Tourist Tuesday: The OTHER Air and Space Museum

I need to start by saying this to anyone and everyone that ever plans to visit DC - there are more than one Smithsonian museums you can visit. Shocker, I know. You can't imagine how many tourists I hear saying that they are "going to the Smithsonian," as if there was only one to visit. If you don't want to stand out as a tourist around these parts, make sure you know which Smithsonian you are going to visit. The more you know about DC, the better you will fare against all of us locals, that's all. :)

So, last week I mentioned that when my parents were in town we took them to the other Air and Space Museum. Not only are there more than one Smithsonian museum, but there are actually two Smithsonian Air and Space museums. If you're not from the DC area you probably had no idea that there are two Air and Space Museums (you may not have even known that there was one . . .) but it is definitely worth knowing that there are two.

The first one is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. It's the one made "famous" by a certain Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian movie starring Ben Stiller, or just famous because it's probably one of the more notable Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. This museum is located directly on the National Mall and is literally filled to the brim with air and space artifacts - from space suits to the Spirit of St. Louis plane. It's really a cool museum if you've never been there, but if you are like Chris and I and my parents, you've been there plenty of times and wanted needed to check out something new.

So, we decided to visit the other Air and Space Museum - the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport in Chantilly, Virginia. This museum is actually 45 minutes to an hour away from DC and the National Mall, and is unfortunately not metro-accessible, but if you have a car when you are visiting DC and have someone in your party who is even remotely interested in air and space flight I highly suggest you visit it. It's very cool.

The museum is actually three huge hangers - one for aircraft, one for spacecraft, and one for restoration - filled with planes, space modules, etc. When you walk in your eyes are literally flooded with aircraft, it's almost like you are blinded by planes and it's hard to even decipher what is what. See what I mean?

Of all of the planes, there were a few that definitely caught my eye. Like the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bombs in Japan.

Or the famous Concorde, the Air France plane you see behind that Boeing 707.

Then, we walked by the Restoration Hanger. I mean, how cool would it be to get to clean up and re-build these old planes? That is, if you had any mechanical experience and knew what you were doing . . . It looks cool though, right?!

Finally, we made our way to the Space Hanger. The hanger that I could not wait to get in to because of this beast. . .

Yes, it's the Discovery Space Shuttle!! How cool is that?! Seriously, this thing has been IN space.

Ok, so I might have gotten a little over-excited about the Discovery shuttle. Remember though, I'm a huge dork.

Other than that, there is a LOT of other things to see . . .

Charles Lindbergh paraphernalia.

Fabric from the Hindenburg.

A "gondola" (bottom of a blimp)

Itt's a car, it's a plane, it's a car/place!

I think we spent a couple of hours in there and never got bored. It did help that we went up in the Observation Tower that looks out over Dulles Airport and the surrounding northern Virginia area, and of course we stopped for a snack of a McFlurry and fries in the on-site McDonald's. MM mmmm fries!

A view of two of the exhibit hangers and northern VA from the Observation Tower

 And, in case you want to add a few more hours to your visit there, I suggest you check out what is showing at the museum's Airbus IMAX theater (a REAL IMAX theater). Chris and I have seen Inception and Star Trek at it, and it was ah-mazing!!

Lastly, if you plan on making the trip out there, remember to bring $15 for parking because while all of the Smithsonian museums are free to enter you do need to pay for parking at Udvar-Hazy. BUT, parking is free after 4pm and the museum closes at 5:30pm, and that might just leave you enough time to hit the hot spots! Also, the museum does provide tours if you like that kind of thing, or you can just be like us and wander around reading the plaques.

We've been to so many museums out here, and multiple times at that, so it was nice to see something not only new, but also really awesome! Everyone should have this museum on their DC to-see list, I know we'll be visiting it again!

Tourist Tuesday: Cherry Blossoms

It's only fitting that I write a Tourist Tuesday about the Cherry Blossoms since this year marks the 100th Anniversary of Japan's gift of the cherry blossom trees to the U.S. to celebrate the growing friendship between the two nations. In 1912, 3,000 cherry trees were gifted from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. First Lady Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park (around where the FDR and MLK Memorials are now). (Actually, a first batch of 2,000 trees arrived diseased in 1910, but just two years later new trees arrived and were planted.) These are the trees that now turn the Tidal Basin into a cloud of pink each spring!

