Our Nation's Capital

We came upon the National Geographic Society’s headquarters and museum by accident. We were walking west along M Street NW from our hotel, The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center, when we came across the National Geographic Society’s headquarters building. We saw a banner for a jungle cat exhibit and decided to take a look.

The National Geographic Society’s headquarters is actually two buildings, a rectangular one, and a newer L-shaped building. In front of both buildings is a fountain with a large marble boulder, split in two and highly polished, as well as several bronze sculptures of various insects. The older headquarters building housed the jungle cat exhibit, while the newer building housed a photograph exhibit and a bookstore.

We visited the newer building with the photograph exhibit. The museum exhibit featured various past photographs featured in the National Geographic Magazine, with plaques describing the scene, year, Magazine issue, and camera equipment used. Since my friend is really into photography, it was quite the treat for him to see this exhibit. The bookstore is quite small, and features large hardcover books with different special editions, as well as vintage editions.

The older building hosts the jungle cat exhibit. The lobby of the building featured a very interesting topographical display of Yosemite National Park affixed upside-down to the ceiling of the elevator lobby. There were plenty of other displays, as well as a large bronze medallion of the National Geographic Society globe. The jungle cat exhibit was in the museum area off to the side. The museum exhibit is a darkened room with jungle décor, featuring different sections devoted to different jungle cats, such as cougars, jaguars, tigers, and lions. Each section has static photos with plaques describing the animal, location, camera equipment used, and screens with videos of the cats projected onto them. There are also descriptions of the cats, their habitats, and the dangers to their continued existence and well being. There was a tent set up in the middle of the exhibit showing different video footages of little cubs in the wild.

We learned from the security staff that the exhibits on both sides are changed out, usually every few months. They have featured subjects such as jungle cats, insects, and other animals, to different peoples around the world, to nature scenes. While the museum exhibits are small in comparison to other museums in the area, they are free. The exhibits are quite interesting, and if you like the National Geographic Magazines or Channel on cable TV, the museum exhibits are a fun treat for both adults and kids.

This is a review of first class service aboard American Airlines Flight 76, from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Washington Dulles International (IAD.) I filed this review under Washington DC, since that is our destination.

A little background first, I usually don’t ever fly upgraded when I’m by myself, in fact, I usually don’t care how many stopovers I make or how tight the connection. I'm a mileage hound, so more stops usually means more miles earned on the frequent flyer program. However, on occasion, when I’m with friends, I’ll purchase a flight and offer miles for upgrades. I’d rather do that than use the miles for a free flight, especially if the fare itself is on sale and rather cheap.

Los Angeles International Airport is a zoo. LAX is overcrowded, antiquated, and generally never my airport of choice. The redeeming factor is that American Airlines has a separate check-in area for business and first class, and AAirpass, a pre-paid fare program. We had to wait about 30 minutes to get our bags checked in and ticketed. Plus there is no baggage check-in fee for upgraded passengers. We had to press our way past the throngs of travelers crammed into the coach check-in area to reach the upgraded security line. Once past security, we were also amongst the first to board our plane, an older Boeing 757.

The first class seats on American’s 757 are simply wider versions of coach seats, except with two seats, the aisle, then two more seats, whereas the coach area is three plus three. The 757 is a two class configuration, with first and coach sections only, no business section. So our mileage upgrade bumped us up all the way to first. The seats are nice leather seats with electronic recline, and an adjustable footrest. There are power ports under all the seats, and very large armrests, which also serve as drink holders and hide our tray tables and a smaller, separate drink table. The seats don’t recline to a lie-flat position, but recline about 75 degrees back, with nearly matching angle from the footrest. A pillow and blanket, a rarity in coach, were on every first class seat.

Service started before we were airborne, as we were given a choice of orange juice, apple juice or water in plastic stemware. Once we were airborne though, our drink ware changed from little plastic stemware to nice glass tumblers and wine glasses. Instead of bagged miscellaneous party mix, we were given a nice assortment of warm nuts and pretzels served in ceramic ramekins. All drinks were complimentary, including alcohol. Since this was a morning flight, we were given a menu with breakfast choices. I chose the breakfast scramble of eggs, cheese, bacon, on top of breakfast hash. The other choices were oatmeal, cereals, and fruits. My breakfast came with a choice of croissant or biscuit, and a fruit salad, all served on nice gold lined china and glassware. As far as airline food, this was excellent. However on the ground, this would be considered only above average. I think the cooking process for airline meals leaves something to be deserved, but our meals hit the spot. Even after our meals, drinks kept flowing. About half an hour before landing, we could smell that our flight attendants were baking fresh cookies in the galley. A few minutes later, our flight attendants came out with fresh chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies and milk or whatever else we wanted to drink. I felt sorry for those in the first several rows of the coach cabin, as the fresh baked cookie smell must have wafted back there. Maybe not.

In flight entertainment was via several hanging TV screens, showing various excerpts from CBS television shows. Since this was an older aircraft, there were no individual video screens. The skies were mostly clear, and we could see a lot as we passed overhead. The combination of scenic flight and on board entertainment, as well as comfort helped the flight time to pass quickly. In fact, we barely looked at our watches, hoping the flight would land soon.

Some would say that an upgraded flight isn’t worth it. We arrived at the same destination at the same time as the other passengers. The main differences are quicker check-in, quicker security lines, comfortable seats, excellent drink and food service. But the greatest benefit is feeling refreshed at the end of our flight, not being crammed into a narrow seat. Since we used miles for the upgrade, it was a nice treat.

The National Mall is a large, open park strip that runs from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the US Capitol Building. Technically, the National Mall is a national park. The most recognizable part of the National Mall is the open park area from the Washington Monument to the US Capitol. It’s quite large, encompassing some 300 acres. There isn’t a Metro station adjacent to the National Mall, but the 3 stations, Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Station, the Federal Triangle, and the Smithsonian Metro stations are just a block or so away from the National Mall.

The National Mall offers great views of the major attractions in Washington DC, from the US Capitol, to the Smithsonian Museums, Washington Monument, and back to the Lincoln Memorial, and all others in between. It’s basically a one-stop-shop for a good portion of the must-see attractions in Washington DC. The US Capitol sits on the eastern end of the National Mall, then proceeds west to the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and the United States Botanic Garden. West of those is the open park area, which is flanked by the Smithsonian museum, including the National Museum of the American Indian, National Air and Space Museum, East and West Buildings of the National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, National Museum of African Art, Arts and Industries Building, and the Smithsonian Institution itself. Westward, there is the Washington Monument, United States National World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial on the west end of the National Mall. We could have spent days on the National Mall, viewing all the different monuments, memorials, and museums. Other attractions are a block or two away from the Mall, but easily accessible, including the National Archives, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Navy Memorial.

The National Mall is used my millions for recreation, from taking a nice picnic during lunch, to pickup soccer games, leisurely strolls to scenic jogs. During the summertime, there is Screen on the Green, which are movies played on the National Mall on a large projection screen. The National Mall is also used for other group events, such as political protests, such as during the Vietnam War. People also flock here to watch the inauguration of our Presidents.

Our own personal experience at the National Mall was great. We saw wonderful, mostly unobstructed views of the monuments, museums and US Capitol building, making for great photo ops. It’s a great way to mentally connect some of the attractions in Washington DC. We figured we would go to the National Mall and decide what attractions to go to the next day. Although it made for a good place to take a stroll, due to the shade from the trees and lack of vehicular traffic, we went in August, and the heat and humidity were stifling. It’s definitely a good place to start a self-guided tour of Washington DC’s major attractions. The National Mall isn’t just a park strip surrounded by popular Washington DC attractions, it’s become an attraction in it’s own right.

