Results tagged “Washington DC” from Intelligent Travel Blog

In anticipation of the arrival of the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at National Geographic headquarters, Destination DC is offering a Weekend Warriors Package from mid-November to the end of March.

The Terra Cotta Warriors, the guardians of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, will be on display at the National Geographic Museum in D.C. from November 19 through March 31. Since their discovery in 1974 by farmers digging a well, over 1,000 life-size terra cotta soldiers, wearing full armor, have been unearthed and an estimated 7,000 additional warriors remain, waiting to be exhumed. Each warrior is unique, with his own hairstyle, facial features and expression. Since the discovery of the first warriors, life-size chariots and horses, servants, musicians, acrobats and animals have also been uncovered. It is believed that the warriors were made in order to protect the emperor during the afterlife, one example of his obsessive quest for immortality.

Watch out Washington: Now that the weather's beginning to cool down and we can once again spend time outside without succumbing to heat stroke, cycling is one of the best ways to enjoy the changing seasons. There is always the option of taking your bike down one of the many area trails, such as the C&O Canal path along the Potomac or through Rock Creek Park. But if you need some encouragement, there are several area events that may motivate you to pull your bike out of the garage, strap on your helmet, and hit the road.

Tomorrow, September 22, is International Car Free Day, an event that encourages commuters to leave their cars at home and consider all forms of alternative transportation: bus, metro, and especially bicycle. Here in D.C., 1,000 residents went car free in 2007, and that number increased to 5,445 in 2008. But the District still has a ways to go to catch up to Portland, Oregon, where 8% of the population bikes to work every day. (To learn more about biker-friendly Portland, look out for our November issue.)

For those of you who aren't sold on biking to work, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association is holding its 50 States and 13 Colonies ride this weekend, Saturday, September 26. The 50 States Ride, which is over 60 miles long, takes participants through all of D.C.'s eight wards and covers all 50 state streets. The 13 Colonies Ride is a less challenging path that covers the streets named for the 13 original colonies in under 15 miles. Event organizers offer lunch in the middle of the ride and discounted food and drinks at the end. It may not be around the world in 80 days, but I'd say around the United States in one day is pretty impressive.

--Traveler Intern Meg Beasley

Today five Central American nations--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua--celebrate 188 years of independence. On this day in 1821, Central American notables accepted a plan drafted by Mexican caudillo Agustín de Iturbide that declared the five nations free from Spain. Today in Central America most people celebrate their independence much as we in the U.S. do on July 4th: a day off from school and work, full of parades, picnics, parties, and patriotism.

Here in the U.S., today also marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month during which communities around the U.S. celebrate the diverse and dynamic Hispanic culture. Here in D.C., some of my favorite activities related to Hispanic Heritage Month include the National Zoo's Fiesta Musical this Sunday, September 20th, from 11-5 p.m. Admission is free, so you can enjoy lots of Latin music and dance at the zoo's band shell, buy some authentic Latin cuisine, and browse the colorful arts and crafts for sale.

Über-author Dan Brown is about to strike Washington, and everyone is getting ready. Brown, whose first two blockbuster novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, have taken up permanent residence on the Times best-seller list and have been Hanksified for Hollywood, has written his next book, The Lost Symbol, about the hidden secrets of Masonic Washington. And the actual Masonic Washington -- the people who work at Masonic sites throughout the city -- are preparing for the onslaught of tourists, according to a story last week in the Washington Post.

"I'm expecting [tourism] to skyrocket," says Heather Calloway, director of special programs for the Masonic House of the Temple on 16th Street NW, which receives about 10,000 visitors a year. She will double the staff of part-time tour guides, if necessary, to handle the crush.

"We might have to spend the next 25 years responding to Dan Brown's fiction," says Mark Tabbert, director of collections at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria. "That's what I dread." (Think he's overstating? Wait until you hear from his European counterparts, who are still drowning in their own Brown invasions.)

Here at Traveler we often say the hardest part about our job is being stuck in an office while we tirelessly research exotic and exciting destinations. Instead of overdrawing on vacation days, we have to find alternative remedies to cure our wanderlust. Last week, I quelled my travel bug, and a hungry stomach, without having to purchase a plane ticket.

It was Restaurant Week in D.C., and after perusing a long list of participating restaurants I chose Belga Café, a Belgian bistro in Eastern Market. Walking through the front doors I felt transported to a modern and lively European kitchen, and with one quick glance at the menu I learned there's much more to Belgian cuisine than waffles and beer (although I sampled plenty of the latter).

As an intern trying to make the most of her summer in the capital, I'm always on the lookout for cool things to see and do. The Smithsonians? Check. Free concerts at the Kennedy Center? I'm there. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when I was invited to tour the Holy Grail of D.C. destinations, the cherry on top of the Executive sundae--the West Wing of the White House (above).

This is not an opportunity that comes along every day. Tours of the White House's East Wing can be arranged through your representatives in Congress anywhere between six months to 30 days in advance. But the West Wing takes a little something extra. You have to know a White House staffer... so when a friend asked if I'd be interested in seeing where President Obama goes to work every day, I jumped at the chance.

