Finding a Founding Father at the National Postal Museum U.S. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin offers something of interest to just about everyone. The younger set tends to be drawn to his kite-flying exploits, elders might explore his history with bifocals, and anyone in the workforce might appreciate his endeavors as perhaps one of the founder…
Category: Washington, D.C.
The Working Hilton
Knowing how sizeable the Washington Hilton is, how it is a lure both for tourists and business folk, I am reticent to stay there. Yes, it is ideally situated just north of Dupont Circle on Connecticut Avenue, perfect for getting a cab, walking to the Metro, or just hanging around the neighborhood at places like…
It’s Just a Sweet Art Installation
Beyond the Luncheon of the Boating Party at the Phillips Collection We can pretend all we want that our visit to the Phillips Collection is to appreciate the Rothko paintings, but we know as we climb the stairs, shuffle through the galleries, wonder if we really like the more contemporary additions to this museum that…
Disco D.C.
That Vegas Feeling in Washington’s Grand Dames Has anyone ever gone to the nation’s capital to experience the glitz? D.C. tends to be a staid and educational or work-related travel destination, one where a little history, a brush with power, and, increasingly, some good food, can be had. A quick visit to some monuments, a…
What to Order at Russia House
On a quick trip to the District of Columbia with the Brawny Sherpa and the most senior of our youthful adventurers, we opt for dinner at the Russia House both for its convenience — located in close proximity to the Washington Hilton, where we are staying for the weekend — and in the hope that we will…
Gawking at Ford’s Theatre
That Creepiness at the Crossroads of Tourism and Assassination Despite living in the District of Columbia for more than a decade, I always dodged visits to Ford’s Theatre, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by actor John Wilkes Booth. “Too many fourth-graders on a field trip,” I’d mutter, dismissing the long lines snaking outside the…
Learning about the Korean War in the District of Columbia
Armistice Declared in Panmunjom on July 27, 1953 The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated on July 27, 1995 Photo credit: M. Ciavardini The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. brings warriors close to civilians. Seeing statues of soldiers and others in combat mode reminds viewers how frightening war is for…
Running across History
Taking in Nuggets of Information A monument to the soldiers of the Confederacy in Arlington National Cemetery. A visitor might marvel at its size given the cause for which the soldiers were fighting. Photo credit: L, Tripoli Traveling back in time: On Feb. 22, 1862, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president of the Confederate States…
Remembering the Maine Far from Havana
Add the explosion of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898 to the list of historical events I don’t know enough about. I would “remember the Maine” if only I could. I know the incident triggered the Spanish-American War. I recall that the reason the boat exploded is perhaps a little murky. Conspiracy theories…
Making Field Trips More Fun: Gargoyles and Grotesques
It’s Wacky Wednesday! One favorite travel oddity is a certain grotesque at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque, I have learned, is that gargoyles have spouts as part of a building’s drainage system. Grotesques apparently are merely decorative. Who knew gargoyles served such a practical function?…