I love baseball, and a visit to watch a Baltimore Orioles baseball game was not to be missed on our Washington DC visit. From Washington DC, we took the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) train’s Camden Line, which goes from DC’s Union Station to Camden Yard. It’s a $7 ticket one way, and about 1 hour, and 10-15 minute trip. Interesting trivia tidbit, the Camden Line began service in 1930, making it the oldest passenger line in the US.

Oriole Park at Camden Yard is located in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, which is a historic area, as well as a tourist area with nice stores and great restaurants. Oriole Park is the first of the newer "retro" ballparks, opening in 1992. It’s the first of a generation of ballparks that is designed to be fan friendly and designed for baseball, rather than a generic concrete stadium designed for multiple sports.

We purchased tickets and entered via the first base gate, which is off Eutaw Street. The main gate is actually by center field, on the north side. Our ticket cost $20 each for a Tuesday evening game versus the Oakland Athletics. Our seats were in the upper box, Section 346, Row 1. We each received an Orioles Brag Bergeson t-shirt as part of a promotion. Eutaw Street is closed off to vehicular traffic, and separates Orioles Park from the B&O Warehouse, which are used as team offices and a private club. You must have a ticket to visit Eutaw Street during game days. There are little bronze tile plaques on Eutaw Street, each one marks where a home run has landed. The Bud Light Warehouse Bar, and other carnival attractions are located on Eutaw Street.

The ballpark itself is a gorgeous one, with lots of nice brickwork on the outside. There are good views of downtown Baltimore looking out towards center field. The large screen display is very vivid and easy to see. Oriole Park is designed with the field level about 16 feet into the ground, making it easier to reach the upper levels without having to ascend so many staircases or ramps. From the upper level looking out, you can see M & T Bank Stadium where the Ravens play football and the round top of the B & O Railroad Museum. There are many food venues, including delis serving Maryland crab cakes, as well as usual ballpark favorites such as hot dogs, nachos, burgers, and garlic fries. I found a particularly good fresh squeezed lemonade stand on the upper level tool.

The home crowd at Orioles Park is very loyal, proudly showing off their orange. This crowd has it together, with appropriate chants and cheers supporting their team and individual players. The fans seem to be very much into the game and very knowledgeable. I really like a game where the fans are really into the game, not chatting or texting away on their Blackberries or iPhones. This makes for a very good game time experience.

Our only real difficulty was returning to the Washington DC area by public transportation. The MARC doesn’t run this late, as the game finished around 10 PM. We quickly exited onto S Howard Street light rail station for the train to Baltimore-Washington International-Thurgood Marshall Airport. From there, we took a bus to the Greenpoint Station for the Washington DC Metro trains.

Outside the center field area of the ballpark is a display with retired numbers of former players, including number 8, the Ironman, Cal Ripken. Cal has a 4 foot tall plastic number, and I think a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame should get a huge bronze statue. There is a bronze statue of Babe Ruth, as he was born in Baltimore. In fact, the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is off Emory Street, just 2 blocks west of Oriole Park. Just behind the ballpark is the Sports Legends at Camden Yards museum, a sports museum, housed in the old B & O Railroad's Camden Station. I must say that we really enjoyed ourselves here with a good game, good food, great fans, and beautiful ballpark. I will definately come back here again to watch more games when I can.

Open Top Sightseeing Tours (OTS) is are open-top double decker bus tours of Washington DC operated by Gray Line. They stop at around 25 of the more popular locations around Washington DC. The starting and terminus of the tour is Union Station. There is a storefront in Union Station which sells both gifts and tickets to the OTS. In addition, there are also attendants at the more popular OTS stops which can sell you tickets as well, but they take only credit card, no cash, as they carry a remote credit card reader with a ticket printer.

There basic tour is $35 for adults, $18 for children. The tour is good for 48 hours from the purchase date and time, and unlimited boardings and exits during that time. This is really useful if you find yourself wanting to hop off the bus and spend some time at any of the locations on the stops. A Potomac River cruise can be added for $13 more for adults and $7 more for children.

We purchased our tickets and boarded at Union Station. We chose our seats on the open upper deck of the bus. The upper deck seats about 70 in a 2 by 2 row configuration. The buses are quite packed during the summer, so make sure you claim your seat early. On top, it does get a bit hot, especially with no top to shield you from the sun, but the breeze of the open top does cool you down a bit. An audio recording is cued, identifying and describing different buildings, attractions, and other things as we drive past them. The driver chimes in between breaks in the audio recording to give more personal descriptions and antic dotes. The top deck is also a great platform to take photos, although it can be a bit shaky when the bus is in motion.

The OTS took us to 25 different stops, including most of the popular tourist destinations, such as the US Capitol, National Archives, IRS building (I'm glad there's not a stop here,) Washington National Cathedral, Embassy Row, Georgetown, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Harbor, The Smithsonian Museums, The White House, Dupont Circle, and others.

The OTS buses run about every 30 minutes from 9 AM to 5 PM. During the 48 hours our tickets were valid, we completed the entire tour in several segments, as well as used the OTS for quick transportation from one stop to another. We especially liked the hop-on, hop-off aspect of OTS. It’s a great way to take your time at locations you want to explore further. It’s also great for first time visitors like ourselves, as it helped us to familiarize ourselves with Washington DC and let us hop off to explore certain things or gave us ideas after the tour. I’d recommend it for anybody that doesn’t already have a tour planned for Washington DC.

The Westin Washington DC City Center is a nice four star rated hotel, mainly catering to the business crowd. It's located on M Street NW, between 15th Street NW and Vermont Ave NW. It used to be the Wyndham Washington Hotel a year or so ago. We booked a stay for August 8 to 12 online on Starwood’s (parent company) website using a buy 2 nights, get 1 night free special. We paid $179 per night for 2 nights and received the third night free.

Upon entry, the first thing you notice about the Westin Washington DC City Center, is the tall atrium that starts at the lobby floor. There is a small check-in desk off to the right side, on the left is a raised bar area with the television video projected on the wall. The rest of the ground floor has conference rooms, business center, and gift shop. On the lower level, there is a complimentary small gym with cardio equipment, light weights, stretching and yoga mats, and towels and water cooler. The upper floor has a restaurant.

We booked a standard room with double queen beds. Our room on the 5th floor was very nice, I think the hotel went through a remodel upon conversion to a Westin. There is a desk attached to a dresser in front of the room. A door in the dresser opens to reveal a mini-bar fridge stocked with vending drinks. A large LCD flat screen hangs above the dresser. An ergonomic chair sits at the desk, while a comfy lounge chair and table is located near the window. Our room stared back at the atrium, which isn’t a bad view. A small safe sits in the closet. The heating and air conditioning are central with a digital thermostat next to the closet. The bathroom has been remodeled with a lot of marble and granite. A Westin Heavenly Shower was installed, with it’s trademark dual showerheads. Heavenly Spa items were laid out in the bathroom, including green tea soap shaped like a tea leaf. A small alcove next to the closet holds a coffee maker.

The room is pretty nice, the interior condition helps to make it a quiet room. The Heavenly Beds were very nice, very comfortable. We slept very well on them. On the negative side, there are a lot of items they nickel and dime you on. There was a bottle of water sitting by the coffee machine with a tag saying the bottle was not complimentary and we would be charged $3 for opening it. Internet access, wireless or hardwire, was $11.95 each 24 hour period. Everything had a charge in the business center.

The Westin Washington DC City Center is located about a half-mile north of the White House. It’s not exactly centrally located, and is a good walk from the Washington Monument. It’s about equidistant between the McPherson Square Metro Station, and the Farragut North Station, about a third of a mile from each. We found our solution to the internet access, as we found a Starbucks on the same block, as well as an Au Bon Pain bakery for breakfast goods. There’s a CVS less than a block away for buying essentials.

