Today we finish our Maryland Month, with a trip to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We remind you that while you can drive to Baltimore, if you are going from Washington, you can take the MARC train Camden Line to the city.

We start off at the Baltimore Visitor's Center and talk a little about the center and how great we think it is. (4:00)

 

Then we head south to the Maryland Science Center. (5:21)

After that it is off to the Harry D. Kaufman Pavilion, Federal Hill Park and the American Visionary Art Museum()

We play Aim for the Sky by Baltimore Maryland Band, The Mayan Factor, who come to us courtesy of Garageband.com (11:11)

We visit Harborplace, the USS Constellation, and Baltimore's World Trade Center (which was recently in the news!) (19:37)

We go on to visit the island with the Maritime Museum and the National Aquarium, then the Power Plant. We head behind the Inner Harbor to Market Place and the Baltimore Children's Museum, Port Discovery, which might be just about Mark's speed. Then we finish up our visit with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Star Spangled Banner House. (27:29)

Email us and let us know what you think of our show!

• feedback@washingtontravelcast.net
• Julie@washingtontravelcast.net
• Mark@washingtontravelcast.net

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Check out our Baltimore Inner Harbor Photo Album!

Today we make an exciting visit to Ft. McHenry, in blustery Baltimore Maryland, the inspiration for the American National Anthem.

While you can drive to Ft. McHenry, if you are going from Washington, you can take the MARC train Camden Line and the #1 Bus or a water taxi to get there.

We arrive and discuss logistics and opening times, then Julie talks about the history of the fort.(2:58)

We visit the statue of Orpheus. (7:38)

We play The Star Spangled Banner, performed by the U.S. Army Band (9:13)

We visit the visitor's center, and talk about the role of Ft. McHenry in the War of 1812, and then check out the statue of Colonel Armistead, the man who ordered a huge flag to fly over the Fort during the war. (10:30)

At the entrance to the Fort, we check out the Ravelyn and the underground shelters. Julie talks about the life of Francis Scott Key and the writing of the poem "Defense of Ft. McHenry" which became the "Star Spangled Banner." (14:12)

We visit the Quarters of the Commanding Officer, where we read some of the verses of the original poem "the Defense of Ft. McHenry". (19:03)

We play The Star Spangled Banner, performed by the Band of the US Air Force Reserve (22:17)

We visit the powder chamber, and the junior officer's quarters, and Julie talks about the construction of Ft. McHenry. We dscover that there are a group of people unfurling a replica of the Star Spangeled Banner in the parade ground. We join them. (24:59)

In the next building we see the original cross brace that anchored the flagpole during the bombardment of Ft. McHenry, and Julie talks about African-Americans in the war of 1812, especially William Williams. (32:59)

We head out around the edge of the fort, and walk around the bastions (or points of the stars), then visit the Enlisted men's quarters before ending our visit to Ft. McHenry.(36:21)

Email us and let us know what you think of our show!

• feedback@washingtontravelcast.net
• Julie@washingtontravelcast.net
• Mark@washingtontravelcast.net

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Check out the Fort and the Flag in our Ft. Mc Henry Photo Album.

Today we continue our Maryland month, visiting the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, located on the NASA campus is Greenbelt, Maryland. There is a Greenbelt Metro Station on the Green Line not far from the Space Flight Center, and you could take a cab easily to the Visitor's Center from it, but if you have a car, or rent a car, we think this is worth renting a car for.

Julie and Mark enter the Visitor's center and turn left, to view some photographs around the auditorium. These are pretty amazing photographs from space. We're particularly impressed by V-838 Mon. (3:13)

We play Fly, Baby Right Now, by DC area band the sketches. The music comes to us courtesy of Garageband.com (9:26)

We head into the main part of the center and talk about Robert Goddard, after whom this space center is named. We visit some exhibits along one wall of the center, including one on Ozone. (12:43)

In the center of the Visitor's Center, we visit an exhibit on Galaxies. (19:41)

We climb into a Gemini capsule, and check out the "modern, space-aged" controls from forty years ago. (23:13)

We check ourselves out in the telescope mirrors, and visit the Planets exhibit. (24:39)

Once out in the rocket garden, Mark expresses some confusion about what exactly a rocket garden is. We visit the historic rockets. (25:54)

We finish up with a visit to the gift shop. (32:03)

We have new email addresses:

• feedback@washingtontravelcast.net
• Julie@washingtontravelcast.net
• Mark@washingtontravelcast.net

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Take the tour with us! Pictures of Rockets and spaceships can be found on our Goddard Space Flight Center Photo Album.