Having seen pretty much every episode of NBC's "The West Wing" ever made, I started out half expecting to run into Leo McGarry in the hallway or pass Mrs. Landingham's desk on my way to see the President. Brace yourself, reader: it's not how it looks on TV. Don't get me wrong, the West Wing is still incredibly cool. But everything, from the corridors to the Oval Office, is a lot smaller than any fictional version of it I've ever seen.
 
Official photos of the President and the First Family covered the walls as we made our way through the hallways, past staffers' closed office doors and at least four guard stations. Every once in a while a new batch of pictures is put up, and the old ones make their way into people's offices.
 
For all that it doesn't look the same as in the movies, once in a while we passed something instantly recognizable: the Rose Garden, the Cabinet Room, and finally, the Oval Office. I'm not going to lie: it's pretty awesome to look up and realize you're standing in front of a place you've been seeing in pictures your entire life.

Historical figures often define a city, their presences lingering long after their deaths. Nowhere is this more the case than in Washington, D.C. Here, you can't avoid history and the legacy of America's great men. I mean, there's a giant white needle in the middle of the city to commemorate our first founding father. You can't miss it even if you try.

A large part of my summer in D.C. has been shaped by one of these great men: Thomas Jefferson. It all started when my grandpa found out I would be in D.C. this summer and sent me his copy of Jefferson's Bible. Yes, it's a real book. Jefferson took issue with the Gospels, considering the authors to be uneducated and to have written them too long after Jesus' death, so he examined a Latin, Greek, French, and English version of the four books of the Bible (aside: Jefferson spoke six languages; legend has it that he learned Spanish on the three week boat trip from America to Spain), and cut and pasted what he liked into a new version of the Gospels.

I sent my grandpa a thank you note, telling him I would return the book upon finishing it and expressing my interest to learn more about Jefferson. Instead, he told me to keep the book and sent me another: a biography of the third president--a compilation of excerpts from letters he had written--that my grandpa had bought when he and his wife had stopped at Monticello on their RV trip across the United States. So, I decided to learn more about the man my grandpa called "a genius, albeit with some human frailties."

First stop: the beautiful Thomas Jefferson Building in the Library of Congress (above), which has an ongoing exhibit on the second floor featuring the books around which the great library developed. When the British burned the Capitol in 1814, the entire Congressional Library was destroyed. Jefferson could relate because when his family home, Shadwell, burned in 1770, he grieved the loss of his books more than anything. So, in a controversial move, he sold his personal library to Congress for $23,950 in 1815. This original library has been restored in the exhibit, with Jefferson's books catalogued in an order he described as "sometimes analytical, sometimes chronological, and sometimes a combination of both." Based on Francis Bacon's method, he divided his books into three categories--Memory, Reason, and Imagination (which included History, Philosophy, and Fine Arts)--and from there, into 44 smaller categories. Two thousand original books remain, while those ruined by fire and wear have been replaced with different versions of the same edition.

Here at Traveler, we love digging through the archive of photographs available to us at National Geographic to learn about the history of a place and see how it's changed over time (see our recent photo galleries on Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Kodachrome Culture for examples). We present a "Then and Now" photo feature in every issue, and have even dedicated an entire photo issue to looking at how the places we love have changed. So with that in mind, I was particularly taken with a photo set I stumbled upon on Flickr where the photographer, Jason Powell, aligned old photos in their contemporary settings. The collection, called "Looking into the Past" is culled primarily from images from the Library of Congress, and were reassembled in the area around D.C. and Virginia. He's right, they open a window into the past that's just fascinating. Powell says he was inspired by the "Souvenirs" series of images created by Michael Hughes, and also on Flickr. Both sets are great, and help us look at familiar places with a new light. Check out more images from "Looking into the Past" after the jump.

As an intern in D.C. for the first time, I am receptive to all suggestions for what to do in the city. So, when Daniel Pink suggested a visit to the National Building Museum to learn about design in his book A Whole New Mind, I decided to go.

After standing in the Great Hall for a while, overwhelmed by the expanse of open space so out of place in a city, I headed to the gift shop. An hour and a half went by, and I finally had to convince myself to leave the store and look at the exhibits before the museum closed. We visit museums for the exhibits, to learn and not to shop, right?

The evidence is not so clear: notice the gift shops in almost every museum, at most historical sites, and those that amusement park visitors have to walk through after they get off popular rides. In a way, it makes sense--we buy mementos to remind us of experiences that meant something to us. However, often the items sold in gift shops are chintzy little things that can be found anywhere you see people wearing fanny packs.

In order to help you avoid the schlock and zero in on something truly one-of-a-kind, Kate McCormack (Traveler web intern) and I decided to use the model of Traveler's Authentic Shopping Guide for a tiny, niche market: gift shops at Washington, D.C., museums. Continue past the jump to get our ranking of these shops and for our suggestions on what to buy at each.

The second annual Capital Hip Hop Soul Festival is set for this Saturday, July 25th, in Marvin Gaye Park in Northeast DC. The free festival and community celebration features a full line up of local talent (16 acts) on two stages, over 20 vendors from community businesses and DC nonprofits, along with a booksigning and poetry slam. The family-friendly festival starts at 11 a.m. and the park is located between two Metro stops: Minnesota Avenue (orange line) and Capitol Heights (blue line). Check out the website where music from the festival is streamed.

To learn more about the festival, we caught up with Maceo Thomas, the festival's organizer.

How'd the festival get started last year?