The Westin Washington DC City Center is a nicely remodeled hotel, very clean, and the staff was very professional and friendly. I definitely slept quite well here. The only things I would have liked better is a more central location to the Washington DC attractions. While I noticed that some lower priced hotels have either free wireless or free business center internet access, it would be nice to have it at the Westin Washington DC City Center.

Georgia Brown’s is great soul food restaurant with excellent Southern hospitality. It’s located on 15th Street NW just south of K St NW. It’s directly across from McPherson Square and its accompanying Metro station. Georgia Brown’s came with high recommendations from locals, so we figured we would head down there on our first day in DC. We discovered that Georgia Brown’s is very popular with pretty much everybody. We went on a Saturday evening, and were told there was a two hour wait, and a peek around the dining room and bar confirmed that. We tried again on Sunday, but also with no dice. Finally, we succeeded late on a Monday evening. Still fresh from our west coast arrival, a 10 PM dinner at Georgia Brown’s would feel like a 7 PM dinner to us. Reservations are highly recommended.

We were given a warm greeting by the maître d, and seated in a few short minutes. We were given a comfortable table that backed to a padded bench. Our server was upon us quickly and took our drink order. The menu is filled with southern favorites such as jambalaya, Southern fried chicken, fried catfish, crab cakes, shrimp, fried green tomatoes, but also some interesting concoctions such as duck and turkey pate, and BBQ duck. My friend chose the jambalaya, and I chose the Cheerwine BBQ duck. We opted for the Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Fingers for an appetizer. Our server took our order and gave us a plate of buttermilk biscuits, sweet cornbread, and butter. The biscuits were good, but the cornbread was to die for, especially with butter. The cornbread is visually appealing, having been baked in a Madeleine pan. An effect of the Madeline pan is a nice buttery, slightly crunchy exterior.

After devouring the bread offering, we looked around the restaurant. There is patio dining as you approach the entrance. A framed menu sits outside for those who want to see what’s for dinner. The lobby area divides the dining area and the bar. The upscale bar features rich hardwood décor, with wine bottles cellared against the walls. The dining area has ample seating with white linen table service. The kitchen is separated from the dining room by a large window, where customers can see their dishes being prepared.

Our Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Fingers arrived and we were eager to dig in. The catfish strips are fried to a golden brown and served atop a seedless red grape and blue cheese slaw finished with a sweet corn tartar sauce. They were excellent, with a nice savory, yet welcome sweet taste from the tartar sauce. We even ate up the grape and blue cheese slaw.

Our entrees arrived shortly thereafter. My friend’s jambalaya looked quite interesting as it was essentially a deconstructed jambalaya. It had pinto beans, dirty rice, grilled andouille sausage, shrimp, blue crab, a duck confit and grilled chicken breast, all sitting atop an etouffee sauce. It was very unique as one could eat the components of the jambalaya separately and experience their tastes individually, or stir them in to the etouffee sauce to eat them as a traditional jambalaya. My BBQ duck was a smoked confit of duck leg with cornbread dressing, stewed beans, and the same grape slaw from the catfish appetizer. The duck was very good and very tender, as it easily pulled away from the bone. I’ve had barbequed duck Chinese-style, and Georgia Brown’s duck offering is much better.

The portions were perfect, as we cleaned up our plates, and found ourselves quite full. We turned down the dessert menu, although I would have liked to try their key lime pie. Our total was about $65 for two drinks, appetizer, and two entrees. It was a slight bit pricey, but not too bad. The service was excellent, as our server came by to check on us several times, as well as the different managers. Our foodservice was timely, and we never sat there wondering where our food was, even though the dining room was pretty full. When I’m in the DC area again, I’ll make reservations for Georgia Brown’s.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk commemorating our first President, George Washington. It sits at the intersection of Constitution Ave and 15th Street NW, just south of the Ellipse and the White House. As it’s the tallest structure in Washington DC, it’s very hard to miss.

The Washington Monument is a 555 foot and 5 1/8 inch tall obelisk made of granite, marble, and sandstone. The pointed top cap of the Washington Monument is a large singular piece of cast aluminum. It’s located atop a small hill, which offers great views of the National Mall. On the east side of the hill is a small guardhouse manned by the National Park Service. You can obtain the free, same-day tickets required for entry into the Washington Monument at this guardhouse. The tickets are for specific entry times, and are given away on a first come, first serve basis. The tickets are very popular and run out quickly, as we were unable to obtain any tickets on several visits to the guardhouse. The tickets allow entry into the Washington Monument, where one can climb up a set of stairs to an elevator, which takes you up the rest of the way to the top, where you can peer out of the windows in the top.

At the top of the hill, the Washington Monument is surrounded by circular concrete apron and a ring of flags. A lot of people were milling around, some with tickets awaiting entry into the Washington Monument, and others resting and taking in the view of the Monument and the city below. There’s another guardhouse attached to the east side of the monument that serves as a National Park Service Ranger station. The Rangers are very knowledgeable about the Washington Monument and are welcome to questions as well as history lessons about the Monument.

The Rangers told us the Washington Monument started construction in 1848, but stopped in 1854, because donation money had run out. Then the Civil War occurred, further complicating efforts to restart construction. Finally in 1879, construction resumed, and was completed in December of 1884. The Washington Monument was dedicated on George Washington’s birthday on February 22, 1885. As a result of the stalled construction, the white marble exterior is one shade from the bottom to about 152 feet up, and a different shade after that to the top. The differences in shade are due to using different quarries to mine the marble.

When standing at the base of the Washington Monument, the view is really good from here, and one can easily spend a lot of time taking pictures, or just taking in the different points of interest as far as the eye can see. To the north, you can make out the White House through the trees. To the west, you can see the National World War II Monument, the Reflecting Pool, and the Lincoln Monument beyond. To the east, you can see the straight line of the National Mall, and the U.S. Capitol Building in the far distance. We visited in the early evening, when it started to cool down, and it made for great views too. The Washington Monument is one of those "must-see" attractions that’s definitely worth visiting.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a memorial for those that served in Vietnam, whether by choice or not, and honors those that made it home, and those that still aren’t home yet. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is in the Constitutional Gardens, located directly adjacent to the Abraham Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial consists of 3 different parts. The largest is the black granite Memorial Wall on which the 58,000 plus names of U.S. service men and women killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War. There are also two statues, one of The Three Soldiers, honoring the U.S. servicemen, and the Women’s Memorial, honoring the women who served.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is a V-shaped wall consisting of two 246 feet 9 inch sections of black granite. The Wall is sunk into the ground like a retaining wall. It starts at around 8 inches tall at the ends and goes to 10 feet high in the middle, where it is the tallest. One end of the Wall points towards the Lincoln Memorial, the other points to the Washington Monument. The black granite walls are very reflective, almost like a mirror, and feature the names of those killed or missing etched into them. In order to find the names on the panels, there are banks of name directories on covered podiums next to the ends of the Wall. The directories are the size of large phone books and list the names in alphabetical order by last name and also list the date of birth, death, place of birth, branch of service, and the section and row of the Wall where their name is located. The Memorial Wall is counted by panels east and west of the center, then you would count down from the top the number of rows. A friend had asked for me to find his best friend from high school on the wall. It wasn’t too hard finding the name. One thing that struck me is how many names there were. The name I was looking for was almost lost is a sea of other names.

The Vietnam War is recent enough that most people will know someone that has served or was killed in Vietnam. I think this fact, coupled with the sheer number of names on the wall, served to make me step back and reflect a bit. Even though I was only a small child and don’t have any childhood recollections of the Vietnam War, finding my friend’s best friend’s name on the wall put me in a somber mood. There were various flowers, flags, and other personal mementos to loved ones lost on the ground in front of the panels of the Memorial Wall.