Today we start a month that we are devoting to the state of Maryland. We start by visiting the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, in Potomac, Maryland. This is a trip we consider worth renting a car for. Also, be sure to check out the web site - they have a great wealth of information. Remember that the ticket to this park is also good at Great Falls in Virginia, so you might want to also check out our Great Falls, Virginia episode.

We rush to get on a canal boat ride - one of the last of the season - but miss by seconds. Nonetheless, Julie and Mark take you there to watch the locks work and move the canal boat into the canal. (5:13)

We play Old Tom's Restless Bones by St. Mary's County Maryland artist David Norris. This music comes to you courtesy of Garageband.com. (11:32)

Julie talks about the history of the C and O Canal, and of the canals in the Washington area. (14:51)

We begin walking down the canal to Lock 19, and walk along the towpath, while Julie tells a tragic story just a tad late for Halloween - the story of the death of the Spong children on September 11, 1916. (19:25)

We visit the fragile ecosystem on Olmstead Island, and walk on the boardwalks out to Great Falls, where we walk all the way out to the falls from the Maryland side. (23:07)

We continue almost all the way to Lock 16, where the Billy Goat Trailhead is. Julie remembers visiting the Billy Goat Trail many years ago, but today we turn around and return to the tavern. (29:50)

We return to the tavern and Mark communes with his own kind - the mules. This ends our visit to C and O Canal National Historical Park. (32:39)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Take the tour with us! Check out the beautiful Fall colors at the canal on our C and O Canal Photo Album.

Today we walk through an intruiguing and influential area of Washington, DC, Foggy Bottom. We recommend you take the Foggy Bottom metro stop to start our tour - in fact we start off at the top of the Foggy Bottom escalator.

We start off with a visit to the center of Washington Circle, the first monument to George Washington erected in DC. (3:10)

We continue a couple of blocks to the historic Timothy Caldwell House, which now houses the Arts Club of Washington. (5:14)

Despite guidebooks with incorrect information, we manage to find the World Bank and International Monetary Fund headquarters. (6:58)

We then return to historic buildings with the Marshall House. (9:16)

Next on our route is the Octagon Museum. and the Archeological Insittute of America. (10:47) We play Drive by DC Band Rotoscope, which came to us courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network. (12:54)

Next we visit the Headquarters of the Red Cross, and the US Department of the Interior. (17:04)

We visit DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Constitution Hall. (21:54)

Heading on down to Constitution Avenue, we visit the Organization of American States and the Art Museum of the Americas. (25:51)

Continuing on Constitution Avenue we pass the Federal Reserve Building, the National Academy of Sciences Building, and the State Department.(28:51)

We head up 23rd street to the Pan American Health Organization building. (38:17)

We finish up our walk with a little bit of history related to the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, and we visit the famous Watergate Hotel.(40:26)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Take the tour with us! Check out our Foggy Bottom Photo Album.

Today we visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We recommend using the Gallery Place Exit off the Red, Yellow or Green Metro Lines.

The first exhibit we visit is the American Experience. (2:45)

We visit next the exhibit "With Liberty: Folk Art at the Smithsonian. A highlight of this collection is "the Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly" by James Hampton.(7:02)

Just beyond the folk art exhibit we enjoy the art of William Christenberry, whose work seems to flow from the folk art, and includes work that focuses on time. (8:20)

Once on the second floor we find a major part of the National Portrait Gallery which we had not seen before - the exhibit on the portraits of the Presidents. (11:02)

A highlight of our visit to the museum is the piece "The Museum," by David Beck. (12:59)

We play Maya Blue by Nefrit El-Or, who comes to us courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

We return to the area of the gallery that we referred to last week as "American Art meets Portrait Gallery. We visit a number of artworks that center around Americans traveling in the 19th century.(17:13)

We visit the museum's Civil War era collection, then the Victorian era and the early 20th century, including the impressionist paintings and the Gilded Age exhibit. (19:28)

We visit the "Modernism" exhibit, followed by the Southwestern Art Exhibit. (23:25)

We finish up our visit to the museum on the third floor, which is full of contemporary art. We are particularly taken by the "Electronic Superhighway: Continental US, Alaska and Hawaii."

