Neighborhood Heritage Tour - U Street

Earlier in April on one of the first gorgeous Saturdays, my friend, Elle*, and I decided to do one of the Neighborhood Heritage Tours.  Cultural Tourism D.C. created several different tours for most of the neighborhoods in D.C.  They range from 2 hours to 90 minutes. 

Elle and I opted to do the U-Street tour, and loved it.  It was a great way to be outside on a beautiful day and learn about D.C.  I was amazed that D.C. has a vibrant African American community as early as the late 1800s and that the community made great contributions to the Harlem Renaissance.  

I also learned about Mary Foote Henderson, who created Meridian Hill Park and developed much of 16^th Street.  She also just sounds like a lady I would like to meet.  

  

Not only did I learn about D.C.’s fascinating past, but I also learned a lot about D.C. today.  For example, the Industrial Bank at the corner of U Street and 11^th Street, is the longest operating bank owned by an African American.  I also learned about the Thurgood Marshall Center and all that it does for the D.C. community. 

Industrial Bank                                                                              Thurgood Marshall Center

Elle and I just walked the tour and it took about an hour or so.  However, we easily could have made it last longer by grabbing a drink at the Caverns, which was highlighted on the tour, going into the exhibit at the Marshall Center or visiting the Civil War Museum (Sidenote: am I the only one that did not know there was a Civil War Museum there?).  The tour was great at taking you to quieter, pretty streets in the U-Street Neighborhood, as well as, bustling streets with great options to grab a coffee or a snack.  I definitely plan on doing another one of the tours.

Pro Tips:

1.     Take a picture of the map on the sign.  If you go with friends, you will chit chat and forget where you were supposed to go.

2.     Make someone be in charge of paying attention to where you are meandering.  My friend and I may have gotten slightly lost once or twice because we were conversing and not paying attention.

3.     Wear comfortable shoes.  The walk was easy, but you are walking and standing for an hour straight.

4.     Bring some water with you.  I wish I had brought some, or bought some along the way.

Cost: FREE

Time: At least an hour, could be an entire afternoon. 

*Not her real name.  But bonus points if you catch the reference.  

Celebrating D.C.’s nerdy side – Political Watch Parties

I have found that a very unique to D.C. event is viewing parties at bars for special political events.  Much like during major sporting events, D.C. bars encourage people to watch major political events by offering great specials on food and drink.  I’ve attended a few of these, and have to admit that I absolutely love them.  Why watch the results of election night at home when you can join a packed out bar and feel the joy (or sadness) together.  The same energy is brought for the State of the Union, why sit and yell at the t.v. at home, when you can yell at the t.v. with the rest of the political junkies. 

So where do you find these events?  I mostly check out Going out Gurus or DCist for their list of watch parties.  The lists are usually pretty comprehensive and cover the entire D.C. metro area.  After that, I usually just choose the closest bar to me (I like going out, but I also like being lazy).  You should get to the bar at least a half hour before the event starts to save a seat for yourself and your friends.  The bars can get very packed (like I said – nerd alert).  So you should plan to order something to munch on (freedom fries perhaps?) and something to sip on (a Californian wine or a local brew to go with the Americana feeling in the air).  Then just sit back, relax, and enjoy cheering or jeering the t.v. with your friends. 

One of the things I like the most is that after going to a few of these events, I’ve never seen anyone get into a fight despite their political differences.  It is nice to see that it is still possible to express differing opinions and come out of the bar without any punches being thrown.  Democracy at its finest!   

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art always has great exhibits.  A couple weekends ago, I went to the Byzantine Art exhibit entitled Heaven and Earth, which just closed.  And while there also saw the Dying Gaul, which is on loan from Italy.

Heaven and Earth, sadly, closed March 2, but it is an example of the wonderful exhibits that the National Gallery of Art.  It was well laid out, had beautiful work, and focused on an area of art that isn’t always highlighted in museums.  Sadly, the next stop for the exhibit is in Los Angeles.  But if you happen to be there, I would suggest seeing it.  The Dying Gaul, however, is still at the gallery until March 16.  It is a wonderful example of Roman art and it is the first time it has left Italy since 1796.  So that's kinda cool.   