Over the last 100 years, the cherry blossom trees have become staple attraction in DC, probably just as notable as some of the monuments and museums. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, which has been taking place since 1927, celebrates the gift of these trees, the Japanese and American friendship, and springtime in Washington! Usually the Festival lasts 2 weeks, but because this year is the 100th anniversary the festival is 5 weeks long (March 20 - April 27)!! Chris and I have never attended the Festival events, because while the cherry blossoms are gorgeous, I cannot stand the crowds, but, there is always a lot of fun stuff going on, such as a 10k race, a parade, and daily activities.

The Festival usually coincides with the trees' bloom (thanks to the National Park Service's predictions), however, because we had such an unseasonably warm winter, the cherry blossoms bloomed really early this year, like, two weeks ago-early. I'm definitely writing this post kinda late because some of the blooms are already being replaced by regular old green leaves. Oops! BUT, be sure to mark your calendars for next year's Festival!!

Like I said, Chris and I really don't like the Cherry Blossom crowds so we've only really walked around the Tidal Basin to take them in a couple of times. But, below are some photos I took of them two years ago (I think). The trees were right around peak bloom when I took these photos, but just google or flickr them and you'll see TONS of awesome photos of the trees, WAY better than these!

Now, like I hinted at, the Festival attracts over a million people every year. This is what some of that million usually looks like . . .

Looks like a lot of fun, right? Wrong (at least for us). If you are like us and would like to check out the Cherry Blossom trees but avoid the madhouse, here are my suggestions:

1. Go early in the morning. Not only are there less crowds early in the morning, but sunrise at the Tidal Basin would be really pretty. I wouldn't know though, I've never gone ; )
2. Go on a weekday or weeknight. Yes, there will still be the crowds of spring-breakers, but it won't be as bad as a weekend, I promise.
3. I also promise that there won't be as many crowds on a cloudy or even rainy day, that's another good time to go if you don't mind getting a little wet.
4. Avoid the Smithsonian and even the L'Enfant metro stations, but especially the Smithsonian station. They are like a cattle herd of lost tourists - crazy. Make it a day to get some exercise. Put on your walking shoes and walk from a further station. Archives/Navy Memorial is my go-to metro stop, probably because there is a Potbelly and Au Bon Pain right up the street from it, and it's on the yellow/green line where I live!
5. Lastly, just skip the Tidal Basin all together and go to the National Arboretum. I think that's what we might do this weekend, or sometime this spring. The National Arboretum has a huge variety of cherry blossom trees, including late-flowering ones! It also has what is called "Azelea Hill,"which is apparently gorgeous and may not be around much longer.So, go there!

So, that's the scoop on the Cherry Blossoms from a "Washington-insider." Even though we really don't get into the Cherry Blossom hype, they are really truly pretty, and definitely something special to the DC area, whether you see them at the Tidal Basin, around the National Mall or the National Arboretum, or just see them scattered throughout the neighborhoods!

Tourist Tuesday: Sports in the District

I know I need to start getting back into my Tourist Tuesday's and Washington Wednesday's post series, so since Spring Training and March Madness are right around the corner I figured I should tell you about sports in the District.

Here's my list of sports in DC worth checking out:

1. Baseball

We've been out to Nationals Park numerous times to watch the Nationals (or Cardinals) play.  It's a typical stadium where you can watch your home team (or the Nationals), drink beer and get a hot dog (or something more gourmet), but Nationals Park has it's own unique "thing." Every baseball stadium seems to have its "thing," and here it's The Racing Presidents. Every game, during the fourth inning, a select group of men and women don the heads of four Presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt - and race around the ballpark.

If people don't get up and cheer for the Nationals, they will cheer for the Presidents. Abe Lincoln has won the most at 154 times from 2006-2010, while Teddy Roosevelt, to this day, has not won a single race. There's even a local push to have Teddy win a race, with a blog and t-shirts dedicated to the topic. I think Chris and I secretly want to be at the game when Teddy wins ; )

2. Hockey

Another team you can check out is the Washington Capitals hockey team. And, they are actually pretty good! I took Chris to a game in January as a Christmas present (and it fulfilled my goal to visit a DC place once a month). The game was a lot of fun, plus the Caps won! If tickets weren't so expensive, I would definitely go more often (almost $100/ticket to sit in pretty much nose-bleed seats). It was the first NHL game I had been to in eons and I really look forward to going to some more, I just have to save my pennies . . . (Oh, and the Verizon Center where they play is located in the heart of Chinatown, so it's super easy to get to and there are tons of restaurants to catch drinks and dinner before a game.)

