Travel News from Washington, DC -- Summer Edition, 2007

Travel News from Washington, DC	May 2007

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Urban Adventures Await for Summer and Fall Travelers

Washington, DC is packed with possibilities for travelers seeking fun and adventure in the great outdoors. If you're looking for a unique way to soak up the summer sun or take in the fall foliage, try one of these urban escapes:

Moonlight hikes: If there's a full moon, head to the National Arboretum for a moonlight hike. Each month on the Friday and Saturday evenings following the full moon, an Arboretum staff member leads hikers on a five-mile trek through the 444-acre park, tucked away in the northeastern corner of the city. On the two-hour guided tour, hikers travel past scenic woodlands, often catching a glimpse of the creatures who venture out after dark. The paved trail also rambles past a set of Corinthian columns that were once part of the East Portico of U.S. Capitol. Call (202) 245-4521 in advance for a reservation; the popular tour books quickly. The fee is $15 per person.

Lotus position: Warm weather brings out the best of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, one of Washington, DC's most remarkable natural attractions. Located in the southeast quadrant of the city along the east bank of the Anacostia River, Kenilworth is the only National Park devoted to the propagation and study of aquatic plants. The park spreads across 14 acres, with 45 ponds that sustain a collection of more than 100,000 water lilies, ferns and lotuses. Each July, when the heat-loving blooms near their peak, Kenilworth welcomes hundreds of nature lovers for its annual Water Lily Festival, held this year on July 21.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Rock scrambles and waterfalls: For an invigorating day out, locals love the Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls National Park in suburban Maryland. The 4.2-mile trail traces the Potomac River near the magnificent waterfalls. It's not an easy stroll, however; hikers scramble over rocks and climb over inclined boulders for breathtaking views of the river. When you've traversed the trail, rest your feet at Old Angler's Inn, a vintage 1860 restaurant known for its inviting outdoor terrace in summer and cozy fireplace in fall and winter.

Set sail: Near Washington, DC, the calm, gentle Potomac is an ideal spot to learn to sail against an impressive backdrop of monuments and memorials. Never manned the helm? The Washington Sailing Marina offers multi-day and weekend classes as well as boat rental for seasoned sailors. On most spring, summer and fall weekends, you can take a two-day course to learn the essentials for navigating a 19' Flying Scot or Sunfish; evening and weekday classes are also available.

Tour a Green Roof: Washington, DC is committed to earth-friendly construction. Green roofs create a garden-like setting on building rooftops, reducing storm water run-off, improving heat and sound insulation, improving air quality and increasing park space. If you've never seen a green roof up close, take a free tour at the downtown headquarters of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Tours are available by appointment Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm.

Free (and almost free) Entertainment Lights Up DC's Summer Nights

It's easy to pack your days with fun, free things to do in Washington, DC. The free and affordable entertainment extends into the evening, when visitors can catch an assortment of concerts, performances and sporting events every night of the week.

Concerts & Performances: No matter what season of the year, the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage puts on free performances nightly at 6 pm, featuring an ever-changing lineup of music, theatre, dance, comedy and more from local and touring acts. On Monday nights, you can also head to the National Theatre for "Monday Night at the National," a series of free performances by music ensembles, dancers and actors.

Visit the National Zoo on a Thursday night in June, July or August and stick around for the Sunset Serenades, a series of free concerts on the Zoo’s Lion/Tiger Hill. Local artists perform jazz, blues, folk, rock and patriotic tunes from 6:30-8:30 pm, and the Mane Restaurant stays open late with picnic fare available for purchase.

The National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden provides an artistic backdrop for top local jazz artists with its free Friday night summer concert series, Jazz in the Sculpture Garden. Patrons can sample light fare and cold beverages while winding down the week with soothing jazz standards from 5-8:30 pm.

You can also save on mainstage productions at area theatres with a stop at TICKETplace, where you can purchase half-price tickets for same-day performances of many productions. Located on 7th Street between D and E Streets within walking distance of several downtown theatres, TICKETplace is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Music & Men in Uniform : Join in another patriotic summer tradition by catching a military parade. On Wednesdays in May and June, visitors and locals gather to watch the U.S. Army Twilight Tattoo, a colorful military pageant that follows Army history from colonial to modern times, complete with music, marches and reenactments. The 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) parades on the Northwest grounds of the Washington Monument, followed by performances by the U.S. Army Band, U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and U.S. Army Chorale.

End your day on a patriotic note with a free military band concert. There's at least one band playing each weeknight, beginning at 8 pm. On Mondays, catch the U.S. Navy Band on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The Navy Band also performs on Tuesdays at the U.S. Navy Memorial. The U.S. Air Force Band plays at the Capitol on Tuesdays at 8 pm and Wednesdays and Fridays at the U.S. Air Force Memorial. On Wednesdays, head to the Capitol to hear "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band, which also performs each Thursday at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima). The U.S. Army Concert Band performs at the Capitol on Friday evenings.