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

There will be a delay in getting our photo album up - we'll be using official photos from the Gallery's web site rather than our own, due to permission issues - and that takes longer.

This week we visit the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery, which is colocated with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Art in the old Patent office building. Next week we'll visit the American Art Museum. We recommend the Gallery Place Metro Station as your starting point for a visit to the museum.

We're going to leave the details to you this week. Some of the highlights of the museum are the initial exhibit of photographs, the extensive collection of 19th century portraits, the collection of presidential portraits, and a great 20th century collection

We play Let Freedom Swing by The Diplomats an ensemble of the US Air Force Band. (31:41)

Our Theme Music is by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our picture gallery will be back up after we remove some pictures with copyright restrictions. Look for it Saturday or Sunday

#30We head back into central Washington and visit the beautiful United States Botanic Garden, a classic botanic garden directly adjacent to the Capitol Grounds. We recommend the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station as your starting point for a visit to the garden.

We start with a visit to Bartholdy Park, across Maryland Avenue from the Conservatory.(3:40)

Julie discusses the history of the Botanic Garden. (5:32)

We enter the garden and visit the "Roots and Relationships" Exhibit, then the West Gallery on the uses of plants by humans. (8:00)

We continue on to the exhibit of rare and endangered plants, then the plant exploration exhibit, which is currently containing plants from the Potomac Gorge.(11:04)

We visit one of Julie's favorite rooms in the Garden, the orchid exhibit , followed by an exhibit of plants used for medicinal purposes. (13:35)

We cross to the east side of the building as we explore desert and oasis, and the Garden primeval (17:07)

We play The Garden by Chesapeake Virginia Based Green Eggs and Sam which comes to us courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network (21:40).

We visit the exhibit in the east gallery, dedicated to how plants work, then head into the decorative east garden court. (25:59)

Then we head into the centerpiece of the museum, the Jungle, visiting both the floor level plants and the skywalk. (31:17)

We finish our visit in the Meditation Garden. (31:24)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

We have quite an extensive Botanic Garden Photo Album today.

We're out in southeastern Fairfax County today, visiting Gunston Hall, home of American founding father George Mason. According to Julie, George Mason is the "Rodney Dangerfield" of our founding fathers.

We begin at the Museum and Visitor's Center, view a film about the life and influence of George Mason.(4:30)

Alas, Gunston Hall does not allow any recording equipment to be used inside the house - so we were not able to tape during the tour or take photos of the inside of the house. Just after our tour, though, we stop and recall the experience and describe most of the rooms in the house. (5:46)

While we visit George's office, Julie talks about George Mason's place in American history, as drafter of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was the major source for the U.S. Bill of Rights. (15:38)

We visit the fourth room on the ground floor, the master bedroom, then visit the dormitory-style upper floor. (19:05)

We play The One by West Virginia group The Woodshedders, which comes to us from the Podsafe Music Network.

Julie visits some of the outbuildings on one side of the house, the Kitchen, Dairy, Well and Washhouse.(26:50)

We circumnavigate the house, visiting the boxwood garden, and the schoolhouse. (29:56)

We finish up our visit to Gunston Hall with a visit to the grave of George Mason.(33:00)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Check out the house and grounds in our Gunston Hall Photo Album.

Grab a drink and settle into your chair. This week we take you on a pub crawl in Old Town Alexandria. We strongly recommend you get to our location via Metro, getting off at the King Street Station. This podcast is not intended to be walked - just listen then find the pub of your choice.

We start off visiting the Alexandria waterfrong buskers, including a Water Glass Organ player and a classical duo. We talk about our dinner and first drink at the Waterfront Gourmet. (:56)

We play Always by Maryland Band LVT. They, and all the artists on our show today, come to us courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.(5:31)

We continue on to the Union Street Public House, not far from the Waterfront on South Union Street. (9:29)

Our next pub takes us to Ireland, at Pat Troy's, located in the Irish Walk at King and Pitt Street. (11:42)

We play Ain't Seen my Baby by Virginia Blues musicians Cephas and Wiggins.(13:43)

We visit a "Family Pub" in case you want to take your kids to one of these establishments. King Street Blues a block from King Street on Asaph. (17:00)

We hit another Irish Pub, Murphy's Irish Pub on King Street.(18:19)

We pay Oyebisi Nga by Egyptian Nursery from South Africa. (19:25)

We finish up our pub crawl at the Tiffany Tavern a well-known bluegrass venue in Alexandria. (24:36)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Pub Photo Album depicts most of these charming and historic buildings.

