Clara Barton National Historic Site

Located just outside of Washington, DC, the Clara Barton National Historic Site celebrates the life of the founder of the Red Cross. Clara Barton was an extraordinary woman, especially for her day. She defied conventional wisdom of the time of what a woman can and could not do.

The site here was her home for the last 15 years of her life, and also served as the original headquarters of the Red Cross. Tours are available every hour, on the hour, from a National Park Ranger. While the house itself is mostly empty at this point (due to an attempt to have it restored), the stories you will hear are well worth the visit.

In addition, if you're a collector of the National Park Passport Stamps, you'll find a stamp at the bookstore inside the house.

You should note, that in order to get into the house, you'll need to ring the doorbell.

Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn

We had a two night stay at the Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn and it was unfortunately a disappointment. We found the staff to be friendly, and the lobby area to be nice. The location was ideal for being able to quickly get into DC via the metro or to use a jumping off point for Virginia attractions.

Our disappointments came through in a few areas. When we first got to our room, we found that one of the pillows had, what appeared to be, a blood stain on it. I reported this immediately to the front desk who then called someone to have it replaced. No one ever came to replace the pillow. This showed us that, first and foremost, that housekeeping does not check the linens thoroughly enough before placing them on a guest's bed. And secondly, that their staff does not follow through on their promises.

A second main disappointment was the wifi. Simply put, it did not work in our room during our entire stay. I asked the front desk about it, who referred me to a phone number. The phone number said, they'd just try "resetting" everything, but that didn't do anything. No one did anything helpful to rectify this problem.

The third issue was with billing. I booked this stay using a combination of a free night certificate and cash, booked directly through Marriott. Upon checkout, the front desk clerk refused to issue me a billing statement. She said I must have booked through someone other than Marriott, which was not true. In the end, I did not receive a billing statement for this stay.

I frequent the Washington area quite often, and unfortunately, this is a hotel that I will no longer stay at due to these issues.

Address: 1533 North Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209
Wifi: Free (But Not Working)
Parking: $15/Night
Restaurant: Yes
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: No

Cherry Blossom Festival

We toured the Tidal Basin during the 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival. Because of the extremely cold winter we had, the blossoms had not quite bloomed, but we still had a beautiful day.

We started out at the WWII Memorial and headed towards the Tidal Basin and then walked towards the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. On this side of the Tidal Basin, there are visitor centers, gift shops, food trucks and food stands and more. Stop into one of the visitor centers for a map of the Cherry Blossom Festival and Tidal Basin and a schedule of the entertainment during the event.

While walking around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms, which is an approximate 2 mile loop, be sure to stop at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial (clean bathrooms in the basement!) and a wonderful, sweeping view of the tidal basin from the front of the memorial.

Many people stopped at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and headed back to the welcome area for the Cherry Blossom Festival. If you continue on the walking path around the Tidal Basin, you'll walk through the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial (one of my favorites in our nation's capital), which is a beautiful memorial and made only prettier in bloom.

On the north side of the Tidal Basin, near 17th Street, are two of the original planted trees, as well as a Japanese Stone Lantern as well as a Japanese Pagoda.

For more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit the official website here.

The Laughing Man Tavern

We stumbled across The Laughing Man Tavern while walking through Washington, DC. At lunch time on the weekend, the bar was busy and the TVs were showing the soccer game. The dining room, however, was relatively empty.

We ordered the fish fry sandwich and the BBQ Bacon Burger for lunch; both were served with a side of fries.

The burger was average, but large and on a very small bun. The fish (shown above) was more than twice the size of the bun it was served on, and I wound up eating it with a fork and knife instead of as a sandwich. That said, the fish was good. The breading had a distinct funnel cake flavor to it, which gave it a wonderful sweet and salty quality. It was also fried well, super crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside.

This place, overall, was decent, but definitely more "bar" than "restaurant," but with decent meal options.

Courtyard New Carrollton Landover

For a trip do both Washington, DC & Annapolis, MD, we decided to find a hotel that was located between the two, about 30 minutes from each.  The Courtyard New Carrollton Landover fit that that bill perfectly.

