Posts Tagged ‘Washington DC’
“Shortcut to Europe” Brings an Entire Continent to Washington, D.C.
Every now and then, many of us have had the urge to jet off to Europe at the drop of the hat. Of course, with plane tickets, hotel planning and finding someone to watch the dog or the kids, the reality is that forgetting everything and flying over to the Old World without months of preparation is an unrealistic impossibility.
Yet this weekend, the European embassies of Washington, D.C. are offering something almost as good, with “Shortcut to Europe”. On Saturday, May 12th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., nearly every single European embassy in the city is opening its doors and offering everyone the chance to experience their favorite European delights.
This one day extravaganza covers a range of cultures, arts and cuisines. Visitors to the embassies will get to enjoy a breadth of experiences, from seeing ancient Dutch art to sipping on steins of German beer to tasting traditional Hungarian goulash.
The participating embassies are spread all throughout Washington D.C., so it’s best to break up the places to visit by neighborhood. In fact, Shortcut to Europe’s done the work for you, breaking down the embassies into four areas. And in each these neighborhood groups, Shortcut to Europe will provide bus service to get you around. And the best part of it all, is that admission to every single embassy is free.
The Dupont Circle-Massachusetts Avenue corridor is the most densely populated of all of the area tours, with many European countries owning a slot on prestigious Embassy Row. A trip can begin just west of the circle at the red brick Embassy of Portugal. There, Portuguese red and white wines will be available to taste, and photographs will be on display from the country’s most famous photographers.
Just two blocks north, around Sheridan Circle, sit eight embassies, all open to visit. The Embassy of Ireland will be displaying sculptures and art from its famous Irish artists. The Embassy of Greece will have lectures on how the architecture of ancient Athens shaped the world, and provide samples of Greek cuisine. And the Latvian embassy will showcase the works of three of their most famous contemporary painters.
Further up Massachusetts Avenue are the Embassy of Italy and the Residence of the Ambassador of the Netherlands. The Italians will have a displays from some of their more famous and prestigious automobile designers, while the Netherlands will have some of the oldest displays of art of any of the embassies, with works ranging all the way back to the 1500s. The Massachusetts corridor tour ends at the Belgian Embassy, just north of the Naval Observatory, where the embassy will be pouring the beverage it’s most famous for, beer.
The Georgetown area tour has two embassies, but three countries, to visit, all from Western Europe. At the popular House of Sweden, on the water in Georgetown, the rooftop patio will be open, where traditional Swedish treats will be served in the open air. Up Reservoir Road, the German and French embassies will be sharing a party, which is sure to be one of the best of the whole day. The German Embassy is undergoing renovation, so the country is setting up an authentic beer garden in the French Embassy, while the French will be serving a bistro-style meal in their cafeteria. While you’re there, you can learn as well, as employees will be teaching German and French to anyone who wants to learn.
Up in the northernmost part of the city, the Van Ness area, the central European embassies all share a neighborhood. At the Embassy of Austria, Viennese coffee will be available to sip while a chef gives lessons on making Austria’s most famous foods, Apple Strudel. A bit down the street, and across the road from each other, are the Hungary and Czech Republic embassies. At those two you’ll be able to taste, sample and compare the national dish of each, which is the same, goulash, a beef stew.
This is just a few, though, of the 27 embassies that will be offering the chance to experience their homeland. And you won’t even have to book a single flight.
- David
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With Cuisine Magnífico
This Saturday, May 5th, marks a holiday that began as regional celebration in Mexico, but in the ensuing century-and-a-half, has become an internationally recognized day of revelry.
Cinco de Mayo is now of the most popular celebratory days in the United States, and in the Washington, D.C. area, it is always large and boisterous party.
The festival originated in the Mexican state of Puebla to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French on May 5, 1862, in the Battle of Puebla during the French Occupation of Mexico.
The reason Cinco de Mayo has become such a popular day in the United States is twofold. One, many historians believe that had the French won that battle, they would have went on to help the Confederacy in the Civil War. So early on, people celebrated the day as one of the turning points in American history.
Then, much more recently, in 2005, Congress recognized Cinco de Mayo as an official day of observance for Mexican heritage. So now, it is indeed an excellent day to revel in all things South of the border.
Locally, the biggest festival celebrating the day is the National Cinco de Mayo Festival, which takes place on the National Mall. This is the 20th year of the event. While it began as an homage to the holiday, it has since transformed into a celebration of all Latino cultures.
The biggest attraction of the free festival each year is the Maru Montero Dance Company, who will perform at the Sylvan Theater in the National Mall. The company was formed by a dancer of the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, and for the past 20 years has been this country’s leading Latin American dance troupe.