(Courtesy of afagen via Flickr)

3. Football 

You can also go see the Redskins play at FedEx Field. No, the Redskins aren't the greatest team in the NFL, but if you like football, why not! Plus, even though it's way out in Maryland, at least it's metro-accessible. Chris and I have been lucky enough to go to FedEx Field to watch the Rams and Chiefs play, from a box. Now, while it isn't the same experience as tailgating in the parking lot and sitting in the cold smashed against other fans, I'll take free box seats any  time! (Thanks, Dad!)

4. Basketball

Washington's basketball team, the Wizards, also play in the Verizon Center. The "pros" of watching the Wizards are that they're a NBA-team (even if some college teams could beat them) and the tickets are cheap (because they aren't good). The "cons" of watching the Wizards is that they aren't good. They are so bad that their losing streaks are constantly discussed in local news. They're even so bad that I've been to one of their games (tickets were $10, awesome!) but still accidentally say that I've never been to a NBA game. Oops. Maybe the NBA isn't for me, but for $10 tickets I might still go to a game.

(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

5. Soccer

Yes, DC has a soccer team, the DC United. And, people out here really like their soccer team. I really really really want to go to a game (hint, hint, hubby), but their games are less frequent, and the tickets are kinda pricey. They play at RFK Stadium, which was named in honor of JFK's brother, Robert Kennedy, and used to be the home of the Redskins, Senators, and the Nationals. There is talk of DC United moving into a new stadium in Maryland, but I think RFK is pretty cool. I mean, it has held international soccer games for the FIFA World Cup and the 1996 summer Olympics in it - cool, no? Going to a DC United game is definitely on my list of things to do in DC.

(Courtesy of lunasola via Flickr)

6. Tennis

Did you know DC has a pro tennis team? They do. Meet the Washington Kastles, which include Venus and Serena Williams. Awesome, right?! They are undefeated. Nuff said. Every summer they host a WTT (World Tennis Team) tournament in DC, and one summer, we will go. Right, Chris?

(Courtesy of absentmindedprof via Flickr)

7. College Basketball

Lastly, it's only fitting living on the east coast that I mention college basketball. People out here love their college basketball. Some even follow the Division II and III teams - weird, I know. But, there are some pretty big Division I teams out here like the University of Maryland Terps, Georgetown Hoyas, and the George Mason University Patriots (my alma mater!). Some years they're good, some years they aren't, but they definitely have fan followings out here and you can't avoid hearing about them during basketball season. Sadly, as a Mason student I never went to a game, but someday I plan on it!

(Courtesy of Phil Romans via Flickr)

So, that's my list of sports things to do in DC. If you're bored with walking around monuments and museums, I would suggest checking out one of the local sporting events. Although, as I mentioned, I'm not claiming that they're very good, or that it's cheap . . .

We're always up for an outing to a game so if anyone is interested, let us know!

Tourist Tuesday: Pentagon Memorial

In light of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 this past weekend and my thoughts on this mile-marker, I decided that today's Tourist Tuesday would be about the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial here in Washington, DC.

I'm sure everyone has included Ground Zero or the World Trade Center site on their "must see" list when visiting NYC ever since that fateful day, and rightfully so, it's truly breath-taking in magnitude and sobering in reality. I'm not sure though that anyone thinks to include the Pentagon Memorial on their "must see" list when visiting Washington, DC, do they? My family has visited countless times, and I can't even remember if I have taken them to it, have I? I'm sure it just gets forgotten amongst the numerous other memorials, sites, museums, and attractions this city has to offer, but I don't think it should be forgotten any longer so I've decided to tell you about it.

First of all, yes, you can visit the Pentagon Memorial. I guess because it's at the "Pentagon" it has an elusive aura about it, but it is actually fairly simple to get to. All you have to do is hop on the metro - on the Blue or Yellow line - and get off at the Pentagon stop, which is only right across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. Then, follow the signs around the building to the Memorial. Easy, schmeezy.  (Although, it is probably a half-mile walk around the Pentagon. It is the world's largest office building after all!)

While the Pentagon itself is massive, the Memorial is smaller. You really don't need much to understand what happened, or to make a statement.

Courtesy of NewsHour, via Flickr

The Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2008, shortly after Chris and I moved to DC. It was actually one of the first memorials we visited as new residents to this area and it was the first time I had visited a 9/11 site. The first thing I noticed was its proximity to the highway. I could only imagine the confusion of the those on their morning commute watching a plane flying so close overhead and watching it crash directly into the side of the Pentagon. The next thing I noticed was how intentional and informative the site was designed. Each "wave," as I like to call them, represents a person that was killed in the attack, whether on the plane or in the Pentagon. Each wave is placed within an "age line" indicating their birth year. So, not only do you truly see the magnitude of the attack from the quantity of people memorialized, but the age lines humanize the waves by showing the range of ages of those that died, from a toddler to the elderly. You can't help but think of those that died that were born the same year as you, or your parents, or your friends. You can't help but realize that these people were just like you and I.