The hotel was in the middle of renovations and we were lucky enough to get a refreshed room.  The room was clean and very comfortable, especially the bed.  There's also quite a nice courtyard in the middle of the building to relax in, as well as a full service restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner available for guests. We found the Wi-Fi to be fast and the parking to be plentiful.

We'd definitely recommend this hotel for anyone needing to stay in this area as the prices are reasonable and the hotel is comfortable.

Address: 8330 Corporate Dr, Lanham, MD 20785

Wifi: Free

Parking: Free

Restaurant: Yes

Bar/Lounge: Yes

Smoking: Non-smoking

Hidden Fees: None

Breakfast: A la carte in the restaurant

In-room safe: No

White House Tour

The White House is probably the most iconic government building in the world.  When visiting Washington, DC, a visit is on most people's list.  However, in order to be able to tour the building, you need to do some planning.  For American citizens, you must contact your congressman/congresswoman and request a spot on a tour.  You can either call their office for information on how to do this, or go to their website and follow the instructions for requesting a tour.  The process may vary by congressional district.  You should also do this far in advance (at least a few months) to give the congressional office time to process the paperwork on your behalf.  If you try to just show up at the White House without doing this, you will be denied entry.  For people who are citizens of other countries, you'll need to contact your country's embassy to determine how to get access to view the White House.

Once you have a tour scheduled, you'll still need to wait online for about an hour to get into the house and go through multiple Secret Service security checkpoints.  They are very strict about the ID you need and what you can/cannot bring with you, so please make sure you follow the instructions you receive when you get your tour confirmation.

Once inside, the tour is self guided.  You'll walk through only one floor's worth of rooms, but in each room is a Secret Service agent who is there to answer any questions you may have.  You'll see some great decor, architecture and portraits during your walk through, and also be given a recipe created by the White House chef upon your exit.

This is definitely a tour we recommend for anyone visiting DC, but please make sure you do the proper planning first to avoid disappointment.

National Aquarium, Washington, DC

Th National Aquarium in DC, is home to the world's most recently discovered blue lobster, who is on display in the aquarium's collection.

This is a very small collection, and sometimes the line for tickets can get very backed up (we were waiting on the stairs). However, after the fact we learned that if you take the elevator down, you are let out right in front of the ticket counter.

Many of the fish and sea life in the aquarium are local and all tanks are marked with what is in them and where the marine life hail from.

The Liberty Tree, Washington DC

Godfather pizza

Statler Chicken

The Liberty Tree, on the up and coming, H Street in Washington, DC, was a great find. H Street in general was a great find. We were following behind some locals and overheard them talking that many of the restaurants are brand new and that this area is very newly up and coming.

There are many very nice restaurants and bars in the area and lots of choices.

Liberty Tree had a very laid back vibe, with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a bar.

We had the Godfather pizza, which had a very good amount of meats vs. cheese and a very good size. We also ordered the statler chicken, which was perfectly cooked and the bed of veggies underneath was delicious. I loved the black olives with the sauce and chicken; they added a nice zing to the meal.

Jaleo, DC

Sangria

Chistorra envuelta en patata frita

Jamon Serrano 'Fermin'

Tortilla de patatas al momento

Papas arrugas

For lunch, we stopped for tapas at Jaleo, in DC. This is a fun place to stop for lunch because you can order a bunch of tapas to share and you get to try a bunch of different items. Everything is a small size (about the size of the plate on your table when you sit down). We ordered four items and had just about the right amount of food for two people.

We ordered a plate of Jamon Serrano, which is served with a sesame cracker, which was a great starter. We also loved the Tortilla de patatas al momento, a traditional Spanish omelet made with potatoes, eggs, and onions.

What was fun about Jaleo was that the food came out staggered so we could eat at a slower, more relaxed pace.

I highly recommend the sangria, as well, which was absolutely delicious and very refreshing on a very warm summer afternoon.

Also, definitely make a reservation if possible, as the restaurant can get very full.

Hotel Review: Residence Inn - Capital View

The Residence Inn - Capital View, in Arlington, VA lies within the Crystal City portion of the city.  This section is full of hotels and restaurants to choose from.  When making a decision, this hotel is an excellent choice and a great place to stay to quickly get into Washington, DC.