This week we visit an off-the beaten track area, alive with history and charm, and completely accessible via public transport, The City of Fairfax, Virginia. Public Transportation option is to take the Metro Orange Line to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU then get the Cue Bus into the city.

We start out at the Fairfax Courthouse, where the real settlement of Fairfax started. Julie talks about the Courthouse and the history of the Courthouse and the Fairfax City Jail, including visiting the Marr Monument. (2:20)

We walk down the lawn of the Courthouse and cross the street at the Bailiwick Inn, formerly known as the Joshua Gunnell House, where we talk about the history of the Joshua Gunnell House. (5:45)

Our next sight is the Ford Building - home of Antonia Ford, an important Civil War Spy. (8:28)

We return to Main Street, and visit three commercial buildings, all built around 1900, then go to the Fairfax Herald. (12:43)

We turn around and look at the Fairfax City Hall, directly across the street. Then Julie shares a little personal history, related to the Firehouse Grill, a nightlife venue down the street. (14:05)

We play At the End of the Day by the Centreville, Virginia band GUM!. It was used by permission. (17:05)

Next we visit the Ratcliffe-Allison House, the oldest house in the city of Fairfax, followed by the Draper House. (20:51)

We travel on to the Fairfax Museum and Visitor's Center. On our way we talk about the history of the city, and the growth of the city. (23:53)

Once at the Visitor's center we interview longtime Fairfax resident, cultural icon, and professor emeritus of George Mason University, Dr. Thomas Hill. (31:00)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Photo Album depicts most of these charming and historic buildings.

We complete our first half year of podcasting, by continuing our Virginia Month, we visit Great Falls National Park just 12 miles outside the borders of the District of Columbia. You will need a car in order to get to Great Falls, but we think it's worth renting a car for.

We start out by talking about logistics: directions and entrance fees, and we talk a little bit about why Great Falls is an extraordinary place to visit, and a bit about the geology, and some of the recreational uses of the park. (1:36)

We visit the Visitor's Center. (5:35)

Next we visit Overlook 1, describe the view a bit, and Julie talks about the early history of Great Falls from prehistory through the U.S. Colonial period, ending with George Washington's involvement in the area. We comment on some whitewater Kayakers. (8:04)

We visit Overlook 2, then overlook 3, which are both handicapped accessible. Julie describes the view, while Mark is taking pictures. Julie talks about flooding, and flooding in the DC area. Then Julie talks about the history of Great Falls in the early twentieth century, right up until the National Park Service took over. (13:31)

We take a short hike on the River Trail. Julie talks about the river trail and the interpretive posters along the river and along the trail. (19:54)

Since we have a longish bit of walking to do, we play I Wonder by DC artist Natalie Brown. (21:14)

We return to our hike at the Mather Gorge, where Mark talks about the Geology of the Gorge and we both talk about the many rock climbers who are currently climbing the gorge. (25:20)

We continue away from the river toward the old Powtomack Canal. We talk a little about the canal itself, and it's history, and then pass through the ruins of Mathildaville. (28:24)

Finishing up, we walk back through the end of the ruins, then out to the picnic area before heading out on our way. (36:54)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Photo Album has some great pictures of the Falls.

 

We're devoting September to the State of Virginia, and we start out with an historic tour of Old Town Alexandria. We recommend you travel to Old Town via Metro - and take the free DASH bus (on weekends) or walk to get around.