The "waves." Courtesy of jjgardner3, via Flickr

Lastly, the water flowing under the waves and the trees planted in the area are a great reminder that life goes on and that the memory of those that perished will live on through all of us. Standing in the shadow of the repaired Pentagon, you really get a sense of the chaos and loss that took place there that day. But more importantly, you get a sense of the passage of time and the peace that that has afforded us. It is a sobering, thought-provoking, memorializing, and inspiring site, and one that I think everyone should include it on their next visit to Washington or their next stroll around the city.

If you can't make it to DC in the near future, the Pentagon Memorial has a great website that I suggest you visit: http://pentagonmemorial.org/ It has pictures and biographies of those that died, an interactive map of the site, photos and videos, FAQs, and even an audio tour.

Tourist Tuesday: Bird's Eye Views

One thing I think everyone likes to do when they visit a new city is to check it out from a different perspective. A bird's eye view, the skyline, whatever, let's face it, we are not content with viewing things from the ground-up. In St. Louis you can "journey to the top" of the Gateway Arch for roughly $10. You can make your way up to the Chicago Skydeck in the Sears Willis Tower for about $17. Seattle has the famous Space Needle, whose views can be attained for $18. And, in the Big Apple you can choose from the Empire State Building Observatory, and possibly reenact Sleepless in Seattle or An Affair to Remember, for $20+, or the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center for around $23. Oh, and let's not forget the Eiffel Tower, where you'll pay 13 euros, or almost $19 with our current exchange rate, to take in the skyline of Paris. (swoon.)

If you are cheap travelers like Chris and I though, it's hard to swallow the cost of some of those views. (Although, Danielle and I did buck up last summer and visit the Empire State Building. Which was pretty awesome...)

Times Square and Bryant Park from the Empire State Building.

But again, the cost of seeing the spectacular views of some of the best cities around the world is pricey. Boo. Did you know though that you have two opportunities to catch close-to-bird's eye views of DC for free? Yup, free, $0. (That's why DC is pretty awesome for tourist-y stuff. Or, at least one reason.)

First, there is the obvious Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument stands over 555 feet tall, and supposedly offers views of thirty miles (if you are fortunate to visit when we do not have any humidity. fat chance.). Visitors to the Washington Monument have been going to its top since 1885. Pretty cool, no? Those peeps back then walked up the almost 900 steps to get there, but today, you take a short elevator ride up. Whew. And I will admit, while you aren't as high up as you would be in the St. Louis Arch or other structures, the views are pretty awesome. It's a good way to "see" all the tourist-y stops in one place. Take a look....

WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and VA

The White House

The Capitol and RFK Stadium (see what I mean about the humidity?)

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Anywho, like I said, going up to the top of the Washington Monument is free, however, there is a catch - you still need a ticket and those go fast! North of the Monument there is a little gift shop building where they hand out the tickets to the top for the day. It is on a first come first serve basis, so the line starts forming before the building even opens on even moderately busy days. If you are lucky enough to get a ticket to the top, your ticket will tell you at what time you will go up. You might get your ticket at 9am, but you won't be able to visit the top until 1pm. Get it? It kinda sucks just a little, but at least there is other stuff to do around the Monument, ever heard of the Mall or Smithsonian? (Bring your walking shoes!) If you are a "planner"-type of person though, you can reserve a ticket to the top ahead of time for a $1.50 service charge. While that is technically not free, $1.50 is a pri-tty good deal (unless you really are a tight-wad. no offense.).

 Now, the Washington Monument is a very obvious choice for panoramic views of DC, but if you want to get off the beaten path (by just a few blocks) and avoid the crowds, I would suggest visiting the Old Post Office Tower. See, it is literally 2-3 blocks from the Washington Monument and the Mall...

View Larger Map

The Old Post Office Tower is located in the Post Office Pavilion, or the Nancy Hanks Center technically. Once the old center of the Postal Service, it is now a hodge-podge of offices, shops, a food court, and National Park Service museum and site. While it has a turbulent past and was hated by DC for a long long time, it has been revitalized and is really really cool. Trump Hotels is even considering converting it for their chain of hotels. It is one of my favorite buildings in DC (I am a sucker for Richardsonian Romanesque) and a place I love taking visitors (the food court has a Ben & Jerry's, nuff said).