The Three Soldiers statue is a life size bronze statue of three soldiers, one African-American, one Hispanic, the other Caucasian-American. They are carrying their weapons and all look quite tired. All three of them appear to be looking at the Memorial Wall. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is also a life size bronze statue. It honors the women who served in Vietnam, most of whom served as nurses. It features three uniformed nurses tending to a wounded soldier. The nurses are names Hope, Faith, and Charity.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial initially seemed like another popular tourist attraction to me. When I witnessed the Memorial first hand, saw my reflection in the granite with all the names of the dead and missing, watched people place flowers to loved ones, it really moved me and I’m glad I visited.

The Memorial to our sixteenth President is one of the "must-see" attractions in Washington DC. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial is one of the iconic symbols of Washington DC, as well as appearing on the back of the five dollar bill. The Lincoln Memorial is located in the western corner of Washington DC at the edge of the Tidal Basin, adjacent to the Arlington Memorial Bridge. It’s very easy to spot, as it sits atop a slight elevation and is easily visible from far away.

The Lincoln Memorial is easily identified through it’s Greek-inspired construction. It’s a rectangular limestone and marble building surrounded by columns sitting atop an elevated base. The elevated base consists of several flights of stairs, probably 50-60 total steps. I did see a chair lift off to the side for handicap access. The seated statue of Abraham Lincoln is visible as you approach the front.

The front of the Lincoln Memorial faces the reflecting pool. Beyond the reflecting pool are the pillars of the National World War Two Memorial. And beyond that is the Washington Monument. While facing the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial is immediately to the right.

I made the climb up the stairs to the Lincoln Memorial. As I went higher and higher up the steps, I could see the names of each state in the Union engraved into the top of the Lincoln Memorial, just above the columns. As I entered the front of the Lincoln Memorial, there is a huge, almost 20 foot tall seated marble statue of Abraham Lincoln. Inscribed into the wall behind him are the words "IN THIS TEMPLE AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ENSHRINED FOREVER." The statue of Lincoln is very majestic, not only due to it’s size, but also in his appearance, as he gazes past the front, out towards the reflecting pool. It’s also majestic in that it memorializes what Lincoln achieved as the President of the United States.

Off to the right of Lincoln’s statue is a room with a copy of the Gettysburg Address inscribed into the wall, along with a mural of a slave being set free. Off to the left of Lincoln’s statue is a room with a copy of Lincoln’s second inaugural address inscribed into the wall. The interior is lighted by sunlight shining through the stained-glass roof. Since we went in August, the stained-glass roof has the unintended consequence of making the Lincoln Monument feel like a greenhouse. There are restrooms off to the side rooms.

As we exited, we took in the awesome view and understood why so many people were resting at the top of the steps at the Lincoln Memorial. A few steps down, we noticed a plaque on the floor of the monument commemorating where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I have a Dream" speech.

The Abraham Lincoln Memorial is definitely one of the "must-see" attractions. It’s a place to learn about an important part of US history, a place to reflect, and a good place to sit down and rest, with a magnificent DC view.

Since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by all things aviation and space related. If you’re like me, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is one place you shouldn’t pass up. There are hundreds of different artifacts, original and accurate replicas, documenting our history off the ground. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is located off the National Mall, by Jefferson Street and 7th Street. It’s best reached from the Metro Station at L’Enfant Plaza, which is just south on 7th Street.

There is no entry fee, but there is always has the obligatory security screening. Once inside, I was immediately in the middle of the Milestones of Flight exhibit. This exhibit features the milestones, such as Robert Goddard’s first rocket, the Bell X-1 which broke the supersonic barrier, Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of St. Louis and the first transatlantic flight. One thing I found especially interesting is the display of an actual North American X-15, basically a hypersonic rocket plane that is the fastest plane ever flown. It only has a few minutes of fuel, yet often reached altitudes high enough to be considered space, qualifying the pilot for astronaut wings. In addition, the few minutes of fuel propelled the X-15 to over 6 times the speed of sound.

There is the Space Race exhibit, which mainly consists of rockets, missiles, and space capsules. There are exhibits of the German V-1 and V-2 rockets, both Soviet and US ballistic missiles, a test version of the Hubble space telescope, and mock-ups of a Soviet and US space capsule as they docked together in the cold war. An interesting observation is that the German V-2 rocket was built by slaves during World War 2. The metal skin of the V-2 is very rough and has lots of wrinkles, as compared to the smooth surfaces of the American and Soviet missiles.

There is an exhibit of the lunar landings, which have different lunar probes and a replica of the lunar landing vehicle. I was stunned by how small the unmanned lunar probes are, most of them could fit, folded up, in the bed of a pickup truck. There is also an exhibit of aerial and space photography. They have prints of photos from various altitudes and angles for all reasons ranging from mapping, topography, natural disaster survey, to military reconnaissance. One exhibit I found interesting is a display showing before and after photos of places that have been camouflaged and how to see through it. For example, there is a Cold War era photo of a Soviet oil tank farm where the tanks were made to look like residential homes, yet at a certain angle late in the day, their shadows were perfectly circular, as they came from the oil tanks.

There are also exhibits of military aviation, from famous fighter planes used in both World Wars, to the clothing and uniforms worn by the pilots, weapons, and instrumentation used. A Naval Aviation exhibit is in a room fashioned after an aircraft carrier’s hangar deck and features aircraft and artifacts from naval aviation. An unmanned aviation exhibit has highlights from early unmanned aircraft to the Predator drones, and experimental ones such as the Darkstar, which have the exhaust and and air intakes sealed due to their classified nature.

There is also a dedicated exhibit to the Wright Brothers and their first flight. There are interactive displays showing how the Wright Brother’s flight controls and control surfaces work. There is also a history of how the Wright Brothers turned a printing and bicycle manufacturing business into an aircraft manufacturer. There is a life size replica of the Wright Flyer 1, which made the first powered air flight. This exhibit is very interesting and taught me many things about the Wright Brothers that I never realized before.

There is an exhibit called America by Air, which chronicles commercial flight. There are such exhibits as older, propeller driven commercial planes. There's a front end of a Northwest Airlines 747 where you can walk into the cockpit.

There is an IMAX theater showing different aviation related movies which require $8.75 tickets. A planetarium showing movies on exploring the universe as well. There is a gift shop, a food court with McDonalds and Boston Market, as well as a pizzeria. There is jet fighter plane simulator, which requires paid tickets. All in all, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is an excellent place to learn about flight and space exploration, and a really great place to bring kids, even the adult ones like me.

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is America’s most notable military cemetery and considered hallowed ground. It’s located in Arlington, Virginia, just west across from Washington DC across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. There is a Metro rail station stop adjacent to ANC, there is a pay parking structure for those that want to drive, or you can walk across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial to ANC. It’s less than a mile to walk the bridge to ANC, and it’s a very nice walk too.

The approach to ANC via the Memorial Bridge is flanked with two large bronze statues. One of these statues is titled "Valor" and the other is titled "Art of War," each with a man on a horse and a woman with a shield guiding the horse. Once across the Memorial Bridge on the ANC side, there are several memorials along Memorial Drive leading up to the entrance. On the right we pass the Seabees memorial, and the left has a statue of "The Rider," which commemorates the Rough Riders of the Spanish American War. From here, you can see the ceremonial entrance to ANC, where Memorial Drive ends at the Hemicycle, a very large monument in the shape of a semicircle, which also houses the Women’s War Memorial. We actually turn off to the left prior to the Hemicycle to the parking lot and visitor’s center. The visitor’s center has restrooms, a gift shop, information desk with maps of ANC, which are very handy due to the fact that ANC sits on 624 acres. The only buses allowed inside ANC are the Tourmobile. On a hot day, the walk around ANC can be a bit of a burden for some especially since ANC is hilly, so the $27 tickets for the Tourmobile might be worth it.