I was introduced to the music of Kokayi and Afi Soul, two local artists--Kokayi lives in my neighborhood--that I never had heard of. Their music was fantastic. I realized I was clueless on the level of talent that exists here in DC around hip hop and soul music. I had to believe that there were more people like me who couldn't hang out on U St. until the wee hours of the morning to hear these folks. I woke up one morning and decided to put as many local talented hip hop soul artists together one day to introduce them to other folks like me who may have been equally clueless. And I say that totally with love.

If you like this bargain with a cause, the package, offered through Sept. 7, comes with a few rules: the reservations cannot be refunded or canceled, and must be made 72 hours before you check in. It also requires a minimum stay of two nights.

The 42nd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival kicked off yesterday down on the National Mall, among D.C.'s iconic monuments and beloved museums. The festival will run this week through Sunday, June 28th, and picks up again Wednesday, July 1st through Sunday, July 5th for the Fourth of July weekend.

Each year the free outdoor festival (see schedule here) celebrates the living cultural heritage of specific countries, peoples, or regions. It's a great place to learn from the artists, musicians, and practitioners themselves about their unique and authentic cultural traditions. This year the festival showcases the music of the Americas, African American oral tradition, and Wales.

A new exhibit opened today in the National Geographic Museum here in DC at the National Geographic Society headquarters. It's called "Kodachrome Culture: The American Tourist in Europe" and it features wonderfully retro travel images from the pages National Geographic magazine. Here's one of my favorites, a photo of people lounging on the rocky beach at Etretat, France, with the Notre Dame de la Garde chapel atop the chalk cliffs in the background.

From the exhibit:

National Geographic pioneered the use of Kodachrome film in the late 1930s and was among the first to recognize its advantages. The film produced a dye image without the grain found in other color processes, and the photographs could be enlarged without loss of detail. The film was also faster. Instead of requiring a tripod, color shots taken with a compact 35mm camera could be spontaneously composed. By the time American tourism was taking off in the 1950s, National Geographic photographers were adept at using Kodachrome. The images helped National Geographic stand out from other magazines still publishing in black-and-white.
Eventually Kodachrome became the most widely used color film in the United States.

Fast Facts:

The National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For information on the "Kodachrome Culture" exhibit, call (202) 857-7588 or visit www.ngmuseum.org.

Read More:

Senior Photo Editor Dan Westergren discussed the story of how National Geographic Explorers came to name Kodachrome Flat in Bryce Caynon, Utah. And check out a gallery of classic Kodachrome images from the National Geographic archives here.

Photo by Howell Walker, from "Normandy Blossoms Anew," National Geographic magazine, May 1959, p. 629

After just returning from Look3, the Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia, you'd think that I'd be on photo-overload. But when Janelle Nanos and I got the offer to take a sneak peek at the new William Eggleston exhibit, opening this Saturday, June 20, at the Corcoran, I jumped at the chance....my eyes can rest when I'm sleeping!

Eggleston is best known for bringing color photography into the fine art realm, and his landmark exhibit at MoMA is still considered groundbreaking. In the early 1970s, he began to use the dye-transfer process to get intensely saturated prints previously only used in advertising photography. Eggleston's unique perspective on everyday and ordinary subject matter, like the inside of an oven or a tricycle, is at times humorous and occasionally sad. This exhibit is a retrospective of his work, from his early days in black and white to his more recent work in Japan and Berlin. 

If you are in D.C. between this Saturday and September 20th, head down to the Corcoran to see William Eggleston: Democratic Camera; Photographs and Video. Plus, on Saturdays through August, the Corcoran will offer free admission. And don't forget to check out Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes, it closes July 12th.

Photo: William Eggleston, Memphis, 1975; dye transfer print; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC; Gift of Mr. Morris R. Garfinkle, 1987.30.3

The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is in full swing here in D.C. this week, with over 100 performances in 35 venues around the city. This year's festival celebrates the music of New Orleans, and has a roster of artists -- Harry Connick Jr., Buckwheat Zydeco, Trombone Shorty -- that would make any jazz-hound swoon. While the huge, talent-packed event at the Kennedy Center this coming Monday is sold out, they'll be plenty of (free!) jazz performances on The Mall this weekend, and restaurants and clubs throughout D.C. are hosting acts as part of Jazz in the Hoods. I spoke with the festival's founder, Charles Fishman, yesterday about the events, and in the spirit of jazz, he riffed a bit with me about how it's come together.

"The first year we did three concerts and had programs in 11 different clubs, this year we have over 100 performances in 35 different venues in the city. Jazz in the Hood is going into restaurants, clubs, hotels, and galleries. Some of these places do jazz, but many of them don't. It's pretty overwhelming -- people keep calling us and saying they want to be involved. Working with all these clubs, it's very encouraging to see what the response has been.

"Jazz is the one of the only original American art forms. You need to expose people to jazz: They hardly hear it on the radio, they never see it on television, and the record studios aren't doing diddly squat. These festivals are becoming a force.

"To have two full days on the National Mall for such renowned musicians from New Orleans is an amazing opportunity. I think we're the first jazz festival to dedicate our festival to another city. With the exception of our artistic advisor - everybody is from New Orleans. Essentially we're offering a virtual microcosmic cornucopia of the diversity of the musical heritage of New Orleans, which has driven American culture. But unfortunately, many immortal jazz artists are more appreciated out of this country than in this country."