The U.S. Marine Corps also puts on a stirring show with its Evening Parades, held Friday nights at 8:45 pm at the Marine Barracks (8th and I Streets SE). Soldiers file past in impeccable formation while "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band, "The Commandant's Own" U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the Marine Corps Color Guard perform.

Photo Credit: U.S. Marine Corps.

Sporting Events: Liven up your day of sightseeing with a night of professional sports action. From April through September, you can watch Major League Baseball's newest team, the Washington Nationals take the field at RFK Stadium. Games are a bargain, with tickets starting at just $5. The WNBA's Washington Mystics also put on a spectacular show for sports fans, and tickets start at just $10.

Free Films: On Monday nights mid-July through mid-August, the National Mall becomes a movie theatre with Screen on the Green. Classic American films are shown at sunset on a jumbo screen stationed between 4th and 7th Streets NW, near the National Air and Space Museum. Screenings are free; pack a picnic and come early. This year's lineup includes "Annie Hall" (July 16), "The Thing" (July 23), "Wait Until Dark" (July 30), "All the King's Men" (August 6) and "Casablanca" (August 13). For more information, call 1-877-262-5866.

Monuments at Moonlight: For a picture-perfect summer evening, top off your night on the town with a moonlit tour of the monuments and memorials. Splurge on a guided nighttime tour by trolley, by bicycle or even by Segway, or plot your own course and explore the National Mall at night on foot or by taxi.

New Nightlife District Emerges within the Nation's Capital

There's a new cluster of nightlife and entertainment venues springing up along H Street, in the northeast quadrant of the city near Union Station. The once-abandoned commercial district is now home to some of the city's most interesting hangouts.

Some call it the "Atlas District" in honor of a 1930s movie theatre-turned performing arts space located in the neighborhood. After four years of renovation, the Atlas Performing Arts Center re-opened its doors in Nov. 2006 and is now a symbol of the neighborhood's artistic revival. This 60,000 square foot complex features four new theatres, production and rehearsal spaces, a cafe and offices. Atlas also houses a diverse group of resident theatre and dance companies including the African Continuum Theatre Company and DanceSmith, as well as the Joy of Motion Dance Center, offering a variety of dance classes.

The neighborhood's movers and shakers - along with curious residents from other parts of the city - gather at nightspots like the eclectic H Street Martini Lounge. Couches and chairs surrounded by exposed brick and polished marble bar-tops lend a homey feeling to the trendy lounge. Try a cocktail or two from an extensive selection of more than 50 premium martinis like the Dulce de Leche Martini, a concoction of vanilla-flavored vodka, Irish cream and butterscotch, rimmed with caramel or the Bermuda Triangle Martini, made with vodka, Chambord, splashes of Amaretto, orange and pineapple. If you prefer traditional spirits, go for the Classic Dry Martini made with gin, dry vermouth and an olive-either shaken or stirred.

One of the most eye-catching (and mind-boggling!) stops in the H Street corridor is the Palace of Wonders. Inside the unassuming nightclub, you'll find a vaudeville stage, full bar and museum packed with oddities like a preserved python head, a taxidermied body of the last living unicorn and other specimens. The Coney Island-inspired venue delivers seven nights of unconventional entertainment including live 50s-style burlesque dancers, sideshow acts and vaudeville shows. There are also female arm wrestling matches, retro DJs and dancing girls. No two nights are ever the same. The palace opens daily at 7 pm and the museum is open the first and third Sunday every month from noon to 4 pm.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Palace of Wonders.

H Street Just next door, The Red and The Black is a sharp contrast. The cozy, New Orleans-style bar offers everything from house-made jambalaya and Louisiana's Abita beers to great haircuts. On Monday nights, just two drinks will earn you free red beans and rice and on Tuesday nights from 9-11 pm, guests can get a trim from local stylist John Cullen, served with a shot on the side for just $12. An upper level is outfitted with a stage to showcase bands ranging from indie-rock to country acts. For a lower-key environment, the first floor features a wall-mounted jukebox stocked with more than 200,000 songs.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Red and The Black Bar.

Catering to traveling artists and music fans, the Rock & Roll Hotel pays homage to historic roadside hotels that housed touring musicians. Don't let the name fool you; you'll spend the evening here listening to live music, but you won't stay the night. The "Hotel" part of the name refers to a series of "suites" decorated with vintage furniture that may be rented out for private parties. This near-400 capacity hotspot celebrates the sound and thrill of live performances and even features a recording studio and rehearsal space for groups.

A night out on H Street is made simple with free roundtrip shuttle service provided on weekends between these venues and Union Station. Service runs between approximately 10 pm - 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, call (301) 751-1802.