The festival takes place from noon to 6 p.m. on the Mall around the Sylvan Theater, which is located at the intersection of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Also during the day there will be mariachi bands performing and arts and crafts activities for children.
But the festival isn’t the only way to go about celebrating this vivacious holiday. In the past two years, the District has seen an influx of fantastic Mexican restaurants, and three of them will host Cinco de Mayo parties that shouldn’t be missed.
Right off the bustling U Street corridor is one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in the area, El Centro D.F. Though it’s only been around for a year, the rooftop patio is always packed with people. The restaurant actually swung open its doors on Cinco de Mayo last year, so alongside its May 5th party, visitors can toast El Centro a happy birthday. The specials for the celebration include $5 margaritas, $4 beers and heaps of free Mexican cuisine, including quesadillas, tacos and flautas.
Down the road and a bit west is one of Washington, D.C.’s fastest growing shops. Surfside, in Glover Park, is known for filling up the best fish taco in down, and their recently opened food truck has notably long lines on weekdays. Surfside’s also known for its breezy rooftop deck, where they will have specials on margaritas and Mexican beer, while the restaurant’s kitchen will dish out tacos until 11 p.m.
Last is a Mexican restaurant that has yet to open, but is already garnering an amazing amount of buzz. Bandolero is the latest offering by D.C.’s current hottest chef, Mike Isabella. He will be opening the restaurant, which is right on M Street, soon. But on Cinco de Mayo, Isabella will take over the kitchen at Cleveland Park’s Tackle Box to give visitors a taste of his upcoming menu. And from 5-7 p.m., everyone can get free miniature samples of the restaurant’s take on the margarita.
So when May 5th rolls around this weekend, be sure to head into the District and celebrate the right way.
- David
Dine Out For A Cause This Thursday in Washington, D.C.
There’s always a little bit of guilt that comes from going out to eat at a nice restaurant, when you know that the money spent on three courses could have gone to help someone less fortunate .
But this Thursday, throughout Washington, D.C., one organization will end that disparity, at least for a day, by bringing together two different acts: dining out and donating to charity.
Dining Out For Life partners with a number of local restaurants each year to raise money for local HIV/AIDS support centers. The organization began the tradition in 1991, enlisting restaurants in the Philadelphia area to participate in the fundraiser.
Since then, the organization and event have grown immensely. This year, over 3,000 restaurants across North America will join in the fight against HIV and AIDS. And the event every year is a tremendous success. Just last year, Dining Out For Life raised $3 million, with over a quarter million people leaving their homes and dining out to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS.
The best part of Dining Out For Life is that all the money raised in the community stays there. The proceeds from the event in Washington, D.C. will go to a local HIV/AIDS support group.
In Washington, D.C., for the 16th consecutive year, diners will be raising money for Food and Friends. Food and Friends has been a Washington, D.C. establishment since 1988, founded by the Westminster Presbyterian Church, near the Southwest Waterfront. Their mission is to deliver meals to people suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating illnesses. In the 20 years since they began, the organization has served over 15 million meals to over 20,000 individuals.
As one of the leading organizations in the area supporting people suffering through HIV/AIDS, you can be certain your money is going to a great cause.
So where can you eat out to help support this wonderful event?
The choices are as delicious as they are dedicated to the cause. If you are in Metro Center Thursday evening, and would like to taste some of the finest Italian food this area has to offer, you can do so especially guilt-free, as Ristorante Tosca is donating 100% of its proceeds on Thursday evening to Dining Out For Life.
If it isn’t fine Italian cooking you’re interested in eating, then what about a casual French bistro? Just north of Dupont Circle, Bistro du Coin, which serves some of this area’s finest Steak Frites and Moules Provençales, will be returning half of its register for the night to Dining Out For Life.
Other restaurants that are just as generous, and will be making the same 50% donation, are local stalwart Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont Circle, as well as Little Fountain Café in Adams Morgan.
Of course, if dining out isn’t to your liking on Thursday night, you can still make a difference just by doing your typical grocery shopping. Four Whole Foods Market locations in the city—Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, P Street and Tenleytown—will all also be giving half the proceeds from all their sales Thursday to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
But that’s just a small sampling of over 100 restaurants that will be joining in to help. To see a full list of some of the finer establishments in the area that are helping the fight, visit http://www.diningoutforlife.com/washingtondc/restaurants
This Thursday night, make plans to visit an area restaurant - because while you can always go out to eat, you can’t always go out to eat and support a wonderful charity at the same time.