Shockingly, this was my first trip to the National Gallery (I know, I know).  I only saw the exhibits, but loved that fact that as my friends and I wondered through the hallways to find the exhibits, there was just a Dali hanging out in a corner.  Ya know, like ya do.  The exhibits only took a couple hours, but I need to go back for a day to really do the museum right. 

Also pro tip for those that work or live near the gallery: the gallery has several benches in great light filled spaces with lots of plants.  Maybe it is just this horrible winter getting to me, but I could sit there and people watch read a really scholarly book all day.

For a list of the current exhibits click here.     

Time: For exhibits only: couple of hours, to do the entire museum: a least a day

Cost: FREE

Splurge Post! Crystal City 1k Wine Walk

So, I love doing the free or cheap events in DC, but sometimes you want to go to a splurge event.  One of my favorite splurge events is the Crystal City 1k Wine Walk.  Anything that combines fake exercise and wine is already a winner in my book.   I went to the event last October for the second time, and thought I would share my thoughts about it now because the next one is March 1.  I would be there, but I’m already booked for the day, sadly.  But hopefully you can enjoy the fun! 

The event allows you to try several different yummy wines (or beers) in a leisurely walk through the Crystal City underground area.  It’s a great way to spend a fall day or a late winter/early spring day.  It is also interesting to see all the neat stores that are in the underground area.  There are also great food stops, which is good because with no food the wine walk would turn into a mess.  

Here is the wine/beer list from October:

  

Also, the event is not the best at crowd control.  Some of the tastings get stuck into small rooms, and they get overly crowded and nearly impossible to get a tasting.  Best way to avoid this is to look out for large groups and try to avoid them.  You do not have to do the tastings in order and many are next door to each other.  So just bounce around and keep your eye out for emptier tasting tables. 

This event is a great way to spend a leisurely afternoon walking around with friends.  My friends and I usually head back into the city and grab dinner together after the last pour.  And you can usually snag some great swag.  I got a great snowflake wine stopper last time.

Event: Crystal City 1k Wine and Beer Walk

Where: Right at the Crystal City metro stop on the blue line.

Cost: $40

Time: It is at least an entire afternoon.  But if you are like my friends and I, you will want to grab dinner after.

National Museum of the American Indian

First and foremost: I would like to apologize to you, my readers (hi mom), about my delinquent blogging of late.  No excuses other than just life. 

Anyhoo, onto the part you care about: the National Museum of the American Indian.

I visited the museum around Thanksgiving (again sorry for the delay of posts), and, honestly, I found the museum overwhelming.  I’m sure a large part of that feeling is my fault: I just do not know the history of many Native communities.  As such, it was a lot of information to learn in an afternoon.  Also, the Lelawi Theater, which shows the Who We Are video which should be the first stop for any visitor to the museum, was down the day I visited the museum.  Perhaps with that movie, I would not have felt so overwhelmed.  And I only had a few hours, I should have given myself more time. 

However, I think it is still a museum worth visiting, especially if you want to visit a museum a bit off the beaten path.   The architecture of the building is breath taking.  So you should go just to see the building and walk around outside in the gardens.

This is the view from the cafeteria.  So gorgeous! Honestly, I would love to be able to pop over there during the middle of the work day and just stare out that window and relax.  I'm jealous of any of you who can take advantage of that!

Speaking of the cafeteria, it is fantastic.  I love that they have different types of native food from the many different Native communities represented in the museum.  I think it would be a fun learning experience for kids.  And if your kids are picky, don’t worry, some of the Native communities eat taco-like meals.  Also, if all else fails, the cafeteria does serve hamburgers.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the many different histories are fascinating, although at times troubling.  I’m really glad that the museum includes histories of Native communities not just in North America but also Central and South America.  It helps to understand how the land that each community is from helps to ground and form each community’s history and traditions.  It was a powerful realization and lesson for me. 