Fishman encourages anyone coming into D.C. this weekend to make their way to The Mall, and be sure to check out U Street, where much of the city's jazz history is found. As our interview/jam session ended, I thanked him for his time. "That's what we do, we jazz baby," he said with a laugh.

[Duke Ellington Jazz Festival; Schedule of Events]

Photo: Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

The decline of honeybees--which are not native to the United States--has been a hot topic of research for some time. The bees are dying from colony collapse disorder, a condition in which worker bees suddenly disappear, and that has killed an estimated one in three colonies a year since 2006. Fortunately, many companies, from farmers to hotels, are working to save the bees.

Environmentally conscious group Fairmont Hotels has a swarm of new guests staying at the hotel chain's D.C. property. The hotel has installed three beehives on its roof, which house over 100,000 Italian honeybees. The bees are part of the hotel's culinary program, and sous chef-turned-beekeeper Ian Bens expects the bees to produce some 300 pounds of honey in the first year. The honey will be used in soups, salad dressings, ice cream, and pastries at restaurant Juniper, and eventually Fairmont hopes to turn the honeycomb into candles and soap. Canadian-based Fairmont has beehives at its Vancouver, Toronto, and New Brunswick properties as well.

In the past two years ice cream giant Häagen-Daz has donated some $500,000 to universities to promote honeybee awareness and to research colony collapse disorder. Blueberry farmers in Maine are also trying to help the dying honeybees. Jasper Wyman and Son, the largest blueberry producer in the United States, imports some 10,000 hives each year to pollinate its blueberry fields. According to president Ed Flanagan, there has been an 80 percent spike in cost of pollination in the past few years. The company just donated $50,000 to Penn State to research colony collapse disorder.

Even the 2010 Winter Olympics is doing its part. The Vancouver Convention Center, which is undergoing a huge renovation in preparations for the Olympic Games in 2010, has installed beehives on its 2.4-hectare green roof. The goal of the installation: bees bring business. According to TMCNET.com, "bees are the new 'it' endangered species and urban planners and architects across... are anxious to bolster their numbers in urban settings."

Photo: skb_inspirations via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

Hello, city lovers! Today's city is our own, Washington, D.C., filtered by the City Sifting local (and former IT helmsman), Emily King.

Want to see your city on IT? Copy and paste our list of fill-in-the-blank questions into an e-mail, fill in your answers, and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org. And if you're still waiting for us to feature yours, fear not! We're going to keep posting as long as we keep getting them (please include photos and links!).

Washington D.C. is My City

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is the Lincoln Memorial. Sounds cliché, but I still think it's the most magical place in the city. The other must-see is the Library of Congress.

When I crave onion soup, I always go to Café du Parc. When I crave a milkshake, I head to Good Stuff Eatery for their Toasted Marshmallow hand-spun shake.

To escape, I head to Charlottesville, VA.

If I want to feel cultured, I go to the Studio Theatre. Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll runs through June 7--buy tickets, you'll love it!

For complete quiet, I can hide away on Theodore Roosevelt Island. It's one of the few nature havens in the city.

I've been meaning to blog about my visit to Ray's Hell-Burger (get it?), a fantastic burger joint in Arlington, Virginia, which I visited the weekend before last. So imagine my surprise to hear that I missed spotting President Obama by just a few days! Turns out the POTUS and VPOTUS went out for lunch to the local eatery yesterday afternoon, surprising a long line of patrons who had turned up to grab a juicy burger and got a glimpse of the commander in chief instead. How's that for a burger endorsement?

It's obvious that Barack has good taste when it comes to burgers, and these are some of the best I've found in the D.C. area. The shop, which opened last fall, is a no-frills local spot decorated with B-movie posters; paper towel rolls stand in for napkin holders on the tables. The admittedly huge portions come laden with toppings, which range from the standard applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese, to highbrow selections like foie gras and truffle oil. The burgers themselves are made of the trimmings from the proprietor's other restaurant, Ray's the Steaks, which is just down the block from the shop, and all of them come served on a brioche roll, which does get a tad soggy if you're a slow eater. Best to grab it with both hands and dig in. No fries are served (apparently, the owner believes they detract from the burger experience) but you can get a side of cole slaw or potato salad, both of which are top-notch. Finish it off with a root beer and you might mistake Ray's Hell-Burger for heaven. 

Plan Ahead: If you're in the Washington area, you can check out Ray's by trekking across the river from D.C. to the Courthouse Metro stop in Virginia. If you arrive on a weekend, be sure to check out the flea market that pops up in a large parking lot nearby.

Ray's Hell-Burger: 1713 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22209; +1 703 841 0001.   

As we've said before, the National Mall here in D.C. has been in disrepair for some time. Despite hosting some 25 million visitors a year, the national park has only 100 toilets and three places to buy water. The Reflecting Pool is old and grimy, and the Mall's grass just hasn't been the same since millions of people visited D.C. for the Inauguration in January.
 
But finally, after much deliberation, the Department of the Interior announced yesterday that Washington, D.C. will get more than $70 million to restore these "eyesores." The Washington Post reports $30 million will go to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and $7.3 will go to the District of Columbia War Memorial, which has seen very little upkeep in decades.

