So much to do!
by aimeewoods
The museums in the Mall area (aka downtown DC) usually change two or three of their exhibits each month so there's always something new to see. The greatest thing is that most of the places you visit are free!
Aside from seeing the national monuments, I highly suggest visiting the National Zoo (free admission) and the Holocaust Museum. With the Holocaust Museum, I advise you get tickets ahead of time via the internet: http://www.ushmm.org/ or by telephone ($2 convenience fee) since they often run out of tickets by 10am.
Another fantastic site is the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The admission price used to be $13; however, I'm sure it's gone up in the past 5 years. You can often find discount tickets around the city.
Finally, the Cherry Blossom Festival in March is the next best thing to actually seeing it in Japan.
Cherry Blossoms in the Spring
by Bwana_Brown
If you can time your visit correctly, you should try to get to Washington when the cherry trees are in full blossom! We really enjoyed the colour and sense of spring that they provided! The beautiful warm weather and the cherry blossoms!
Go to the mall. It is the...
by DanielF
Go to the mall. It is the obvious place for tourists to meet. It is an overwhelming place because of the grandeur and majesty of the buildings, but there are also cool corners like the contemporary sculpture Garden in front of the National Archives building. The severe classical lines of the buildings on the Mall give to this place a great feeling of solemnity.
Almost all the important sites...
by tim123
Almost all the important sites to see in Washington D.C. are located along the National Mall. The mall is a long tree-lined park about 300 feet across and about a mile long. Along the sides are the national museums (nine in all, tenth coming soon), important government buildings, war memorials (to the Korean, and Vietnam Wars). In the middle in the Washington Monument, the White House to the north, and the Jefferson Memorial to the south. On the two ends are the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building. My favorite part of Washington are the cherry blossoms which come out in March and April. They frame everything in beautiful hues of pink, white and red. It's an amazing sight to see!
Thank you, China!
by Confucius
One of the best things about living in the Washington DC area is being near all of the embassies. I was invited to many embassy functions and attended some parties uninvited.
The best parties I went to were held by China, Japan, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Italy, Thailand, and Ukraine. It is no coincidence that all of these countries, with the exception of Ukraine, happen to be included in my list of favorite foods. (Ukraine's party had pretty women, but the food was forgettable.) Of course China is my favorite embassy and I made so many good friends there. If you live in Washington DC or are planning a special visit, then keep in mind the dates of Chinese New Year because every year there's a big party at the China embassy.
You will definitely want to be on the invitation list for this one. The chefs from China cook a large buffet that always includes several of those special dishes that cost twenty bucks each on the menus of fancy Chinese restaurants in Georgetown or Dupont Circle.
There are also games with prizes and you can take home gifts like sandalwood fans and Chinese handicrafts.
So if you want to be on the exclusive short list of non-Chinese guests, it's best to make a friend or two at the Chinese embassy and hope they remember you when those Chinese New Year party invitations go in the mail.
Great fun!
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This is not a simple umbrella! Spy Museum, Wash DC
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
National Gallery of Art -interior
Sports Tavern