Julie talks a little about the history of Alexandria, and we travel via the DASH bus to the Ramsey House, the Alexandria Visitor's Center to start our tour.(2:08)

Two blocks down from the Visitor's Center, we visit the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and talk about the Alexandria Archeology Museum. (5:56)

We visit Captain's Row and Gentry Row, and enjoy the historic buildings along the cobbled and bricked streets. We also stop at the Atheneum, on the corner of Lee and Prince Streets. (8:35)

We stop by the Old Presbeteryan Meetinghouse, which dates back to the 1770s, and was the venue for George Washington's funeral. (12:21)

We stop by the Old Apothecary Shop Museum, which is currently closed for restoration, which we hope will be open when you visit. A block and a half north of there, we stop by the Carlyle House(14:02)

We visit Gadsby's Tavern, est. 1702, then head on down St. and visit the original site of George Washington's townhouse. (17:35)

We playWaiting to Hit the Stage by Lee Harris and Country Sunshine, which comes to us from the Podsafe Music Network. (22:20)

We visit Christ Church, which is more than 330 years old - and enjoy the garden, since a wedding is going on. We listen to the bells, then move on.(25:04)

We visit the old Firehouse, and finish up at the Lyceum, Alexandria's History Museum. (28:30)

You can email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Incidental music during the walk is from Yankee Doodle by one of the service bands - we'll get the details here once we're back from vacation.

Check out our Old Town Alexandria Photo Album

Posted from Anchorage, Alaska

We return to the tourist core of Washington, the neighborhood by the White House - Lafayette Square. We recommend that you get off Metro at the McPherson Square, Farragut West, or Farragut North metro stops.

We start at the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania, and start by looking out at the Corcoran Gallery and talk about their big construction project (1:47)

We continue on to check out the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, also known as the Old Executive Office Building. (2:35)

We turn around and note the Renwick Gallery, Blair House and Lee House. (5:05)

We head up Jackson Place, noting some of the buildings along the way discussing the history of the square. (11:30)

We play the Liberty Bell March by Washingtonian John Philip Sousa, performed by The United States Marine Band, called "The President's Own."(15:27)

After this spirited march, we pay a visit to, and take a tour of, theDecatur House. (18:56)

We continue on to explore the statues on the square, which are of

• In the northwest corner, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben of Germany,
• In the southwest corner, Jean de Rochambeau of France,
• In the center, President Andrew Jackson,
• In the southeast corner, Gilbert de Lafayette of France, and
• In the northeast corner, Thaddeus Kosciuszko of Poland. (24:55)

In between we talk about the protesters, the Treasury Building, the Tayloe House, and the Dolley Madison House.(24:55)

 

We finish up with a short visit to St. John's Episcopal Church. (31:47)

You can email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

We're thankful for Bill and George modeling our Washington Travelcast Ballcaps in their backyard during our recent visit. Hope you enjoy the photo!

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Photo Album for Lafayette Square.

This week,we make a pilgrimage to one of the most unique sights in Washington, the Franciscan Monastery in Northeast Washington, DC! We recommend you take the Brookland-CUA Station on the Red Line to visit.

We start out by talking about the Brookland neighborhood, and Washington, DC as a pilgrimge town. After arriving at the monastery we talk about some of the history of the monastery, and why it is called the "Commissariat of the Holy Land in America".

We head inside the church, talk about it's history, and the tour of the church and the replicas of the various holy land shrines.

We go out into the gardens, and walk along the rosary portico, then visit the shrines in the garden.

Our music today os Ave Verum Corpus by William Byrd, performed on the CD Forever Blessed, by the Little River United Church of Christ Sanctuary Choir

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne by Buxtehude, performed by Craig Stapert, also on Forever Blessed. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Photo Album captures some of the beauty of this place.

This week, we continue our visit the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, by visiting the Udvar-Hazy Center out near Dulles Airport! We recommend you take the Smithsonian Station on the Orange and Blue Lines to the mall museum, and take the shuttle to the Center, or, if you're based in the suburbs and have a car - drive out to the Center. We give full directions.

We pay for parking, park out front and admire the sculpture "Ascent" by John Safer as well as the impressive entryway. Then we go through security and enter the museum.(3:14)

We spend some time talking about the history of the museum, and the biography of it's prime benefactor, but Mark urges us on to check out the "Cool Planes".(4:36)

After walking down off the catwalk we admire the SR-171 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world, and visit some exhibits dedicated to modern military aviation.(10:23)

We head into the World War II aviation section, viewing several German World War II planes and the Enola Gay. We listen to one of the volunteer docents speak about the airplane, and we add our own thoughts about it.(16:04)

We play the song wintersun by Melodius Thunk. (23:46)

Commercial Aviation is next - and we see the original Boeing 707 as well as the supersonic Air France Concorde.(29:00)

After a visit to the Vertical Flight exhibit, we climb the clock tower. After admiring the view from up there, we head on down the catwalk toward the McDonnell Space Hangar. We need to descend the other clock tower to do so. (36:57)

The first thing we see is the space shuttle Enterprise and we spend a minute or two oohing and aahing over that. Then we visit several exhibits related to manned space flight. (43:58)

We pass around the back of the space hall, and explore rocketry and sattelites.