Our first stop up in ANC is up the hill to John F. Kennedy’s Eternal Flame. The placement of the memorial is aligned with the Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial. The Eternal Flame is a continuously lit gas flame memorial at John F. Kennedy’s gravesite. It’s a very solemn place. The Eternal Flame is in a granite circle above the grave markers of John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, their son Patrick, and their stillborn daughter Arabella. The dates for their two children are especially saddening, Arabella’s dates being the same day born and deceased, and Patrick’s being only 2 days apart. I wasn’t born when President Kennedy was assassinated, but you can’t help but to come away with some sort of sympathy and sadness, as well as respect when viewing the Kennedy’s gravesite.

Just visible beyond the Kennedy gravesite is Arlington House, originally home of Confederate general and famous Virginian, Robert E. Lee. Story goes that the United States designated his home and the grounds around it for Arlington National Cemetery, so Lee could never return to his home to live there. However, as time wore on, Arlington House was designated the Robert E. Lee Memorial, serving as a measure of respect to Lee.

We continued up the hill towards the Tomb of the Unknowns. As we walked past different sections of ANC, we looked at the names and dates on the different grave markers and tombstones. It’s saddening, yet interesting reading the dates and accomplishments of the people on the tombstones.

At the Tomb of the Unknowns, there is a large white marble sarcophagus which represents the unknown soldier. There is an inscription which reads "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD." The Tomb of the Unknowns was first created to honor the unknown World War 1 soldier, and the unknown from later wars are represented by white plaques directly in front of the sarcophagus. The three plaques are for World War 2, The Korean War, and Vietnam. The unknown soldier that was originally buried under the Vietnam plaque was identified, exhumed from the Tomb of the Unknowns, and given a proper burial. There is a soldier with a rifle guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns at all times. The soldier walks 21 steps across a rubber mat, then faces the tomb for 21 seconds, then walks 21 steps back and repeats until the changing of the guard. The 21 steps and 21 seconds represent a 21 gun salute. It was over 100 degrees on this sunny and humid August day, yet the guard continued his watch over the Tomb of the Unknowns with his sunglasses and dark colored wool uniform. The tomb is guarded regardless of the weather.

During the summer, the changing of the guard occurs every 30 minutes, and occurs 1 hour apart during other seasons. We watched the changing of the guard. It’s a very precise process. As the current guard continues his route, a replacement guard and commander will approach. The commander addresses the crowd regarding the ceremony and asks for complete silence. Then, he thoroughly inspects the replacement guard’s uniform and rifle. In unison, and without visual cues, all three, the current guard, replacement guard, and the commander turn and walk to the opposite end of the rubber mat, then back to the center, where the current guard is relieved and the replacement guard takes his place. The whole ceremony takes about 10 minutes and is quite fascinating to watch. The soldiers are very precise and deliberate in their movements, and able to perform synchronized movements without seeing each other nor with any verbal cues.

Directly behind the Tomb of the Unknowns is the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater. It’s a white marble amphitheater which is modeled after old Roman amphitheaters. State funerals and Memorial and Veteran’s Day ceremonies are held here. Walking out of the rear of the amphitheater, we see several more distinct memorials. There are the memorials for the Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle Columbia, and Iran Rescue Mission. Next to these three memorials is the Canadian Cross, honoring US citizens that served and died in the Canadian military during World War 1, World War 2, and Korea. Beyond those memorials is the USS Maine Memorial. These are very interesting in themselves. These are events I was taught in school, yet have largely forgotten as a result of time. Not many "Remember The Maine" anymore, but the USS Maine Memorial at ANC helps us to never forget. The actual mast of the armored cruiser USS Maine stands tall as part of the memorial.

We saw other military honor guards prepare for actual funerals, and we saw funeral processions drive down Memorial Drive into ANC. That was yet another sobering observation. There were a lot of other parts of ANC that we didn’t have time to explore. Given the time, I would have liked to have seen the other memorials on the grounds. A lot of memorials are about things we may have learned in history classes in school, but have put in the back of our minds and largely forgotten until seeing their memorials at ANC. Although quite somber, this is a good activity for everybody. I heard little children asking their parents about memorials to particular events and what they meant and what happened then. These times make for good history lesson opportunities with their kids. I would make it a goal to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The National Archives is the flagship of the National Archives and Records Administration. The National Archives holds the original copies of the documents that formed our country, the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights, as well as other significant documents in our nation’s history The National Archives is located between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Constitution Avenue NW, and 7th Street NW, just south of the Navy Memorial. It’s just 50 or so yards south of the Archive-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro station.

The front side of the National Archives building is off Constitution Avenue NW, and the actual front entry for the exhibits is to the west of the stairs going up into the National Archives. The rear entrance is an entrance to the research library and is off Pennsylvania Avenue NW. We walked around to the front side on Constitution Avenue NW and got into line. After about 45 minutes wait, we finally found ourselves inside. We learned that since this is the 75th anniversary of the National Archives, there have been more visitors than usual, hence the 45 minute wait. After the obligatory security checks, wanding, and x-raying, we entered the lobby.

The lobby leads downstairs to all the exhibits. We headed for the main exhibit, the rotunda, which houses the Charters of Freedom, which are the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights. Upon entering the Rotunda, there are signs everywhere informing us that we make take photos, but may not use flash. Even the lights in the rotunda is dimmed to protect the documents from decay due to the light. Just inside the rotunda area is a copy of the Magna Carta from 1627. As with all the documents in the rotunda, the Magna Carta is encapsulated behind protective glass with a special gas atmosphere to prevent further decay of the document. We got into another line to view the Charters of Freedom. The security staff informed everybody in line that there is no time limit, and it’s a self guided exhibit, but to be mindful of others who wish to view the documents, and again, we can take photos, but NO FLASH. Once it was our turn in the rotunda, we moved form document to document, they’re mostly hard to read, as they’re quite faded. Like the Magna Carta, they’re encapsulated in the protective glass with the special gas atmosphere. For those wanting to read what the documents say, there are printed texts of the documents on display next to them. We saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Louisiana Purchase, and some supporting documents that lead up to the Charters of Freedom. The rotunda itself is quite grand, with paintings of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Signing of the Constitution, which hang from the granite walls of the rotunda. The Charters of Freedom are very awe inspiring, interesting and educational to see the documents our Founding Fathers personally signed over two centuries ago. It makes you realize how far we have come as a nation.

From here, we exited out the rear door into the lobby. We went to the Public Vaults exhibit, which had interesting exhibits on the history and workings of the National Archives and Records Administration, as well as interesting records of note. Most of the exhibits were user-interactive touch screen displays. They had exhibits on how the Charters of Freedom are housed and encapsulated for protection, on the other branches of the National Archives and Presidential Libraries, how records are categorized and stored. They had other interesting exhibits, such as digital copies of communication intercepts between Germany and Mexico during World War 1 in which Germany tried to open up another front against the allies by suggesting that Mexico attack the US southwest and Texas. The Public Vaults are an interesting and very educational exhibit for both adult and children alike.

We proceeded to the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, which houses a special exhibit called "Big" for the National Archives’ 75th anniversary. Big is just that, large maps and artifacts on display. There were large battlefield maps, a large cross section drawing of the Titanic drawn by investigators shortly after it sank, a large copy of the tally sheet of the House vote to declare war on Japan after Pearl Harbor, and large printings of the Charters of Freedom. There were even large artifacts, such as a replica of a special bathtub custom made for President Theodore Roosevelt, and one of Shaquille O’Neal’s humongous basketball shoes, as well as many others. This exhibit is not only educational, sometimes oddly interesting, but fun as well.

