation’s presidents. The Public Vaults will contain many original documents, pictures, photographs, and drawings crucial to the development of our country, scheduled to open November 12, 2004. Finally, the McGowan Theater plays the Preserving the Charters of Freedom film every 30 minutes, but also has many special presentations open to the public.

If you are planning a visit to the National Archives, check out their excellent website ahead of time for special events, exhibits, presentations, and to gather some background information before you go. Their website really is outstanding and can only add to the experience. The archives also has a research center-check the website for more info.

Hours:10am to 5:30pm everyday except Dec. 25 (Café closed Sundays)
Cost: See these priceless treasures for FREE!
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial (7th and Constitution, one block off the north side of the Mall)
Web:www.archives.gov

For an evening out, no place is better than Adams Morgan. This culturally diverse neighborhood is now one of the hippest areas of Washington, with dozens of small, ethnic restaurants, art galleries, clubs, and bars.

On my recent trip, I met up with a few friends and we took a cab from Georgetown to Adams Morgan, which cost about $15. Parking is almost impossible to find there- we once drove around for an hour without finding a space or a garage (expect to pay $20 if you do). You can take the metro to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle, but you still have to walk 15 minutes to get to the heart of the area. And remember, the metro stops at midnight Fridays, but runs until 3am on Saturday night.

On this recent trip, we went to two bars. I didn’t create separate entries for them because neither was stellar or particularly different than the other. As a bonus for the indistinguishable atmosphere, neither had a cover charge. We began at Brass Monkey (2317 18th St. NW) and had a few drinks in this laid-back addition to the restaurant downstairs. Drinks here were only $4, very reasonable considering the area. The bar also had lots of cushy chairs, couches, and tables on which to sit and relax. Rock and pop music played through the bar, but no one was dancing. Dress was fairly casual-jeans were the norm.

Next we went to Tom-Tom’s just up the street. This was much more of a dance club than our previous bar. The downstairs is dance heavy-hip-hop, rap, dance, although the DJ is easily bribed to play whatever you want. It gets crowded and the bathroom is on this floor so plan ahead. Upstairs is a little more laidback, with some chairs and a bar, although it got very crowded by the end of the night. Also, watch out for the crazy guys playing original Nintendo-they get a little out of hand. Drinks were still fairly cheap at about $4.50. There was no dress code other than jeans, and no sign of any food or grill at this bar.

But you don’t really need bar food at Adams Morgan because Jumbo Pizza places cover every square inch of the street. At my university, the post-bar food was a hotdog or a burrito as big as your head. Here, apparently it is the $3 slice of pizza that takes up two entire paper plates. Lines form around the street, and in fact, everyone seems to be eating a slice in the street. This is not the food for the health conscious-you have a choice of cheese or pepperoni, grease or extra grease. But for $3, you get practically an entire pizza!!

Despite the typical bar scene, I really enjoyed Adams Morgan at night. We had a lot of fun on our way home just people watching those who had also been out all night.

I got to the Museum of Natural History even before it opened so I could take a tour of the museum. I had been there before, briefly, but wanted an inside look at the many (seemingly unconnected) exhibits. Unfortunately, because of the inauguration and snowstorm, there was no guide to give me a tour. Undaunted, I went to the more interesting exhibits in the museum and grabbed a bite to eat before moving onto the Mall.

I started in the Gemstones exhibit, where natural and cut versions of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and other crystals are on display. Most notably is the Hope Diamond, one of the most recognizable gems in the world and also one of the most precious. Harry Winston purchased it and several other jewels in this collection and donated it to the Smithsonian to start a National Gem Collection.

I also went to the new Orchid Express exhibit, which replaced the Baseball in America exhibit. While the orchids on display were stunning, I didn't understand the connection to the trains running through. There was also a lack of interpretation in my opinion, leaving the thousands of individual orchid types without explanation.

Two photographic exhibits caught my eye. One was the Nature's Best contest winners on the ground floor. The elevator operator told me to check out the owl on the end - the cutest thing you'd ever seen he said. These photos were submitted to the Nature's Best contest, the largest in North America. Or so a gentleman informed me as he passed by. Turns out that one of his photos was a winner! I guess he had come to see it on display with many others - his was of the polar bears. The second exhibit was of National Geographic Portraits. Some of the magazine's most notable portraits are on display in chronological order. The most haunting, in my opinion, is their most famous - of the young woman with the amber eyes (seen below in one of my pictures).

Best of all during my visit was the free film in the auditorium. "Pale Male" is the story of a red-tailed hawk who took up residence on a Fifth Avenue building in NYC. This documentary was fully entertaining - check the website to see if it or other free films are playing during your visit.

The remainder of the museum is full of dinosaur and mammal skeletons. Most are old and dated (some of the stuffed mammals were shot by Teddy Roosevelt) and are nothing your child hasn't seen at a zoo. Check out the Orkin Insect Zoo for up-close encounters with bugs and tarantulas.

The museum is, of course, free and on the Mall near the Archives/Navy Mem. metro. The food court is expensive but has good café fare. Expect $8 a meal at the food court.

The trip to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, was worth the trip. The museum is about 40 minutes from DC, at the Dulles Airport exit off SR28. If you drive, parking is $12. A shuttle runs frequently from the Mall NASM museum for $7 a person. Make the call on which is more cost-effective and convenient for you.

The Udvar-Hazy Center has been open for just over a year, thanks to a $60 million gift from Steven F. Udvar-Hazy to offset the $330 million price tag of the building. It is housed in an enormous "hangar" near Dulles Airport and features a control tower where you can watch planes land on its runways. Most of the planes were flown in to this facility, so the proximity to an airport was crucial.

We took a tour from Curt at 10:30am, and it was the best tour I have ever been on. Our group dwindled to just my father and me, so the 1.5-hour tour stretched into a personal two-hour tour of the musuem. Curt, a retired aviator, focused mainly on the military aircraft that make up half of the collection on display. The aircraft--American, German, Russian, and Allied forces--have been painstakingly restored and put on display. See the MIG15 up against its rival American fighter plane, or the difference between a Hawker Hurricane and WWI aircraft. Twenty years of innovation are immediately evident when the aircraft are next to each other. Also on display is the B-29 Enola Gay, responsible for dropping the atomic bomb during WWII. It is much larger than I expected, and our guide was able to give us history on this type of aircraft and its context in the war, as well as history of the war itself.

A brand new McDonnell Space hangar is now open, featuring the Space Shuttle Enterprise, Mercury modules, and satellites. The museum hopes to continually add to this collection and develop a tour just of this part.

Commercial aircraft and stunt planes make up an additional portion of the collection, with the addition of an Air France Concorde. The museum acquired it shortly before it opened, and it was flown from Paris to Washington Dulles on a special flight to bring it in.

The museum was opened as a way to display more of the Smithsonian's collection, much of which had been in storage for several decades. It is very much a work in progress, as they are continually restoring and hanging planes. I am anxious to return in a few years to check out what has changed! When you go, take a tour! Our tour guide made an amazing difference, adding insight where we otherwise would have just seen planes. Instead, we got a history lesson to put the aircraft into perspective. Tours are at 10:30am and 1pm, but some are added hourly to accommodate guests.