Wikimedia Commons

Anyway, you can go up the Old Post Office Tower, for free, and, I will bet you, with no waiting in line. Plus, the elevator going up is glass.Sweet.

My parents in the glass elevator.

And, even though your view won't be as high as the Washington Monument's, it's still a good one!

Pennsylvania Ave. and the Capitol

I think the EPA roof & the Washington Monument

So, there's my summary of the bird's eye views of DC that you can get for FREE. I love visiting these places and definitely suggest you do the same when you come out to visit (us).

Here's more info on both places:
Washington Monument history here and here (Wikipedia, duh) and ticket reservations here.
Old Post Office Tower info here and here (NPS). And of course, Wikipedia info here.

Tourist Tuesday: Visiting The White House

So, I've found myself blogging a lot lately about our house and our cats. Sure, they are interesting, and I'm sure you all loooove reading about them, but I bet you are wondering what it's like to live in our nation's capitol? You know, because technically we live less than 5 miles from President Obama.... that's probably more interesting than our pathetic cat, right?

So, I figured I would dedicate every Tuesday and (or) Wednesday to giving you a glimpse of life in DC in the form of Tourist Tuesdays and Washington Wednesdays. This way, you get a little more than the inside of our house, which could be in Anywhere, USA, and more about our Washington life. Sound good?

So, for my first Tourist Tuesday post I want to talk to you about some, well you know, something tourist-y: The White House.

Courtesy of Seansie, Flickr

When people come visit DC, one place that I'm sure is on their list of places to see is the White House. Everyone wants to take that typical picture of it to say, "I've been there!" But what people don't realize is that nothing can be less glamorous than showing up at the White House only to see a gazillion other tourists lining the fence, cramming around to get their camera between the iron bars for the photo op. It's even less glamorous when there are protests surrounding the fence as well. And, as my cousin aptly stated when he visited us for the first time, the White House looks smaller than you'd think. So, you've spent your time winding around the streets of DC only to get a photo of the place. The same photo you can snag from any quick google search and Flickr (see above). I get it, it's about the experience of seeing the White House. But, instead of just seeing it, why don't you try go inside? Now, THAT'S an experience! (And, like much of DC stuff, it's FREE!)

The first time my parents were able to visit us, that's just what we did, we got a tour of the White House. And let me tell you, it's been one of the most memorable "tourist-y" things I've done in the 3 years we've lived out here!(And trust me, that's saying a lot. Not that I don't love the Mall and the Smithsonians, but they get bor-ring after the tenth or so time around!)

In order to go inside the White House, here's what you have to do:

1. Contact your Congressman(woman)'s office at least 21 days in advance. This can be any Senator or Representative, just pick one. Most members of Congress have information about visiting DC on their webpages. For instance, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill has a web-form you can complete if you are interested in taking a tour of the White House.
2. From there, their office will contact you back most likely requesting more information from you, such as social security numbers of the visitors (background check, duh!), and giving you more information about the process.
3. Lastly, if there are tour availabilities during your visit, you will get an email from your Congressional office again with the tour date, time, and additional information.
4. Then, you just need to make sure you get your butt to the White House Visitor's gate, present your government-issued ID (drivers license or passport), and go on in! (btw - no purses allowed, sorry!)
(More information about the process can be found at WhiteHouse.gov)

One thing to remember is that you will not get to pick the day or the time of your tour. And, you aren't necessarily guaranteed a tour during your visit, it is on a first-come-first-serve basis, and also depends on what is going on in the White House that day. But, it doesn't hurt to try, right?

If you are able to get a tour, I will guarantee that it'll be something worth talking about! It's pretty awesome to see White House staffers walking around with "White House logo" coffee cups, and to step into all of the iconic rooms with a serious collection of historic furniture and art (swoon). Plus, if you are lucky, like my dad, you'll run into a friendly Secret Service German Shepherd.... (read: stay away from them!) You aren't guaranteed to see any particular rooms since it depends on the White House (ie, President's) schedule for the day, but heck, just walking into the White House is pretty darn awesome!

And, while they don't let you take photos inside the house, you can take them as you are leaving. Here is a quick photo my mom took of my dad and I right outside the North Portico.

Don't we look pretty darn excited?!

I bet when you started reading this you thought you would get a "White House history" from me, no? Well, if you do want a little White House history I would suggest checking out Wikipedia (come on, it's got the basics) and WhiteHouse.gov.

Also, let me know, as tourists, what you would like to see me write about in my Tourist Tuesdays. Any particular tourist-y spots? How to's? Anyone want some histories?!?