But the aid doesn't stop at District lines. Twelve million will go to the C&O Canal, which has more than 180 miles of hiking and bike trails, $3 million will go to Arlington Cemetery's historic Custis-Lee mansion, and nearly $10 million will go to Skyline Drive, one of the country's most popular fall foliage drives.

The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which awarded $750 million to the country's national parks. The money will fund some 750 projects around the U.S.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that work on the National Mall will begin immediately, and hopes to have the projects complete by September 2010. He told the Post:

"With respect to the National Mall . . . this is but the beginning," he said. "This is a down payment on the challenges that we face on the Mall. . . . This is not Washington, D.C.'s Mall, this is the Mall that belongs to the people of the United States of America. . . . This is part of the best of what is America."

Photo: StacyN - MichiganMoments via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

The Smithsonian Craft Show, now in its 27th year, has never failed to highlight the best in fine crafts. And starting this Thursday, the show will make its grand return to the National Building Museum. Here people will be able to browse--and purchase--one-of-a-kind work by 120 accomplished craft artists from across the country. What's more, for the first time ever the Craft Show is part of a larger celebration called CraftWeek DC.

This week of celebrating crafts spans from April 22-26, during which a head-spinning array of craft-related events will take place in various venues throughout the city. In an effort to help people navigate their way through the madness that will become CraftWeek, The Washington Post called upon Washington glass artist Tim Tate to create a CraftWeek guide in which the most interesting events have been culled and grouped into the following categories: Student, Everyman, and Connoisseur. It's an excellent resource and well worth consulting.

I've yet to decide what events I'm going to attend, but here's one that caught my attention at first glance: The Art vs. Craft Tug of War and Panel Discussion (4/22) that's taking place from 5:30 - 7:30pm in the Washington Project for the Arts (2023 Massachusetts Ave. NW). Here artist Steve Frost and gallery owner Rebecca Cross will debate the difference between 'art' and 'craft.' The discussion will be followed off by an actual tug of war in Dupont Circle between team art and team craft. Which team will you be on?
 

In a not-too-well-known wrinkle of history, Lincoln freed the approximately 3,000 slaves then living in the District of Columbia on April 16, 1862, nine months before the country-wide emancipation of enslaved peoples. In honor of that date, Washington, D.C., celebrates Emancipation Day today.

In D.C., Emancipation Day was a public holiday marked annually from 1866 to 1901 before fading away. It's been revamped in the past four years, though D.C. Mayor Fenty has recently considered scrapping the local holiday to save the city some much-needed money.

This year, a series of education and commemorative activities have been planned, ranging from ongoing art exhibits on African American celebrations and culture, to rallies and marches supporting D.C. statehood, to a living history discussion with an actor portraying Lincoln as he discusses his views on slavery, colonization, and emancipation, put on by the Historical Society of Washington. Some events and church services continue into the weekend and beyond. If you can, be sure to catch the discussion by Howard University professor Dr. Mark Mack about how ground penetrating radar is being used to detect the unmarked African American graves which were discovered what is now Walter Pierce Park in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. The session takes place in the park at 2 p.m. on April 25.

Does your city have any celebrations of its very own? Unique to its history and culture?

Photo: via D.C. Mayor's office, by Lateef Mangum

It's no secret here at Traveler that we'll go just about anywhere for a good cupcake. So when our Geotourism Intern Christina Stockamore told us about an actual bike tour with cupcakes built in we immediately demanded she share the details.

Will work for baked goods: Christina, far left, poses with the group.

After purchasing my first road bike a few months ago, I was anxious for the weather to turn a little warmer to join a group bike ride. I noticed that City Bikes, a full-service shop in D.C., offers a weekly 18-mile bike ride called the Cupcake Ramble. The route starts at their shop in Adams Morgan, passes through Rock Creek Park and ends at their other location in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The best part: The ride is led by pastry chef Sol Schott, of the popular D.C. eateries Open City, Tryst, and The Diner.  

So on a recent weekend I decided to try it out, and I met the group at 11 a.m. on Sunday outside City Bikes in Adams Morgan. Sol arrived a few minutes later apologizing for his delay--he had just wrapped up his work in the bakery. I noticed we had a mixture of bikes--road bikes, hybrids, cruisers--and as we got moving, I was grateful that mine had gears.  

NG News Editor Christine Dell'Amore is recently back from a trip to Paris, where she had the chance to use everyone's favorite bike-sharing program, Vélib. After a bit of a delay, D.C. became the first city in the U.S. to launch its own bike-sharing program, so Christine decided to check in and see how they're faring.

What's all the rage in Europe usually trickles its way across the Atlantic in due time, and such is the case for bike sharing, which made its high-tech North American debut in Washington, D.C., in August 2008.

SmartBike DC launched with 120 bikes in 10 greater downtown neighborhoods with the aim of cutting down on traffic congestion and reducing air pollution.

D.C.'s program rides on a wave of bike share initiatives sweeping Europe, from Barcelona to Copenhagen, but it's Paris that's arguably the most besotted with bicycling.

Since its program, Vélib, began in July 2007, more bikes have been added for a total of 20,600.