There’s also the William G. McGowan Theater, which shows short films describing the history and workings of the National Archives and the history behind the Charters of Freedom and the history behind their housing and display. As we walked back upstairs to the lobby, we had to pass through the gift shop on the way out. You can purchase copies of the Charters of Freedom and other interesting curios at the gift shop. The National Archives is a very good educational experience for both children and adults, seeing the Charters of Freedom was a special experience for us, and the rest of the exhibits also really kept our interest, as we walked away with a lot of little tidbits of knowledge about our nation’s history we didn’t know before.

The US Navy Memorial was an unexpected stop for us, and we’re glad we went. It’s a tribute to the men and women, past, present, and future of the United States Navy, as well as sailors, both merchant marine and naval, throughout the world. We unexpectedly came upon the Navy Memorial when we exited the Metro subway at the Archive-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station. We were headed to the National Archives, but emerging from the Metro escalator onto ground level, we found ourselves at the Navy Memorial. The name of station should have given us a clue. The Navy Memorial sits at the intersection between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 7th Street NW, facing the National Archives Building.

The Navy Memorial consists of Memorial Plaza and the Navy Heritage Center. Memorial Plaza consists of the Granite Sea, surrounded by bas relief displays and two fountain pools in front. The Granite Sea is a large flat globe projection made of two different shades of granite, said to be accurately aligned with the earth. Standing in the upper left corner of the Granite Sea is the Lone Sailor statue. It’s 7 foot tall bronze statue of a sailor standing with his hands in his jacket pockets, patiently awaiting his ship to come in, thus beginning his sea tour. His seabag sits next to him next to a cleat, indicating he’s standing at the edge of a dock. The Lone Sailor is very moving, he has a steely stare out to sea, showing he’s ready for service, but he stands alone, and he’s going to miss friends and loved ones he leaves on shore. Around the Granite Sea are two fountains pools, currently being maintained. The east pool commemorates the US Navy, the west pool commemorates all other seafarers, regardless of nationality. There are granite displays with brass bas reliefs which commemorate important events in US Navy history, such as important battles, and communities within the Navy, such as Navy families, naval exploration, Navy engineers, as well as others. The bas relief displays are done very well. The 3 dimensional nature of the bas reliefs are very visually stunning. The multitude of aspects the reliefs depict does a very good job of honoring those that served, and currently serve the Navy.

There are two buildings immediately north of the Granite Sea. The east (right) side houses the Naval Heritage Center. At the entrance is the Submarine Window, a stained glass window with images of a World War 2 submarine in the middle, commemorating those who served in the Silent Service and those who didn’t make it home. Entering the Naval Heritage Center, the statue Homecoming is inside. It is a seven foot tall statue complimenting the Lone Sailor. The Homecoming shows a sailor hugging his wife and child after returning from sea. The Naval Heritage Center features a Navy Log, where you can look up those who served in the US Navy. Inside is the Arleigh Burke Theater, with daily showings of movies such as At Sea and A Day in the Life of the Blue Angels. There is also a gift shop in the rear.

The Naval Memorial is a very interesting venue and an excellent educational opportunity. Although I personally have no ties to the US Navy, I’m glad to know there is this beautiful memorial to celebrate our sailors. We basically stumbled into the Navy Memorial, as we had to pass it on the way to the National Archives Building, but we’re glad we didn’t pass it up.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is on 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW. It sits directly next to the Bureau or Engraving and Printing. It sits directly diagonal SE of the Washington Monument. Admission to the Museum is free, but free tickets are required to the permanent exhibit on the Holocaust. We arrived early enough to secure tickets for later in the day.

The exterior of the building quite industrial, with walls of concrete and brick and steel beams. The obligatory security screening with the magnetometer, wanding, and bag x-raying are a given. Liquids cannot be brought into the Museum. Photography and audio/video recording are not allowed.

When we walked inside, we suddenly became aware the Museum is loosely modeled after the gas chambers of a Nazi concentration camp. The exterior concrete section resembles the guard tower and the brick exterior resembles the factory converted to gas chamber. The interior continues the industrial theme with much brick and steel, although much less intimidating. Although photography wasn’t allowed, we nicely asked a guard if we could simply snap a quick photo or two of the interior, and he let us take a few photos of the plaza inside the Museum.

We went upstairs to the Museum’s permanent exhibition on the Holocaust, which required the tickets. We proceeded to a little machine that dispensed identification cards of a little child, maybe no more than 8-10 years old. We each took a card, mine was a little boy from some village in Poland. The first part of the tour focuses on the rise of Nazi anti-Semitism during the 1930’s. There are artifacts and recreations of different things depicting the negative reality facing European Jews at that time. There are hundreds of photos of burned out Jewish-owned stores, Nazi thugs confronting and beating Jews, and other displays about the daily hardships Jews went through. There is a little computer station where you can insert your ID card to see what is happening in the life of the child at this point in time.

We proceeded downstairs for the second part of the tour, the events of World War II. The tours had more photos and displays illustrating conditions in the Jewish ghettos of Poland, being herded onto the cattle cars, and life, if you can call it that, in the concentration camps. There were displays of the living quarters, slave labor, and inhumanity that the Nazi doctors put the Jews through. There is a recreation of a cattle car used to transport Jews to the concentration camps. We boarded the car, and heard audio stories from firsthand survivors about their experiences in these camps. There is another computer station for the identification cards. I stuck mine in and it revealed that the child on my card was carted off to Treblinka. The second phase of the tour is very oppressive, and there wasn’t much for us to say about the squalid conditions the Jews were forced to live in.

We went downstairs for the third part of the tour, which has more heartening stories, with indivdual Jews taking the initiative to save other Jews at great personal risk to themselves. One such person was the King of Demnark, who hid Jews in his country. This phase of the tour also tells of the liberation of the concentration camps by the Allies, subsequent Nuremberg Trials, and the emigration of Jews to America and Israel. There is a movie, probably an hour long, called "Testimony," where the Holocaust survivors tell their personal stories. The tour ends in the Hall of Remembrance, where you can light a candle for a survivor. There is one final computer terminal to check on the status of the child on your identification card. The child on my card never made it out of Treblinka. That was very sobering, as I expected him to survive and live a long and fruitful life. The identification cards do a good job of personalizing the Holocaust, by having us experience a bit of what the child on the card went through.

A Museum employee stopped by to chat with us, he was a Holocaust survivor. The Museum has Holocaust survivors on staff to answer any questions, and to bring the whole experience at the Museum to life. He told us about the times in the camps, and what kept him going. He showed us the identification numbers the Nazis tattooed into this forearm, which serves as a powerful living reminder of the Holocaust. We didn’t have much to say, mostly because we didn’t know what would be appropriate to ask of him.

The rest of the Museum has displays on intolerance around the world, such as the genocide in Darfur, Bosnia, and Congo. There is also the exhibit called Daniel’s Story, Remember the Children, which commemorates the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust. There is also a gift shop and a snack shop in the Museum.

The Museum is a very powerful experience that evokes a bunch of different emotions, from horror to sadness, to anger that people could allow such things to happen. This is definitely not for little children. I wish we didn’t need such museums, but unfortunately in the world we live in, we do, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum does a great job of educating us and letting us learn from history.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is responsible for printing our paper currency. I contacted my Congressman to see if he could secure a tour for us during our DC trip. He emailed us a letter a week prior to our trip with the date and time of our BEP tour. The other method to secure a ticket is to show up at the door and see if you can obtain a ticket. It’s based upon first come, first serve, and I have heard that many have to get tickets for future dates since same day tickets are near impossible.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is at the intersection of 14th Street SW and C street SW. It sits next to the US Holocaust Museum. We approached the entrance and saw about 100 people standing in line. We asked the BEP tour director standing in front, and since we had a reservation through our Congressman, we were let in at our appointed time. Apparently most of the others waiting in line were trying to get tickets for the next day since today’s tickets were gone.