The staff is very friendly and helpful.  There is a regular shuttle to the closest metro stop, as well as to the airport.  A full complimentary breakfast is served each morning consisting of eggs, sausage, french toast, chipped beef biscuits and various other choices.

The rooms themselves are very clean and spacious, including a kitchen for anyone looking to cook for themselves.  The shower and toilet were separate from the sink area, allowing two people to get ready at the same time in the morning.

The only negative we found was the parking cost of $22 per day.  Even though the hotel rates are very reasonable, this parking cost I think is pretty ridiculous.  Even hotels inside of the main area of Washington, DC don't ask for this much in parking.

National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is a hidden treasure in Washington, DC.  This extremely impressive building (which can be rented out for weddings and other affairs) is gorgeous to look at from the inside.  The pillars and structure are an architectural masterpiece.

There are various exhibits in the museum, which do change every now and then.  Photos aren't allowed in most of them though.  The best to us was the Lego one, which showed famous buildings from around the world made out of Legos.  Very impressive!

Other exhibits show visitors examples of architectural masterpieces from around the globe (but mostly America).  A good 90 minutes can be spent here exploring the museum (both the building itself as well as the exhibits) and is well worth it.  They also currently have mini-golf set up in one section of the building for those with little ones.  There was a very long line for this though, so it's something we decided to skip.

Art of Video Games Exhibit

Tucked inside the Smithsonian American Art Museum, until Sept. 30, 2012, is the Art of Video Games Exhibit.  For anyone with an appreciation of Video Games, this is a must visit exhibit, so try to get yourself to Washington, DC before it leaves!

In the exhibit, you'll find many different video game "artifacts" from the young history of video games, dating back to the late 1970's.  My favorite (shown above) is the cloth map from Ultima IV... I still remember having this as a child!

You'll also have the opportunity to play some classic games such as Super Mario Bros. and The Secret of Monkey Island (shown above).  After this section, you can see videos of all the major game systems and some of the most historically impacting games of those systems.

While the rest of the museum does have plenty of great art to see, this exhibit is the one you don't want to miss!

Noodles & Company

Wisconsin Mac and Cheese with Meatballs

Tomato Basil Bisque

Penne Rosa

Noodles & Company is one of my favorite quick food restaurants when we're in the DC area. There are restaurants across the country, as well.

Noodles isn't quite fast food the way McDonald's is, I would compare it more to SaladWorks or Zoup, or even Panera.

I'm a big fan of the Penne Rosa, a spicy creamy tomato sauce with spinach and tomatoes (I order it without the mushrooms). We also ordered the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese with meatballs. The mac and cheese was amazing! However, we couldn't figure out how the meatballs fit with the mac and cheese.

On another trip, we ordered the Japanese Pan Noodles, which were delicious, a little spicy, a little sweet, and had fresh bean sprouts on top. We also ordered the chicken noodle soup, which was also very good, and highly recommended.

Hampton Inn Alexandria

Hotel options are numerous in the Washington, D.C. area, and with that, the value, price range and location varies greatly.  You can spend a lot of money to stay within walking distance of all of the historic sites of DC, which is very valid for a lot of people and spend money parking at those hotels every day.  Or, you can find a great value right outside of DC such as the Hampton Inn of Alexandria, VA on Leesburg Pike.  

For just under $100/night (less than half of what you'd pay in downtown DC), you'll get a clean hotel with very friendly service.  They also offer a great breakfast with your stay each morning.  The one thing that might prevent people from staying here is the fact you'd then have to drive into DC each day, but the commute only takes 10 minutes and finding parking in DC is actually not that difficult as there are free lots by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and free on-street parking on Sundays.

We'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the DC area and we'll definitely be back next time we're in the area.

Ford's Theatre

Think back to your American History classes.  If you think about it for a little bit, the name Ford's Theatre should ring a bell.  This was the location where President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865.  Visitors can take a tour of the building, which begins with a large room on the history of President Lincoln, as well as his assassinator, John Wilkes Booth.