I decided to see the City of Light via Vélib in December and found it remarkably user-friendly (even for a foreigner). A one-day pass costs just one euro - less than a Metro ticket - and in case a particularly enticing pastry in a shop window steers you off course, there is almost guaranteed to be a bike rack nearby. Surprisingly, weaving through the city's lawless roundabouts isn't too harrowing, as long as you don't mind squeezing between cars. (Though note that helmets are not required nor provided!)

Abraham Lincoln has been all over the news lately. The media drew parallels galore between Lincoln and Obama: Both thin men of humble origins, each served Illinois for one term in Congress before becoming president. Both our 16th and our 44th presidents arrived by whistle-stop train tour for their celebrated inaugurations; the same bible swore each into office; and both rally their fractious nation through masterful stagecraft as talented orators.

Beyond the Lincoln/Obama comparisons, of course, Lincoln is in the news as it's his 200th birthday this Thursday, February 12th. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has assembled a great website that compiles heaps of commemorative and celebratory events around the U.S. as well as trivia quizzes, background on Lincoln, and even resources for teachers to bring Lincoln into their classrooms.

IT's browsed the Lincoln Bicentennial site and below, share some of the events that caught our eye, starting with our dear District and moving out throughout the country.

Events in Washington, DC

See the Emancipation Proclamation with your own eyes at the National Archives from Thursday through Monday, 2/16. If you swing by on Monday, 2/16, you can also see Senator McGovernor discuss and sign copies of his new book, Abraham Lincoln.

Kids will enjoy interactive events Monday, 2/16, from 9 a.m -3 p.m., at the White House Visitor Center's "President for a Day," where they can chat with Lincoln and craft their own correspondence with quill and ink.

On Thursday at noon, a reading of the Gettysburg Address and performances of 19th-century music will follow a wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial.

The Kennedy Center will host a choral festival of 350 voices to celebrate Lincoln, Monday, 2/16, at 2 pm. Tickets are $10.

The site of John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Lincoln on April 14, 1865, Ford's Theatre reopens after an extensive 18-month renovation. On Thursday from 9 a.m. -5 p.m., the theatre will host a full schedule of speakers, performances, and activities to commemorate Lincoln's life and presidency. Students will read his speeches and a brass band will play Civil War-era hits. The Heavens Were Hung in Black, a play detailing Lincoln's struggles in 1862, premieres.

The National Gallery of Art will screen a documentary about the Shaw Memorial, Saint-Gaudens' sculpture commemorating the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, one of the first African American regiments to serve in the Civil War.

Learn about Lincoln's dramatic death and the doctors who attended to him in his final hours at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. See bone fragments and clumps of hair from his fatal wound. This special exhibit runs through the end of December, 2009.

Stop by President Lincoln's Cottage, his family's home during the summers of the Civil War, at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest DC. Check out its full range of Lincolniana

We're not sure whether this will be a permanent trend here at IT, but we did feel that it was important to share the recently released news that the new baby gorilla at Washington's National Zoo is a girl! (Pause here for a collective awwww....) David Braun at the Nat Geo News Watch blog reports:

Thus far, Mandara [the mother] and her baby girl are adapting to their new lives as Zoo celebrities and seem to be unfazed by the attention they're receiving from the crowds of visitors flocking to the Great Ape House.

You can watch a video of the keeper offering an update on the baby here. Visiting the zoo in our nation's capital is free (and it's just one of the many, many free things to do here) so it might be one more reason to plan a visit.

And in more monkey news, there's also now a video of the chimp rescue we wrote about last week. In it, Emerging Explorer Jill Pruetz talks about the rescue, and we get to see baby Aimee live in action. Here's to monkey Fridays!

*Ok, we know that the technical term is "great apes" instead of monkeys. But monkey Fridays just has such a nice ring to it!

Photo: Meghan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo  

A good many readers commented on contributing photographer Catherine Karnow's recent post about her last minute trip to the inauguration, and shared some links to their own pictures. So we thought we'd share a few more, and went to our Flickr pool. Here are the bunch tagged "inauguration." If you want your photo added to the mix, add them to the pool tagged "inauguration" and we'll update this post tomorrow. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Thanks for adding your additional pictures to the pool - we love them! And if you want more of Catherine Karnow's photos, you can check out her slideshow at the Huffington Post.

Quick hits from our travel radar:

• Though widespread public opinion indicates the opposite, Playmobil toys is convinced that going through the security checkpoint in airports is actually a fun game. [Amazon]

• Earlier this week, heavy rains damaged the geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines, one of Peru's biggest tourist attractions. Officials say they should be restored relatively soon. [Jaunted, The Age]

• France's President Nicholas Sarkozy has announced that as of April of this year, the country's national museums and monuments will be free for visitors under the age of 25. [ABC]

• Perhaps the best souvenir from the Inauguration? Ojamas. [Escape from New York]

• Hidden in the midst of the city of Istanbul are historic wooden homes from the 17th century; seeing them transports you back to Ottoman times. [IHT]

Some people knew they'd be heading to the Inauguration weeks in advance. But Traveler photographer Catherine Karnow made a last-minute decision to hop a flight cross-country to witness history. On Tuesday morning, she stood alone on the Mall with her camera. She got the amazing shot below, and here, she tells us the story behind it.

I wasn't planning to go to the inauguration. I was going to stay home in San Francisco, watch it on TV, and then go to my brother's house for fish soup and champagne.