At our appointed time, the tour director let us and others with the same appointment time into the lobby of the BEP, where our ID’s were checked, we were scanned, wanded, and our bags x-rayed. The Treasury Police in the lobby made it very clear that there were to be NO CAMERAS or any recording of any kind past the lobby. We could take photos while in the lobby.

The lobby has different exhibits for us to gaze at while awaiting the introductory movie at the rear theater in the lobby. There was a step-by-step example of how currency was first printed, a display of a million dollars enclosed in a heavy duty steel and lexan case, different examples of currency throughout US history. The movie detailed the history of printed currency in the US, as well as the history of the BEP, from a team of six people running a manual press, to several hundred people in two huge, modern facilities. The other BEP location is in Fort Worth, Texas. One interesting thing I didn’t know is that the BEP produces security documents such as military ID’s and passports.

After the movie, our tour guide ushered us down several corridors and recited security information along the way. We could not take photos, couldn’t touch the ceiling due to the alarms imbedded in the ceiling, couldn’t wander off by ourselves, etc. We noted that there were plenty of Treasury Police in the hallways, as well as security cameras every several yards. We ascended several escalators until we found ourselves in an enclosed walkway above the production areas. The first stop was loading the blank paper. The tour guide explained that one company makes the paper that currency is printed on. They manufacture it to the BEP’s specifications, which include security features such as a certain percentage of fibers, and other security details they didn’t mention to us. It’s a crime for anybody else to even possess that paper. There were forklifts loading pallets of paper into the machines down below.

We went to the next window, where they were actually printing the currency on intaglio presses. The tour guide told us a little about the presses, and it seems to be an outdated method that really isn’t used anymore, but it makes for another security feature since the presses are quite rare. We watched the machines print on a layer of color, then speed to the next machine for another layer of color.

The next stops featured serial numbering and cutting of the printed sheets, although I don’t remember the order. The smaller sheets were then scanned by an electronic eye for imperfections. Then the bills were cut into individual bills and stacked. An employee at the end examined each stack by flipping through them and checking for any differences in the bills. A little handmade sign in the production area was aimed at the visitors. It read something similar to this, "If you think your job is bad, we have to handle more money in an hour than we’ll ever make in a lifetime." As we watched the workers examining $100 bills by hand, we realized that in a few minutes, they had probably collectively scanned through about a hundred thousand dollars.

The bills were then further stacked into bundles and shrink wrapped, then palletized in large metal and glass enclosures. The tour guide said the money isn’t currency until it went to the Federal Reserve to be "monetized," whatever that means. From there, our tour ended and we were herded down another maze of corridors until we ended up in the gift shop. In the gift shop, you can buy such things as a sheet of 4 uncut $20 bills for $100, or you can buy a bag of shredded money. That just doesn’t seem right, does it? We exited out to the rear of the building onto Raoul Wallenberg Place SE.

The BEP tour is very interesting, even if just for the novelty of seeing millions of dollars pass right before your eyes. It’s highly recommended to get a reservation from your Congressperson for the tour, or else you will have to fight the crowds at the door for tickets. I would most definitely take this tour again, it’s very educational, and probably the coolest tour I have ever taken. I would put this as my must see for anybody visiting Washington DC.

The US Capitol is the seat of power of our government, where our laws and policies are made. The US Capitol building is very easy to find in Washington DC, as it sits in the center of the different quadrants of the city and the rotunda is easily visible and recognizable from far away. It sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall.

There are two ways to obtain interior tours of the US Capitol. One is to go to the newly constructed visitor’s center on the east side of the Capitol. The better way is to contact your local House Representative or US Senator months prior to the trip and they will arrange for an intern guided tour. Either way, you still end up at the visitor’s center. We contacted our local House Rep. with our dates that we would be in Washington DC. A few weeks later, we received a letter via email with our ticket for the Capitol tour. The letter said to proceed to the House Rep’s office and an intern would accompany us to check in at the visitor’s center and take the tour.

Unfortunately we forgot to head to our House Rep’s office first and headed to the visitor’s center. The visitor’s center is a 3-story underground structure on the east side of the Capitol. No liquids are allowed, so we drank up our bottles of water and headed inside to be screened and have our bags x-rayed. The visitor’s center itself is very nice, with nice tall white granite walls and fixtures; a huge skylight illuminates the entire area. There are 2 gift shops on either side of the upper levels, 2 visitor check-in areas, a small restaurant, and an underground walkway to the Library of Congress.

Upon check-in at the visitor’s center, I noticed our letter mentioned proceeding to the House Rep’s office first. I telephoned our House Rep’s office, and an intern said to take the regular tour. We found out later that the intern guided tours visit the House and Senate chambers, if available; whereas the regular tours do not. After checking in and receiving a visitor’s badge, we were directed to a line awaiting the next showing at the visitor’s center theater.

When it was our showing at the theater, we took a nice comfy seat and watched a superbly produced documentary movie about the Capitol. The movie touched on the creation and building of the Capitol, the attack damaging the Capitol during the war of 1812, and the rebuilding of the Capitol. The movie also dealt with how government should work and the Capitol’s important purpose in our government. It was move that made people feel good about our government at work, no matter what political party.

After the movie we exited the theater and lined up for our tour in groups of around 30. Our tour guide took us down a maze of hallways and escalators until we arrived at the Capitol’s rotunda. The rotunda is a beautiful example of American neoclassical architecture. There are exquisite paintings all around depicting various scenes during important events in American history, such as the baptism of Pocahontas, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, Columbus’ landing, and others. The rotunda’s dome itself is magnificent, with a beautifully painted 360 degree fresco in the center with George Washington ascending to the heavens and symbols of our country’s strengths, such as commerce, agriculture, military strength, and others. There is an amazing frieze painting just below the dome depicting the history of the United States from Columbus’ landing to the Wright Brother’s first flight. The guide said the frieze wasn’t finished due to the death of the artist, and was completed by three other artists in the 1950’s. We also noted various statues of former Presidents in the rotunda, donated by different states.

We went into the National Statuary Hall Collection, which was used as the old House of Representatives. The Statuary Hall is basically a statue storage and display room. The guide said each state is to donate 2 statues depicting important people in the state’s history. The statues are to be of certain dimensions and specifications in order to be included in the National Statuary Hall Collection. There can only be 2 statues from each state, so if a state wants to submit a newer statue, they must collect an older one currently in the Collection. For instance, California has statues of former governor and President Ronald Reagan, and Junipero Sierra, a Franciscan friar influential in early California history. The guide explained that the former Presidents were featured in the Capitol rotunda, while all others are here in the Statuary Hall or visitor’s center, or the Crypt, which we will visit next.

One interesting about Statuary Hall was the fact that it was the old House of Representative. The House was relocated to it’s current hall due to the increasing size of the Union and the need for more room due to more Representatives. An interesting feature of the room was that it was engineered so somebody standing in particular points of the room and speak at a low level of volume and be heard in other areas of the room. Our guide demonstrated that by having us stand in a certain place and wandering about 50 feet away and speaking softly at the floor, where we heard him loud and clear. He explained that the room was engineered to have this built-in acoustic effect since this was before the time of microphones and speakers. One drawback is that the effect also worked in reverse and the speaker could hear whatever derogatory things the other Representative might be whispering about him.

Our next stop was one more level below into the Crypt, which is a small room filled with thick support columns directly below the rotunda. Some more statues are stored here as well. The guide explained that the main purpose of the Crypt was structural support for the rotunda, as well as an entrance to George Washington’s tomb, hence the name of the Crypt. George Washington is not buried here since there was a snafu with his will. Congress assumed Washington wanted to be buried in the Capitol, and built the Crypt and his tomb, which were finished in 1927, due to interruptions during the War of 1812. It was later revealed that Washington’s will stated he was to be buried at Mount Vernon, so his body remains there.