- David
Discover What Discovery Has to Offer at Udvar-Hazy
If you were walking around the Washington, D.C. Metro area this past Tuesday morning, you may have noticed a lot of people with their heads titled to the sky.
And if you yourself took a peek up, you would have seen an incredible sight: the space shuttle Discovery, strapped to the back of a Boeing 747.
The famous spacecraft was taking its final flight. After retiring from duty, it was flown up from Cape Canaveral to the area, to spend the remainder of its days on display by the Smithsonian.
After making laps around the nation’s capital, the shuttle headed to Dulles Airport. There, it was taken to the Smithsonian’s largest museum, which this weekend, is hosting a ceremony to welcome Discovery to its new home.
The shuttle will now permanently reside at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is an annex of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Opened in 2003, the Udvar-Hazy center sits just south of Dulles Airport, in Chantilly. It’s easily the largest museum in the area, coming in it at over 760,000 square feet. The space was designed to house numerous large planes the Smithsonian owned, but did not have room for in the Air and Space Museum’s original home on the National Mall. The center took over 15 years to build, and now, the hangar-style building has one of the most astounding collections of aviation craft in the world.
Among the highlights of the Udvar-Hazy Center are the Enola Gay, the plane that carried and dropped the first atomic bomb; an SR-71 Blackbird, which once was the fastest plane in the world; an Air France Concorde supersonic airliner, the fastest commercial airplane ever; and an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet.
And that’s just the planes. The Udvar-Hazy center also houses a number of spacecraft.
This weekend is dedicated to their new centerpiece, Discovery. Thursday is the shuttle’s official welcoming ceremony, where 14 former Discovery captains will be on hand to witness the festivities. For the day, outside the museum, Discovery will sit next to its sister ship, Enterprise, who is leaving the museum and heading up to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. At the end of the day, Discovery will be moved to its indoor resting place.
All weekend, the museum will host Discovery-themed events, with the primary displays covering the achievement of the U.S. space shuttle program, which was in existence for 30 years, until it ended in 2011.
There will also be numerous space-based exhibits inside and outside the center. In the parking lot, visitors can look through a sun telescope to get an up-close view of our main star. And in case you have any questions, astronomers will be standing by to answer them.
Inside, there are exhibits on the Mars Rover, with an inflatable model cruising around and even running over your feet, showcasing how it can maneuver over obstacles. There are also exhibits on the spacesuits former Discovery astronauts wore, as well as a scaled down model of the flight deck, where you can watch a simulation showing what it’s like to land the massive ship.
Admission to the Udvar-Hazy Center is free, but there is a $15 fee to park.
So if seeing the shuttle cruise overhead this week gave you space fever, head down to Chantilly, where there’s everything a person dreaming of the skies could want to see.
- David
Take An Off-The-Path Approach to the Cherry Blossom Festival
This weekend Washington, D.C. hosts its largest annual event, and the city is expected to be inundated with visitors from across the country.
The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival has been underway since last week, but the highlight of the month-long celebration, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, takes place this Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
As a local to the city, there are two ways you can partake in D.C.’s most popular holiday. There’s the traditional route, where paths and sidewalks are loaded with out-of-towners. Or, you can take a unique route, and celebrate this beautiful event in a less crowded and more enjoyable way.
If the traditional route is to your liking, then Saturday morning should be spent taking a lap around the Tidal Basin, the round inlet from the Potomac that has this area’s largest concentration of cherry blossoms.
After that, it’s time to head downtown to catch the parade, one of the biggest this area hosts. It kicks off at 10:00 a.m., on the corner of 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. From there, it travels down Constitution until 12:30 p.m. This year’s parade contains many of the usual highlights, including marching bands, floats and large balloons. There will also be a performance from the National Cherry Blossom Festival All-Star Youth Tap Dance Team and Choir. One difference this year is that the parade is getting an influx of celebrity star power, with guest hosts Katie Couric and Alex Trebek.
Of course, the parade streets will most likely be filled with locals and visitors alike. If you’d like to miss them, this is the opportune time to head down to the Tidal Basin, where cherry blossom viewers will be fewer and farther between. To put even more space between you and the crowds, head to the Tidal Basin Paddle Boat Dock, at the corner of Maine Avenue and 15th Street SW.
There, groups of two or four can rent paddle boats by the hour and jettison into the murky waters of the Tidal Basin. The cost for an hour of paddling is $10 for two passengers and $18 for four. If you are worried about securing a boat, you can book one in advance by calling the shop. Boats are available to take out from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with paddlers needing to return to the docks by 6:00 p.m.