(40:34)

Next stop on the tour is the Observation Tower, where we watch several planes take off and land at Dulles Airport. Then we visit the Air Traffic Control exhibit in the next level down.(56:52)

Finally we visit the gift shop and Cafe before heading out.(1:00:56)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

I'm not sure our pictures do it justice - given the scope, but we have some interesting ones at Udvar-Hazy Center Photo Album.

This week, we visit the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum! We recommend you take the Smithsonian Station on the Orange and Blue Lines to visit this fantastic mall museum.

We start out in front of the mall carousel - and give you some basic, easy directions - then admire the sculpture "Ad Astra" by Richard Lippold while we wait in line to get into the museum.(0:53)

We head to the information desk as soon as we get in the building, and talk about logistics of finding your way around the museum, taking tours, Udvar-Hazy Center shuttle tickets, IMAX tickets. (5:19)

We head down to the flight end of the ground floor, where the flight simulators are, and visit the "Golden Age of Flight" exhibit. (9:58)

Between the military aviation in the Golden age and the military section of the "Jet Aviation" exhibit we play The Air Force Song, sung by the U.S. Air Force Band with the Singing Sergeants.(12:57)

We continue on to the hands-on "How Things Fly" exhibit.(17:28)

We head off for the space end of the ground floor - visiting the "Milestones of Space" hall.(19:04)

We play the song Moon Shy City by Maryland-based group Lejeune. (20:09)

After encouraging you to visit the many exhibit halls that we missed, we continue on to the "Exploring the Universe" exhibit, then heading to the upper floor of the museum, and appreciate the "Milestones of Space" hall from this new angle.(24:18)

After skipping a couple of exhibits, we enter the "Apollo to the Moon" exhibit. (28:55)

We head way back in time for the "Wright Brothers" exhibit and explore the very beginnings of flight.(36:02)

We pass a small exhibit on Lindbergh, then finish up by visiting the "Exploring the Planets" before ending our visit to the Air and Space Museum. (38:52)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Check out the pics Mark took with his new camera on our Air and Space Museum Photo Album.

This week, we're going to the Zoo! We recommend you take the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station on the Red Line to visit the National Zoological Park.

We start our visit to the Zoo by visiting the Pandas.(2:39)

We visit the Elephant House, and stop briefly by the small mammal house. (7:00)

We play Muskrat Groove by the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve (11:25)

We visit the snakes, frogs, and lizards in the Reptile House (14:44)

We visit the Lions and Tiger Exhibit.(18:28)

We go to the Sea Lion and Seal Exhibit, and reminisce about visiting this exhibit as a kid, and with our kids.(22:35)

We finish our visit to the Zoo in the Bird House, and then discuss opening times and logistics. (24:31)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

You can visit the Zoo virtually with us, via our  National Zoo photo album.

 

The same day we visit Adams Morgan and the Zoo, we have dinner on 18th Street in Adams Morgan at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant.

We talk about how much fun it is to eat at Meskerem, or one of the other Ethiopian Restaurants in the area.

Mark reads off the back of the menu about Ethiopian Cuisine.

We speak with Haile Selassi Geordes, a manager at Meskerem, who has been with the restaurant for 20 years. He tells us about the restaurant and about Ethiopian cooking.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans, and our walking music today was from Oyebisi Nga by Egyptian Nursery, which came to us via the The Podsafe Music Network.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

In a break from traditional sights, Mark and Julie visit the DC Neighborhood of Adams Morgan. We recommend you take the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station on the Red Line, though the Dupont Circle Station will also get you there.