I plan to go back to the museum.  But this time I will give myself more time.  Also, I will look at their calendar and go at a time that I can take the “Highlights Tour.”  Hopefully that will help give more context to the many exhibits and histories represented in the museum.

Time: You will need at least half a day, if not a full day to fully enjoy the museum

Cost: FREE

Thoughts: Great if you are looking for something off the beaten path, but if you want something fast or more traditional then choose a different museum.        

Botanical Gardens in its Holiday Finest

At the beginning of the Holiday season I went to the U.S. Botanical Gardens.  At first thought you probably think I’m crazy.  The main draw for the Gardens are, well, the gardens that are outside, and, in case you had not notice, it is winter.  Although, the outside gardens were not in their spring glory, the inside Conservatory was in full Christmas glory (and warm!). 

 

Not only were the Christmas decorations beautiful, but the other plants were also lovely.  All throughout the Conservatory, staff and volunteers were very helpful and gave some great information about the plants.    

Finally, the model train room was amazing.  There were a few kids who were very excited to see Thomas and friends.

 

Overall, I loved the Conservatory.  It was a perfect break from winter weather.  I would suggest going there if you have family in town and want a warm place to visit.  It only took my mom and I a few hours to walk the whole thing, so it’s a great afternoon outing.  I would especially go there if you have children in the group.  Some of the volunteers were giving great short educational talks to kids with lots of hands on learning.    

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season, and enjoying the many events that D.C. has to offer.  As for me, I’m off to a few holiday parties tonight.  Cheers!

Holiday Market

The Holidays are here in full force.  I have to admit that this year I feel like I am living Dr. Seuss’s words: “How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

My mom flew in to town on Thanksgiving morning and stayed through the weekend. Thanksgiving was easy to plan: cook, eat, watch a few movies on Netflix, sleep, repeat.  But what about the rest of the weekend – especially with none of the official Christmas trees being lit until next weekend.

My mom and I opted to go to the Holiday Market in Chinatown.  Much like Crafty Bastards, it had a lot of great artists.  Also, we were able to support Small Business Saturday by buying a few gifts there.  I especially enjoyed the jewelry by Inbloom Jewelry and the pottery by Bill Campbell.  However, the Market is not just about buying last minute gifts, it also has live music throughout the day.  When my mom and I were there Alpha Dog Acoustic Blues was playing and they did a great job.  The market has set up a few chairs in front of the stage (and a coffee stand next to it to buy something warm).  So sit down and enjoy some great free live music.  The Market has also wired speakers throughout the stands that play the live music to provide background music as you shop.  The Market probably took us about an hour or so to walk (my mom and I are not big shoppers, so if you like to shop it might take you longer). 

The other great thing about the Market is the location: Chinatown.  After the Market my mom and I grabbed a late lunch at one of the many good restaurants in the area and then went into the Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum.  I could spend days here.  In fact, I spent some time in the Portrait Gallery last weekend when my cousin was in town for a conference and I thoroughly enjoyed both visits.   

For me, the highlight of the Portrait Gallery is the new portrait The Four Justices which is of the only four women Justices to ever serve on the Supreme Court (second floor as you go up the stairs).  And in the light of female lawyers I challenge you to find the portrait of Belva Ann Lockwood (hint: she is on the first floor).  Her story is pretty amazing.  The highlights of the American Art Museum are always the paintings by John Singer Sargent.

Here is a key for any Smithsonian museum: do the tours.  They are free, and they are fantastic.  The docents are always very friendly and very informed.  One of the best parts of the Portrait Gallery is the Docent’s Choice tours (at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays).  I did the 4:30 tour two Saturdays in a row and because different docents did them I received two completely different views of the Gallery.  So, even D.C.’ers who have been to every museum 500 times with visitors can learn something new.  More importantly, because they were able to speak about what they love about the Gallery their enthusiasm for the art and history was palpable.  

Again, I’m sorry for the lack of pictures.  First, you really should not take pictures in museums.  Also, when I am enjoying myself and the time spent with my friends and family, I just forget to take pictures.

 Cost: Other than lunch and what we bought at the Market, the entire day was free!

 Location: Chinatown