Washington National Cathedral

Ah, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Today there is the national prayer service from the National Cathedral. I am no fan of organized religion, but I am a fan of beautiful churches. And the National Cathedral and its grounds is one of those. My sisters and I try to make it there when we head to D.C. It's a magnificent structure and well worth a visit the next time you hit Washington. In fact, a trip to Washington, D.C. sounds like a real good idea these days. We weren't about to put D.C. on the city non grata list just because George Bush occupied the White House. We love D.C. There's always something new to see, even if it's just a new exhibit at one of the museums or galleries. But unless you are spending weeks in D.C., you need to go back frequently in order to see all that there is. As I noted, my sisters and I have been many times, but we still have not done a tour of the FBI building or the White House. We haven't done the spy tour from Georgetown. I have yet to get to the Library of Congress. In fact, I haven't been to the Capitol building itself since I was a safety in elementary school.

Yes, I think I am due for a visit to D.C.

But there are so many neat things to see there, don't be put off by the fact that in a long weekend you will only be able to see a small portion of the wonders of the U.S. capitol city. A few of my favorite things:

Lincoln Memorial - Stirring, moving, emotional

National Cathedral - See above

National Arboretum - If you can, and you are driving out of town via New York Avenue, you should stop in. The driving tour does not take that long, or you can take the shuttle tour with a guide. It's quite beautiful, especially in the spring (see azalea photo to the right on this blog)

World War II Memorial - I just love this memorial. I love the view of the Lincoln Memorial from it. And once you are there, you are not that far from seeing some of the other great memorials that honor our military: the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial - You need to drive to the Tidal Basin (or plan for a very long walk) to see this wonderful memorial to FDR. It's park-like with great images in sculpture of FDR's life and work

The Museum of the American Indian - Very cool museum. Try to be there for lunch - they have a spectacular cafeteria with foods typical of native Americans. Yum!

The museums are just wonderful. On any given long weekend, we usually only manage 2 or 3 museums because there is just so much to see. But all of the branches of the Smithsonian (the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden is especially wonderful), the National Gallery of Art, the Holocaust Museum - all are worth your time, which is why multiple visits are the only way to go in my mind.

Oh, and lots of great restaurants. And if you're lucky, or you plan it just right, you can see something fabulous at the Kennedy Center. We have seen a performance of "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Patricia Clarkson and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" with the National Symphony. And don't miss the grand views of D.C. from the roof.

Happy Travels,
Denise