Local traditions and culture in Washington D.C.

4 more images

Every December, the Ellipse (an area just south of the White House) is set aside for the National Christmas Tree. The tree is normally officially lit by the President of the United States on the first Thursday of December. The area remains open daily from 11 AM to 11 PM through New Year's Day.

In addition to the tree, there is normally a giant model railroad set with working trains running around the tree. There are also smaller trees, one for every State and US territory. There's also a stage where various musicians perform concerts most evenings during the Christmas season.

I grew up in the northeastern US and one of the great customs is the putting out of pumpkins in autumn. It is a Halloween thing but it's also about the season of the harvest and it is a great colorful addition to what can be a dreary area in the fall if the weather is gray. It can be very pretty if the weather is fine and the light is low in the sky. We were lucky to see the latter and especially in Georgetown the custom seems to be in full swing.

Access to the White House has been severely restricted after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Not a lot of visitors are permitted entry. Only if you go through a US Senator OR a Congressman/Congresswoman's office can you be given the free tickets needed to go into the White House, but the process of obtaining said tickets takes a while. If you're coming from an international destination, I'm not sure who you can tap to get information for WH ticket acquisition. Please check this web link for further info:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours_and_events/

Good Luck!

4 more images

DC has an odd tradition every four years of having a huge celebration of the incoming or returning president. At the same time, the rest of the country often hardly cares. So if you live in a place that couldn't care less, you should converge on the capitol and celebrate with a handful of your like-minded political party members. The other 350 million Americans will be happy to catch the highlights on the six o'clock news.

The inauguration ceremony is actually rather simple, taking place in front of the US Capitol Building with the new/returning President taking the oath of office in front of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. However, the Chief Justice has not always administered the oath, three associate justices of the Supreme Court, two New York state judges, and notary public have also administered the ceremony. The only band that plays during the inauguration is the The United States Marine Corps' "President's own" band from nearby Marine Barracks on Capitol Hill.

George Washington's inauguration was held on April 30th 1789 in Washington, DC. Thomas Jefferson was the first President sworn in in Washington DC, though the city wasn't officially named the capitol later that year. Later the inauguration was set for March 4th, but the Twentieth Amendment set the inauguration date on January 20th each year after the election. Since 1937 the Vice President has taken the oath of office in the same ceremony as he President.

I lived in the Washington area during the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, but I plan to not brave the crowds and the cold, not to mention the security nightmare. Instead we might watch the ceremonies at home, or at best wander to Alexandria's Market Square where they will show the festivities on a big screen.

1 more image

the Mall is mind boggling, for me
I believe one needs a bus or private quick drive around to see the actual size and location of the many landmarks that one see in the Capital city /region
USe the Interactive Birds eye map of the Mall

3 more images

If you are in Washington DC during the last week of March and the first week of April, please go to the Tidal Basin, where the Jefferson Memorial is. Around the basin you will see hundreds of cherry tree flowers blooming, giving the area a lovely whitish/pinkish spring color. Those cherry trees were a donation from Japan to the US back in 1912, and during the week in which these trees use to bloom there are several activities to commemorate the US-Japan friendship and the start of spring in DC. Among these there are parades, kite flying contests, lectures, exhibitions, family events, etc. More information about the activies is available in http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/ The blooming period is patiently awaited (there are live broadcasting of the blooming online!) and lasts only a very few days. More information about the activies is available in http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

Walk around Adams Morgan after the bars close and watch hundreds (thousands on a good night) stumbling down the sidewalk with a peice of pizza larger than the size of their face. Welcome to the Washington DC Jumbo Slice Pizza. Sold at a number of all-night pizza places throughout Adams Morgan, the jumbo slice is $3.00 of heaven for drunks on their way home! This food is uniquely Washington and something worth trying when visiting DC.

Attempt to finish the jumbo slice ... if you dare!

Sales Tax:

Washington, DC: Sales tax is 5.75%. Total hotel tax including sales tax is 14.5%. Food and beverage tax is 10%.

Maryland: Sales tax is 5%. Hotel tax varies by county with most counties averaging between 5% and 8%.

Virginia: Sales tax is 4.5%. Hotel tax varies by county with most counties averaging between 9.5% and 10%.