Julie tells us a little of the history of the Adams Morgen neighborhood. After crossing over the Duke Ellington Bridge at Calvert Street, we head up to Columbia Road. (2:15)

We visit the "Adams Morgan Mural," Titles "Un Pueblo Sin Murales" and Julie tells a little of the story of the mural. (7:07)

We head up Columbia Road to see the "Three Macaws mural. Then we turn around and head to 28th Street. (10:15)

We play Red Line to Shady Grove by the Maryland and New Jersey band, The Canadian Invasion, which comes to us via Garageband.com, and by permission of the artists. (12:38)

We walk down 18th Street, seeing the Madam's Organ and Tolouse Lautrec murals. These are painted on the outside of clubs - and they remind us about the nightlife of the Adams Morgan neighborhood. (15:58)

We finish our tour by visiting the smallest mural in Adams morgan, and the Champorama Park Mural.(22:00)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

You can see all the murals, and more on our Adams Morgan photo album..

As promised, today Julie explores Washington's Reagan National Airport, at the end of a business trip.

She talks about the location of the airport and the advantages and disadvantages of the airport, as she arrives. (1:07).

Again, she suggests that you pick up a copy of the free Washington Flyer Magazine. (3:08)

Julie explores three ways to get into the city. They are: (4:10)

• Washington Flyer Taxis
• Super Shuttle
• Metro: there is a subway stop right in the airport.

She tells the story of why locals tend to still call the airport just "National Airport." (6:45)

Since Julie's luggage has still not arrived, she lets you listen to Big Jet Airplane by Chapel Hill, NC group The Steep Canyon Rangers, which comes to us via from Garageband.com (9:20)

Julie finally gathers her luggage, and she and Mark head for Metro. (14:26)

Our theme is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

We go to what the Insider's Guide to Off the Beaten Track Washington DC calls "the ultimate off-the-beaten-track destination" in Washington, , Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

The Gardens are located in Northeast Washington, almost to the Maryland Border, and we recommend you take the Orange Line to the Deanwood station, then take the V8 bus to the corner of Anacostia Avenue and Douglas Street.

Once at the Garden, we briefly visit the Visitor's Center, and Julie takes a minute to talk about the history and some other facts about the Kenilworth Park and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.. (4:22)

We go outside and meet up with Kate Bucco, whose name we later learn is pronounced with a hard "c" (sorry Kate). We're thankful to Kate for letting us use her voice this week. Kate gives us some more information on the history of the park, and shows us the tropical water lilies. (8:26)

Kate does an exercise with us to show us how tides work, and tells us about the lotus leaves. (12:42)

We visit the water lily ponds, hear Helen Fowler's story, listen to a frog, hear a story about turtles, and avoid poison Ivy.(15:20)

We play Amphibious by Virginia Beach based band, The Void, which comes to us via The Podsafe Music Network. (23:12)

After our tour, we walk on the Marsh River Trail.(26:35)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Don't miss our photo album today - it's got some great shots.

Julie arrives after a business trip in Washington's Dulles International Airport.

 

She describes the layout of the airport and talks about the mobile lounge-midfield terminal layout of the airport (1:07).

Arriving in the terminal, Julie heads for the baggage claim area, and talks about the Washington Flyer Magazine. (4:52)

Julie explores four ways to get into the city. They are: (7:11)

• Taxis
• Super Shuttle
• Washington Flyer Bus to West Falls Church Metro
• Metrobus Route 5A

Julie actually takes the Washington Flyer Bus. (14:26)

We play Cancelled Flight by Anthony Cinquini, which comes to us via from Garageband.com

Arriving at West Falls Church Station, Julie calls Mark for a ride, and describes the access to the Metro Station.

Our theme is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

This week we visit the Washington Monument, an archetypal icon of Washington, DC. Note that despite what we say, the tickets are free, and the booth opens at 8:30.

We start off standing in line for the ticket booth, which opens at 8:30 AM. We also reveal an alternative way to get tickets. (3:03)

Once we get our tickets, we play Jonathan Coulton's song, The Presidents. (4:16)

We return to the monument at our prescribed time, we return to the monument, enter and go up. (9:23)

We ascend the monument, and play America the Beautiful sung by the US Air Force's Singing Sergeants. (11:35)

We look out windows in all four directions. We descend one level to the gift shop, and catch the elevator down. (12:55)

We play The Star Spangled Banner, performed by The United States Army Band(21:52)

We talk a little about the experience of visiting, and the stones along the way down. (23:07)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was Four Ruffles and Flourishes from Hail to the Chief by the U.S. Marine Band. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Washington Monument photo album.