Interactive and New Meets Tried and True For Families in the District

It's no secret that Washington, DC is an ideal place to take a family vacation - there's no place in the world that packs as many fun, free and educational attractions as the nation's capital. Even as the District's historic sites and famous attractions continue to amaze and inspire, they're also doing their part to entertain and engage visitors with interactive experiences. Here's how:

The journey from childhood to leadership is explored in a new interactive exhibition on display through Jan. 1, 2008 at the National Archives. School House to White House: The Education of the Presidents pulls together materials from the Presidential Libraries to reveal fascinating details about the children who would grow up to lead a nation. Visitors can look at pictures of baseball teams, graduating classes and marching bands and try to identify some of the nation's most famous presidential faces. There are even vintage lockers, which when opened, take patrons back in time with school photos and memorabilia.

Before you leave the building, stop by "Public Vaults," a permanent interactive exhibition that give visitors the sensation of walking into the Archives' behind-the-scenes vaults and stacks. Kids can step into the boots of ordinary soldiers on the front lines, follow the original investigation into the sinking of the Titanic, read a real teenager's plea to keep Elvis out of the army and even listen in on the deliberations of presidents as they faced some of the country's greatest challenges.

The Newseum opens Oct. 15 with a host of exhibits and programs designed with future journalists in mind. Kids can deliver the weather forecast in front of a green screen, snap photos of a news scene and get critiqued by a professional photojournalist and view front page news from all over the globe.

Older children (12+) are not left out of the interactive fun DC has to offer. The International Spy Museum embarks on a new, immersive experience debuting June 1. In the hour-long Operation Spy, participants will take on the role of U.S. intelligence officers on an international mission to locate a missing nuclear device on the verge of being sold to a rogue nation. This intense experience combines live-action video characters, themed environments, special effects and hands-on activities. Participants take part in an intrigue-filled adventure based on an actual case drawn from the files of U.S. intelligence. Challenged to feel, think and act like real intelligence officers, they uncover layers of deception to reveal a world of double agents and corrupt officials. Participants leave Operation Spy either congratulated on their success or aware of their failure, and conscious of the real challenges of participating in the "great game" of espionage.

DC's art museums and galleries are quick to provide family tours, hands-on activities and interpretive programs for their youngest visitors. The Smithsonian Institution's Asian Art museums, the Freer and Sackler Galleries, are often at the forefront, entertaining young artists with Imaginasia, a free weekly program. Offered each Saturday, Imaginasia guides children through an exhibition and lets them create a related art project to take home.

This summer, the Sackler Gallery and the adjacent National Museum of African Art play host to a major exhibition, Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries, on display from June 24 - Sept. 16. As parents peruse more than 300 remarkable works of art from Portugal's trading empire - including Africa, Brazil, the Indian Ocean, China and Japan - children learn about the significance of the lotus in Asian art and craft their own origami lotuses to take home. Other family-friendly programs include gypsy music demonstrations, Indian dances and pirate story-telling.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the National Museum of African Art.

Kids will soon get a new opportunity to see and touch butterflies at the exhibition, Butterflies and Plants: Partners in Evolution, opening this November at the National Museum of Natural History. The general exhibition will focus on the evolution of plants and butterflies, while a separate, climate-controlled Butterfly Pavilion will allow visitors to get up close and personal with 300-400 butterflies fluttering throughout the space.

Cycling tour specialist company Bike the Sites and walking tour company Washington Walks have teamed up to create family-friendly "Bike and Stroll" tours designed for kids ages 4-9. Offered Friday nights at 6 pm, "In Fala's Footsteps" teaches kids about the Great Depression and the FDR presidency through the eyes of Fala, the trusty First Pooch. The tour also explores nearby attractions like the National World War II, Korean War and Jefferson Memorials. On Saturdays at 6 pm, kids learn about the life and times of the famous 16th president in "Good Night, Mr. Lincoln," which also includes stops at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Signer's Island and the Einstein Memorial. Small children can hitch a ride behind their parents in tandem trailers.

Send the kids to camp at one of DC’s acclaimed cultural institutions. Budding actors and actresses can build stage presence at Camp Arena Stage or the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Camp Shakespeare. Would-be secret agents will love the International Spy Museum’s Spy Camp. Future artists can spend their summers crafting original creations at the Corcoran College of Art + Design’s Camp Creativity.

Even hotels are stepping up, recognizing the need to provide more than just the typical overnight stay for child visitors. Consider the Hotel Palomar, which caters to budding ballerinas with its Washington Ballet specialty room. The guest room is adorned with memorabilia from the acclaimed dance company, including autographed ballet slippers and vintage performance posters. It's also equipped with a miniature dance studio with a professional ballet barre, hardwood flooring and mirror, as well as a selection of dance DVDs to assist little danseurs and prima ballerinas in perfecting their pliés.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Hotel Palomar.