At this point, our tour ended, and we proceeded back to the visitor’s center. We noticed that other tour groups that had a Congressional intern continued onto other parts of the Capitol, probably both House and Senate chambers. It was my own fault for not remembering to proceed to my House Rep’s office for the intern guided tour. Our tour took about 30 minutes, not including the introductory movie. I was disappointed that the tour didn’t show more, and basically only covered 3 rooms. Our tour guide was very informative and patient, answering pretty much any question asked of him. I particularly enjoyed the introductory movie. I was not that impressed with the small scope of tour, but the fact that it was a unique experience, being the US Capitol, I was glad I went anyways.

I’m a big baseball fan, and one of my recreational goals is to attend a baseball game at all the Major League Ballparks. Since we’re visiting our nation’s Capital, we had a chance to visit a newer team with a newer ballpark in the Washington Nationals. Nationals Park is just on South Capitol Street and Potomac.

We arrived via the Navy Yard Metro station. The signs from the Metro station, as well as the other fans wearing Washington National’s attire made it easy to figure out where to go from there. The exit from the Metro station leads you onto Half Street SE, about a hundred yards away from and dead ends into the outfield gates of Nationals Park. Walking to the park, you pass lots on both sides of Half Street with halted residential construction, victims of the housing downturn.

One thing is enjoy about baseball is approaching the ballpark. I enjoy the grandeur of walking towards a big, hulking, yet grand stadium and seeing all the fans. As we approached the outfield gates, I didn’t get that feeling. I realized that it’s because the ballpark really isn’t that tall. We could see from the outfield gates, that although the entrance is on ground level, it’s actually the pavilion above the field level seats. The field is set into the ground, so the upper tiers aren’t that high.

We walked around the outside of the ballpark on 1st Street SE to check out the neighborhood. The exterior of Nationals Park doesn’t follow the mold of the newer ballparks. Instead of brick and green painted steel beams, Nationals Park is mainly light grey concrete, glass and shiny steel. There are two parking structures by the outfield areas. Most of the area around Nationals Park is either empty dirt lots, or industrial buildings, both with businesses in them and apparently abandoned buildings. There were banners hanging from the fences on some of the neighboring empty lots indicating shops, restaurants, and other entertainment venues coming shortly. As we rounded onto Potomac Ave. SE, we came across the home plate gate of Nationals Park. It was almost deserted, as most people used the closer outfield gates.

We purchased tickets on the middle level, called the right field mezzanine, section 225 row A, for $30 a piece. As we entered the ballpark, we remarked about how nice it looks, as it’s very clean and new. However, being so clean and new, it does have a sterile feel to it. Nationals Park’s first game was on opening day on April 2008. The upper left field seats offer a fairly nice view northwards to the US Capitol building. In chatting with the ushers, they said that Nationals Park is one of the "Greenest" parks, built with energy efficient lighting, drought resistant plants, recycled construction materials, as well as other green methods.

There are plenty of restaurants and concession stands all around at all levels, with a plethora of food offerings. In the outfield concourse is the Red Porch restaurant, which features s second story porch dining area and serves standard pub fare such as wings, nachos, and draft beers. There are stands for different coffee drinks, both hot and iced, gelatos, Italian ices, ice cream, sodas, a few bars offering draft beers, pizza, sandwiches, hot dogs, and other specialties. We decided to try our Teddy’s Barbeque, which has it’s stand on the main concourse level. The BBQ was being smoked in a big wood fired portable smoker. I decided to try a Rough Rider, named after then Colonel Theodore Roosevelt’s Calvary Division during the Spanish American War. Teddy’s Barbeque’s Rough Rider is a foot long BBQ short rib with a price of $10. It’s messy, but the meat is surprisingly tender with a sweet taste to it. I really liked it, although it’s not something I’d want to eat on my lap again.

There is a sixth inning Presidents race, reminiscent of Milwaukee’s sausage race, but with Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and Tom Jefferson. The gimmick is that this year, Teddy Roosevelt has never won a race, so there are occasionally teasers with Teddy Roosevelt almost winning. This time, George, who was in the lead, pretended to pull out with a cramp, as Teddy ran towards the finish line, Abe Lincoln sped past him at the last second to win. Maybe next time Teddy.

The attendance for a Sunday day game was about a third of ballpark capacity. I think the hot and humid August weather was partly to blame for the low attendance. Another factor is that Washington DC hasn’t embraced baseball yet. The Nationals moved from Montreal to Washington DC in 2005, but prior to that, there hasn’t been baseball in DC for about 30 years. While nearby Baltimore has the Orioles, DC has turned to other sports, notably the Washington Redskins football team and DC United soccer. I think once the Nationals start winning, there will be more fans.

The atmosphere, while not bad, was not as fun and full of energy as I had hoped. When other fans are into the game, cheering, and chanting, then the game becomes more fun as more and more of the crowd is involved. I think that in a few years, the Nationals’ effort to rebuild into a winning team will pay off and attendance and fan participation will increase.

We noticed that Old Ebbitt Grill kept coming up on various lists of top places to dine in Washington DC, so we decided that we had to try it out. Old Ebbitt Grill is on 15th Street between F and G Streets, across from the Treasury Building. It’s Washington DC’s oldest saloon, established back in 1856. It’s a favorite of presidents, politicians, celebrities, and many others. As we approached Old Ebbitt Grill, we could see there were about 30-40 people waiting outside at 8:30 PM. We figured if it’s this popular, it must be good.

We checked inside for a pager and waited outside for about 30 minutes to be seated. We were later seated in the back near the bar. Our waiter took our drink orders and recommended one of their famous oyster platters for an appetizer. We passed on the oysters as we weren’t in the mood for that at this time. We browsed the menu, which featured many different types of steaks, lamb, and ribs, and other saloon favorites. They had a lot of seafood items, from seafood salads, seafood sandwiches such as a crab cake sandwich and fried shrimp wrap. Even their appetizer section was dominated by seafood items from oysters to crab and artichoke dip. We didn’t feel like seafood, so I ordered the Cannelloni de Casa, and my friend ordered the grilled loin lamb chops.

While we waited for our entrees, we looked at the restaurant around us. It was like staring at a history lesson. The bar is made of nice, rich mahogany, as are some of the walls. There are thick crossbeams in the ceiling, reminiscent of Victorian-era architecture. There are various paintings depicting moments in American history, as well as many antique items, from the antique gas lamps, to antique carvings of federal eagles adorning the walls. The Old Ebbitt Grill does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of a turn of the century saloon, because it was one back in the day.

Our entrees arrived, and they looked good. My friend’s grilled loin lamb chops were nicely grilled and served on a bed of vegetable raisin-couscous, sides of green beans and a spicy peach chutney. The vegetable raisin-couscous was somewhat sweet, almost like a dessert. I tried my friend’s lamb, and it wasn’t too gamey, but very savory and juicy. My Cannelloni de Casa is a pair of house-made cannelloni pasta stuffed with spinach, mortadella ham and three different cheeses, and baked in a rich cream sauce. The pasta tasted very fresh and soft, definitely not from a dried pasta product. I really enjoyed the mix of mortadella ham and spinach with the rich cream sauce. The two cannelloni were just the right amount of food, but I would have eaten an entire tray of them.

Unfortunately we didn’t leave any room for dessert, which featured pies, cakes, brownies, and other favorites. Our total bill for food and drink was about $46, which included tax. The menu prices actually quite reasonable and not overly expensive. I really enjoyed my dining experience at Old Ebbitt Grill. Not only is the atmosphere very interesting, it’s a good place to people watch. The food was very good, the service was friendly and prompt. My only regret is that I didn’t bring a larger group so we could share our entrees and try more dishes. When I visit Washington DC again, I'll definately return to Old Ebbitt Grill.