Something for all seasons in Washington, DC

One of the most beautiful sites, in my opinion, is in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom near the Jefferson Memorial. Of course, the Smithsonian is nice, too, but you really can't see the whole thing in one trip. Pick and choose your interests and concentrate on those.

Quick Tips:

1. The metro is clean, clean, clean, and easy to get around on. Bring some change or some dollar bills so that you can get your metro tickets. In some areas, it is easier to take the bus to the metro station rather than park your car, but parking is available at the outermost stops for about a day. 2. If you drive into the city, beware of the circles! They are hard to manuever, and the more experienced DC drivers will cut you off a thousand times. 3. If there isn't a metro stop close to where you want to go, it's pretty safe to walk, and there are maps everywhere to help you get around. 4. Avoid the metro during rush hours if you can. It's pretty hard to find a seat during the morning and evening crunch times.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is definitely the metro. I have never seen a transit system so nice.

As a treat, a friend suggested that we splurge one weekend and head into the city for dinner. She had heard great things about the Capitol Grille, and so I obliged.

Let me just say that I am now spoiled forever for good steak and the fixin's. When you walk in, you can see the many cuts of steak that they serve curing right there on the premises. If that makes the difference, everyone should start curing their own meat! When my filet mignon arrived, I could cut it with a fork. It was so juicy and tender that I may never be able to eat steak again unless I go back. We split an order of mashed potatoes between us (most of their sides serve 2), and they were so creamy it was unbelievable. My friend ordered the salmon, which she also found to be incredible.

The decor is very fancy-schmancy, but not too overwhelming. It's a popular place among the politicos after work, and you can occasionally have a senator-sighting. The service was impeccable. So much so, that if you set something down, make sure you watch it, or they may take it from you! Our glasses were always full, and the waiter was at our beck and call.

It was nice to treat ourselves to such a great dinner.

Although it doesn't have the 'old' that other cathedrals in Europe have, the National Cathedral is certainly an American landmark. The stained-glass windows are beautiful. My favorite has a piece of actual moonrock embedded in the glass, with a 'space' look to the window. I even attended a service there. It was an Episcopal service in a chapel on a lower floor. I marveled at the hand-stiched kneeling mats, which were made specifically for the cathedral. The service was nice, although foreign to a non-Episcopalian, but it surely was an experience. Just to walk into the cathedral gives you a sense of awe, and you know that it is an important new structure in the nation's capital.

If you know you're planning to visit, call your congressman and request tickets to tour the White House. Just the facade is something to see, but the inside is just as majestic. I visited the White House for a tour during the Christmas holidays as a guest of a friend who was a member of the Democratic party. There were Christmas trees - huge ones - everywhere, each decorated in a different style. There were two trees decorated with ornaments that had been sent to the Clintons from children across the country. Some were for Socks, some for Chelsea, some for the whole family. The house was just gorgeous, and it was interesting to see some of the highlights, like the famous picture of JFK, surrounded by greenery and festivity.

There is so much to see at the Smithsonian that you can't possibly take it all in one day, much less one trip. My favorite spots to visit are the Air and Space Museum, the art galleries and the Museum of Natural History (with the dinosaurs). The Air and Space museum features the Wright Brothers' first plane, some of the capsules from the Apollo missions, etc., and has the best gift shop. Make sure to view the educational movies, which are extremely interesting and enlightening about America's space program. The Natural History Museum has, of course, the dinosaurs. No matter how old you are, when you see the big bones standing in front of you, you can't help but utter a 'wow.' There's also a really cool fossil that is a big fish that swallowed a little fish, and a HUGE shark's jaw. In the art museum, you can view the great works by the great artists. My favorite is 'Little Girl with a Watering Can' (by whom, I can't remember), Monet's 'Water Lillies,' and Sureat's paintings, which we always called Sureat the Dot, because of the way he paints with the dots creating the image. I also like the museum that features all of the popular culture icons, like Fonz's jacket and Dorothy's ruby slippers.

There's just nothing like standing in the middle of a cherry tree grove with pinkish-white petals floating to the ground around you, and all you see are beautful blossoms. The Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in the spring each year, and the dates change depending on when they think peak blooming time will be. Hint: They never get it right. Find someone who lives in the area and call them to get blooming reports. The Potomac makes the scenery even prettier, because it serves as a mirror, reflecting the blossoms, and delicately keeping the blossoms that have fallen afloat on the water. Usually, the tulips are blooming at the same time, so it's just a springtime fest.

If you visit DC in the winter, make sure to take your skates along. You've probably seen it on television, but there's a skating rink right on the mall where you can either watch skaters or skate yourself. Skate to music and take in the scenery around you. It seems like such a trivial thing to do with so many sights to see, but it's a neat way to take a break from the madness of tourist-central.

There's a really neat way to see the Jefferson Memorial on the Potomac River - rent a paddleboat! There's a paddleboat rental station near the Memorial, and you and a friend (I think they fit up to four people) can just float around the Potomac and take in the sites. Be warned, the farther out you paddle, the farther you have to paddle back! When I went with a friend, we had a great time. We stopped to talk to other paddleboaters and got suggestions on where the good food was that day and where the sales were, etc. It was a bright, sunny day, and the ducks were friendly too. I hightly recommond trying this!

I've had the opportunity to see a multitude of fireworks, and I've seen some good shows, but just seeing them explode over the Washington Monument brings a whole new component to the 4th of July. Take a blanket and a picnic to the Mall on the 4th of July and just relax and enjoy the day. Throughout the day there are activities for the whole family, not to mention the food vendors. During the evening, the National Symphony plays just about every Sousa march and 4th of July music you could think of, and then, around 9:30 or 10 p.m. the fireworks display begins. No matter 2-year-old or 80-year-old, everyone oohs and aahhs at the lit sky. Hint: When you leave the Mall after the fireworks, take about 15 minutes to walk to a Metro station not on the Mall. You'll get on the Metro lots quicker, and you'll get a seat.