Then on Sunday night at nine o'clock, I suddenly decided I must be in Washington, so I booked a seat on United and started packing cameras and long underwear. I arrived late Monday night, studied the inauguration website for rules and routes, repacked to get all my gear to fit in a tiny evening bag (the only small shoulder bag that I had), and slept for two hours.

I wanted to be on the Metro by 4:30 a.m., as the warnings about crowds and access had me extremely worried.  One friend had told me that she was denied access onto the Mall during Sunday's concerts because "it was full." The Mall was full? I wasn't taking any chances. My plan was to get to the Lincoln Memorial, park myself in front of a JumboTron and be amongst the people and the excitement. I didn't need to be close to the Capitol, just fully immersed in the crowd.

I arrived in town at 5:30 a.m. It was pitch dark, and already people were streaming towards the Mall. I went with the flow, and ended up at a spot much closer than intended, within a clear view of the Capitol. People were strewn on the ground, sleeping on cardboard and wrapped in blankets; it was bitterly cold. I decided to stay where I was. I wanted to be near a screen, and be surrounded by people who felt right and whom I wanted to photograph. It was important to me to be in the right place. This felt right, somehow. 

Cultural Tourism DC, a nonprofit coalition that promotes authentic cultural institutions in DC, has compiled a handy and extensive list of inaugural celebrations and specials at local museums for those braving the crowds next week.

Some of our faves include:

• The Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences will offer free admission next Tuesday. Stop by to learn the scientific principles behind one of Obama's campaign priorities, global warming. If you're one of the first 500 visitors, you'll get a free commemorative key chain.

• While the National Portrait Gallery is always free, what better time to visit its collection of presidential portraits, the only complete one outside of the White House, than on Inauguration Day. Be sure to also check out Shepard Fairey's now-iconic, mixed-media stencil collage portrait of Obama in the New Arrivals section on the first floor.

• Relive the drama of Obama's 18-month presidential campaign as photo historian and NYU professor Deborah Willis discusses and signs copies of her book, Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs, at the recently revamped American Museum of National History from 1-3 pm.

• With temperatures expected to hover in the 30s on Inauguration Day, head indoors to the National Archives to watch a live telecast of the Inauguration in the McGowan Theater. It's free but try to arrive early as Pennsylvania Avenue, a direct route to the Archives, may be closed to pedestrians as the parade nears.

For more great ideas on things to do this weekend, be sure to check out Traveler's Inauguration Travel Guide.

Image: Shepard Fairey/Obey Giant.com

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day upon us, it's time to enact the dormant civic idealism awakened by Obama's campaign slogan, "Change," and serve our communities on our day off next Monday, January 19th.

If you're in D.C. for the inauguration, you can take part in any number of volunteer opportunities. Greater D.C. Cares is organizing over 500 volunteers to help out in six local public schools, painting lockers, classrooms, and touching up murals. We Feed Our People, in conjunction with the Mayor's Office on Volunteerism, will serve warm meals to over 400 people while hosting a health fair. And the D.C. government has compiled a list of community service projects for this year's MLK Day of Service. Projects range from serving breakfast to the homeless, winterizing a fishpond at a community health clinic, tutoring a child, cleaning up a park, or sorting donated food at a food bank. You can volunteer all day or just an hour or two.

Check out the MLK Day of Service website to search their database of volunteer opportunities throughout the country to find a project in your area. Or visit Obama's own service site to pop in your zip code, and find a project that matches your availability and skills.

Are you volunteering next Monday? What projects are available in your city?

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial, by Paul Schitzer via Life Magazine Archive

Ben's Chili Bowl, where only Barack Obama and Bill Cosby can eat for free, is just one highlight of DC's U Street.  After chowing down on a killer half-smoke with chili, you can stretch your legs and explore the street that first gained fame in the early 20th century as Washington's 'Black Broadway.' Then it was home to Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington and hub for African American culture and nightlife in the city, and today it's enjoying a new renaissance, with distinctive shops like moojoo ken, top jazz clubs like Bohemian Caverns, popular bistros like Cafe Saint-Ex and Marvin, and a collection of wine bars like Vinoteca and Cork. In celebration of Inauguration Day, the bookstore cafe and gathering place Busboys and Poets will be open 24 hours, and Cake Love, our favorite place for homemade cakes, will be offering a special confection named 44, a "Salty Caramel layer cake to honor our 44th President" with individual slices for $4.40.

Traveler staffers Janelle Nanos and Krista Rossow had a blast making this walking tour photo gallery of U Street, part of our extensive Inauguration Guide to DC. But when they stopped at Ben's Chili Bowl and Krista pulled out her camera to photograph one of the famous half-smokes, the waiter stopped her. "Wait a minute," he said as he took the plate back to the kitchen. Uh-oh, thought Krista and Janelle. A minute later the waiter returned, with the half-smokes sweetly decorated, as if they were birthday cakes. Thanks, Ben's!

Photo:  Krista Rossow

Looking for a creative, collaborative, community-based (and not too expensive) way to celebrate Obama's inauguration this January 20th? Check out Art of Change's Inaugural Ball.