On the entry way into the theatre itself, you see on opposite walls what the day was like for both Lincoln and Booth leading up to the actual shooting.  This is done in a very ominous way to help make the visitor feel more immersed in the history.

You'll finally end up in the theatre where you can see the balcony where Lincoln was shot, as seen below.  Unfortunately, you can't go on the balcony itself, but seeing it still gives you a great look into one of the most important spots in American history.

The times that tours are available are always varying, depending on what is going on at the theatre that day.  It is highly recommended before your visit to go to the theatre's site at www.fordstheatre.org and determine if you can visit on your planned day.  In addition, you can pre-purchase your ticket with an assigned timeslot.  If you just show up to the theatre, you may find your self out of luck as they limit how many people can attend each day.

Touring the US Capitol Building

There are two tours in DC you need to schedule, and you definitely need to do. One, the White House, you have to schedule through your Congressman. The other, the US Capitol Building, you can book online or pick up tickets at the Capitol.

The best plan for touring the Capitol is to book in advance online for free and then pick up your tickets at will call. If you wait to get tickets at the Capitol, you might run into a problem that they might run out of tickets or not have tickets until a later time in the day.

Expect to go through some security to get into the Capitol. You also cannot bring food or drink into the building. However, there is a pretty nice food court that serves fresh pastas, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more.

The tour takes visitors through the main arteries of the Capitol, into the rotunda and into the former room for the Senate, called the whisper room.

If you visit the Capitol on the weekends or when Congress isn’t in session, visitors cannot visit the Senate and House floors. However, if you go while Congress is in session, visitors can sit in on debates, votes, and discussions of Congress.

Old Post Office Pavilion

For a fantastic view of DC, take the free elevator ride up to the top of the Old Post Office Pavilion. The building and the elevator ride are part of the National Parks Association. So it’s completely free to visitors.

There is also a food court and a few gift shops on the lower level.

Be aware of the times the bells rings, because it can be very loud at the top of the tower during these times. They are marked at the entrance to the ride up, but watch your time at the top.

There are two stops on the ride to the top. One will take you right to the top of the tower, the other will stop at the bells. The bells, which have a thorough description at the base of the tower, have been dedicated to Congresses of the US.

Also, be aware that when entering the building, you are subject to having yourself and any bags you carry searched by security officers and a metal detector.

Fro-Zen-Yo

I realize there are other frozen yogurt places like this around the country, but I thought the concept was so cool, that I had to share!

In Washington, DC, we tried, and thoroughly enjoyed Fro-Zen-Yo, a do-it/build-it yourself frozen yogurt shop. With approximately 16 (maybe more?) different flavors of frozen yogurt to choose from (sugar free, fat free, gluten free, vegan, etc all present), diners grabbed a cup (one size serves all) and chose the flavor or flavors of froyo and the amount that they wanted.

Next step is the toppings. With everything from fruits and nuts, to candies and cookies (and even cherries for on top), you can load up your frozen yogurt however you want to create your perfect sundae.

Take it to the register to get weighed in and pay up.

Next stop is chocolate syrup and caramel sauce, both hot and both free! Thank goodness, because we piled it on high!

Grab a chair, a spot at the bar, or on a nice day, take it for a walk and enjoy!

Also, don't forget to grab a bottle of water for only 29 cents!

Finemondo

Without a flashy sign like its neighbors, Finemondo could get lost in the sea of neon. But definitely make it a priority dining location when visiting DC.

We felt a little underdressed, dressed for a day of sightseeing in the city, wearing a nice top and jeans for both of us. We were seated around couples out on date night, hitting the town in suits, dresses, heels, and loafers. However, as we browsed the tables, we saw a variety from heels and cocktail dresses, to jeans and sweatshirts.

Our meals were delicious. We ordered the butternut squash ravioli, perfectly prepared in a delicate buttery sauce, and pork tenderloin, cooked with a crispy outer and juicy, moist, melt in your mouth inside that made you keep coming back for more.

We also had great service, with our waiter on call as we needed him, but not being pushy or bugging us too much.

When we left, we were so happy we found Finemondo, and recommend it to everyone.