After a paddling tour, head back to the parade site. Sure, the main event will be over, but that just makes way for one of the biggest street festivals you’ll ever see.
Immediately after the parade ends, the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival begins. For the 52nd consecutive year, the Sakuri Matsuri (Cherry Blossom in Japanese) Street Festival will take over six blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue, showcasing just about every facet of Japanese culture there is to imagine.
The performers alone will be a site to behold. Many are coming all the way from Japan for the festival. There will be a bon-odori dance group performing sacred Buddhist routines. Martial arts experts from across the nation will be showcasing their talents, with ninja and samurai taking the main stage. And for fun, also attending, is a hip-hop martial arts group, who set their routines to popular rap music.
And while that may merit attendance alone, the highlight is the Taste of Asia tent, which is located on Pennsylvania Avenue, between 10th and 12th Streets. There, over 25 restaurants will be dishing out authentic Japanese dishes, ranging from sweet crepes to sushi.
Tickets for the entire event are just $5 for adults and teenagers. Children 12 and under can visit the festival for free.
So this weekend, skip cherry blossom tradition and participate in some of the more unique activities this holiday has to offer.
- David
A Trip to the National Zoo Can Take You Around the World
When people think of the Smithsonian Museum, their mind naturally drifts to the red brick building on Constitution Avenue and to thoughts of fossils and ancient cultures.
But far removed from the Smithsonian’s downtown area is a living, breathing museum brimming with creatures of every kind.
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, or as it’s locally known, the National Zoo, resides on Connecticut Avenue, in Northwest D.C., between the Cleveland and Woodley Park neighborhoods.
The National Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in America, with its doors opening well over 100 years ago. With over 163 acres, it is one of the biggest parks in the city. It houses and cares for an astounding amount of mammals, invertebrates and amphibians, nearly 4,000 in total.
A trip to the National Zoo begins at the main entrance on Connecticut Avenue. A short stroll will take you to the visitor’s center, where you can grab maps of the property and plan the day. Outside the visitor’s center, you’ll hop on the Olmsted Walk, the zoo’s main throughway. Making a left off of the main artery, just past the visitor’s center, takes you right to Africa. Zebras stand grazing mere yards in front of you. To their left, cheetahs lie waiting in the weeds, silently watching. Don’t worry though, there’s a large fence separating these two.
Along the walkway, visitors can test their speed with that of a cheetah, the world’s fastest land mammal. A yellow line signifies a starting point and asks you to sprint as fast as you can. You won’t come close to reaching the mark the cheetahs can reach in the allotted time, as these creatures can reach speeds of 60 miles-per-hour. Past the cheetah enclosure, visitors can see onyx and antelope, Africa’s natural savannah grazers.
After your Africa safari, head to one of the zoo’s most popular stretches, the Asia Trail.
On a path surrounded by bamboo and babbling streams, visitors can see sloth bears, fishing cats, leopards and, of course, the zoo’s favorite inhabitants, the Giants Pandas. More beloved than the Redskins are these two D.C. denizens, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who make the Giant Panda Habitat their home.
The Giant Panda Habitat consists of over 12,000 outdoor acres, giving the two bears plenty of room to romp. It also includes a science center. Walking through the inside of the Giant Panda Habitat, guests can read about the history of Giant Pandas in this city, as well as the breeding efforts to produce panda cubs. Past attempts have been successful, in fact, the panda’s child Tian Shan, is now residing in China.
Farther down the Olmsted Walk are several popular indoor houses that visitors can take in at their leisure. Sadly, a very popular one, the Elephant House, is still closed for repairs. It’s expected to open back up in early 2013, and the zoo’s three Asian elephants: Kandula; Shanthi and Ambika, will be joined by a larger herd.
Just past the Elephant House is the Small Mammal House, full of tamarins, armadillos, shrews and many other assorted mammals. Next, you’ll find the Great Ape House, where zoo guests can see human’s closest companions. Orangutans and gorillas wander through the large enclosure, staring and smiling at the large crowds that gather, as well as interacting with each other.
Down the walk, on the way to the Invertebrate House, people can see a true living fossil, the Komodo Dragon. This massively large green reptilian, which can grow to ten feet long, looks more like it belongs in Jurassic Park than at the National Zoo.
These exhibits are just a handful of what can be accomplished in a full day at the National Zoo, with many more wonderful houses and learning experiences for kids and adults alike. And the best part of any trip to the zoo is that admission is completely free.
So this week, head to Cleveland Park, but instead, be transported all over the world.