Sponsored by Artomatic and Playa del Fuego and housed in three performance venues along the 1000 block of 7th and L Streets, Art of Change will boast two dance floors, an art gallery, a variety stage, and even a fire performance area (!). There'll be comedy, spoken-word, belly dancing, bluegrass, acoustic guitar, and Hindustani violin along with some groundbreaking East Coast DJs.

The party starts at 8 p.m. and tickets, on sale now, are $50. Consider volunteering for the event or sign up to perform, if that's more your cup of tea.

As the venue's inside the Secret Service's restricted zone during the inauguration, plan to Metro on over. The site is close to both the Gallery Place/Chinatown and Mount Vernon/Convention Center stops.

For more suggestions on how to celebrate check out our online guide to the inauguration.

Are you going to the inauguration? How do you plan to celebrate?

Photo: Art of Change

How well do you know your presidential history? Take a gander with our online WorldWise quiz devoted to our past Chief Executives. Here's the first question:

George Washington took his oath of office in 1789 in the Federal Hall of what U.S. city, then the country's capital?

a) Philadelphia
b) New York City
c) Baltimore

Make your guess and find out the answer here! And find more quizzes online.

Photo: Dan Westergren

Late last night, President-elect Barack Obama officially arrived in Washington. He and his family are staying at the Hay-Adams Hotel for the time being before moving into the White House, in order to get the first daughters settled and started in school. Several papers have reported that the Obamas are anticipating their transition to Washington with a mix of excitement and nerves, so we at Traveler decided to do our best to help them get settled in D.C.

The Obama family spent a portion of their Christmas vacation in Hawaii, and, as the Washington Post reported this weekend, much of Obama's character is influenced by his Hawaiian upbringing. So Associate Editor Amy Alipio dug up the best ways to find a little aloha in Washington. From grabbing a plate lunch at Makakoa Enterprises to taking a hula class at the Joy of Motion dance studio, we've got a list of eateries, events, and opportunities that will help them make them feel at home.

For more tips on making the most of Washington D.C., be sure to check out our travel guide to the District's best offerings for the inauguration. 

Photo: Timothy Schenck/Istockphoto.com

Nearly four million people could descend on Washington, D.C., this January 20 for the inauguration. We've just launched the ultimate guide to the capital city and the big event, complete with practical tips,  44 must-see places, Traveler editors' picks, where to get a taste of Obama's native Hawaii, a D.C. photo gallery, and much, much more. Check it out!

Photo: Krista Rossow

So what if I'm jumping the gun.

The Traveler staff is putting the final touches on IT's special guide to Inaugural D.C., scheduled to debut on this site in the coming weeks.

But today, I found out that one of my guide suggestions is offering a lunch special I couldn't wait to share.

PROOF (775 G Street; +1 202 737 7663), my favorite nation's capital resto, is serving a $12 bar lunch that includes a glass of wine and one of seven plates. And we're not talking standard fare. Among the choices is a Wagyu steak and cheese sandwich with wild mushrooms, peppers, onions, jalapeno mayo and provolone. The wines are also a cut above, the likes of Austria's Hofer Gruner Veltliner as well as other deeply flavored reds to write home about. I was told that the special bar lunch likely wouldn't be offered on Inauguration Day itself, but will be available throughout the month. Hope to see you there! 

--Senior Editor Sheila Buckmaster

Photo: The Bar at Proof, courtesy of the restaurant

Just a reminder folks, we're currently collecting reader photographs for our first user-generated photo gallery, and we're looking for great shots of Washington D.C. So if you haven't done so already, make sure to join our Flickr pool and add your classic D.C. shots to the mix. Be sure to label them clearly, and add the tag NGTDC. We've already got a great collection cropping up in our pool, thanks to the good people at DCist, who helped promote the gallery. Those selected for the gallery will get a free subscription to Traveler mag. 

On Wednesday morning, Traveler staffers Jeannette Kimmel and Janelle Nanos got a sneak peek at the newly renovated National Museum of American History, which opens to the public this Friday, November 21st. The two-year, $85 million project has breathed new life into the formerly staid building. The most dramatic elements are the sweeping, light-filled atrium that now stretches through the building's spine, and the original Star Spangled Banner, which is elegantly preserved behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and illuminated with relatively low light levels - evoking the "dawn's early light."

A cast of luminaries - including President Bush and the First Lady - turned out for yesterday's event. The President spoke for several minutes, calling the museum "one of our nation's greatest centers of knowledge," and saying that the "items on display here are as diverse as our nation." Laura Bush, he noted, was also integral in coordinating the current special exhibit at the museum, a handwritten copy of Lincoln's Gettysburg address that is typically kept in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House. Lincoln's words, said President Bush, which were spoken 145 years ago yesterday, "are written on the heart of every American."

As if to prove the point further, right after the President spoke, five people took to the stage to participate in a naturalization ceremony, tugging at our collective patriotic heartstrings.

"No city in America pays homage to its history more than this our capital city," said author and historian David McCullough, following the ceremony. "Washington D.C. insists we remember, it beckons us all to look and learn. And nowhere is this stronger than in the National Museum of American History's walls. There are no facsimiles here. At a time when so much around us is synthetic and artificial, here is the real thing. How can we love our country if we take no interest in its story?"

Calling the museum a "talisman," McCullough suggested that these "real things" have the power to share a multitude of stories. "Our stories," he said.

After watching the speeches, our private tour began. More photos and videos after the jump.