 

This week we visit the Smithsonian's 40th Annual National Folklife Festival, which this year profiles Alberta, Canada, Native Basketry, Nuestra Musica - Latino Chicago, and New Orleans

Before the tour, we read some listener email. (:50)

We provide a little background, logistics and information on the Folklife Festival. (2:52)

We start out the tour by visiting the large exhibit on Alberta, Canada. Highlights for us are the performances in the Northern Lights Stage, and the section on oil drilling in Alberta. (4:30)

We talk with Bill McDougal, an interpreter from Alberta. (16:15)

We are thrilled to be able to bring you "O Canada" performed by the Alberta Women's acapella group Asani who perform music with a strong native character. Their version of the National Anthem of canada is performed in French, English, and Cree, and will appear on an upcoming album. The intro is live from the Festival, but the actual performance is from the studio. (22:30)

We then walk through the exhibits devoted to Native Basketry. (24:57)

Hungry and a little weary, we expore the Foodways - eating at the Native Kitchen food tent. (40:03)

We finish up our visit to the Folklife Festival in the Nuestra Musica exhibit. (41:23)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our Folklife Festial photo album.

 

This week we head back to the mall, for a visit to a great art gallery, the West Building of the National Gallery of Art

To help make our podcast a little more educational, we have put together a page which contains links to the National Gallery's photographs of all the art we talk about. The link is here: Works discussed in the Podcast

We start by briefly enjoying the fountain in the Sculpture Garden. (3:51)

Once inside the museum, Julie recaps a bit of the history of the Museum, though there is a more complete history of the museum in Podcast #4. (6:51)

We visit the museum in chronological order, starting with the Italian Renaissance. (9:23)

We visit galleries devoted to German, Netherlandish, and Dutch painters, which include a lot of Rembrandt portraits. (13:55)

We head back into the sculpture hall, and talk about the sculpture halls, before visiting American Painter Thomas Cole's voyage of Life series, a favorite of Julie's. We continue on through the American galleries, including Copley, Homer, Singer, Sergeant and Whistler. (20:12)

We visit the Impressionist galleries, both American and French. (31:45)

We head to the elevator, and take it to the concourse, to visit our favorite painting in the whole museum - Salvador Dali's Last Supper. (36:20)

We play Entranced, by Anne Arundel County artist Blake Emrys. We don't have a web site for Blake, but his music is available at podsafeaudio.com. His music seemed to go well with a surrealist painting. (39:42)

After a walk through the gift shop, we visit the sculpture and decorative arts galleries. (42:50)

Finally we find the Vermeer paintings and one last Rembrandt. (47:12)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Our National Gallery of Art photo album..

Don't miss our podcast next week - we'll be bringing you the spectacular Smithsonian Folklife Festival!

 

This week we head out into the rolling hills of Virginia horse country with our friends Dave and Barbara Shepherd of the Word Nerds. We think this day trip into Virginia Wine Country is worth renting a car for!

We start our day at Chrysalis Vineyards, in Middleburg, VA. (2:02)

After a tasting and a discussion with Dave and Barb, we play Come N See, by Baltimore, MD group LVT. They come to us from the Podsafe Music Network.(12:35)

Next, we all move on to Piedmont Vineyard & Winery, also in Middleburg, VA, where we taste wine and talk with winemaker John Fitter. (16:13)

We play As Long As I Live by Centerville, VA group GUM! (24:21)

Last we visit Pearmund Cellars, in Broad Run, VA, one of the newest wineries in the state. There we talk to Assistant Winemaker Rick Tagg. (26:53)

We finish our day sharing some wine in the hot tub. (38:16)

To find out more about Virginia Wines in general, or to visit more of the many wineries in Virginia, visit the Virginia Wine web site.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photos from our Wine Trip are in our weekly photo album..

Make sure to check out the Word Nerds, to check out what they have to say about our theme this week!

 

This week, inspired by our recent shows on Arlington Cemetery and Richmond, we explore Civil War History in our nation's capitol. CONTENT WARNING - We spend about a minute discussing prostitution in Washington during the Civil War. If you're going to use this tour with kids, and are uncomfortable with the discussion, we've set up a clean version which you can download here. We're also plagued with recording problems (OK, we recorded the whole thing too hot) so you'll have to bear with us now and again. We fixed it where we could.

We start by picking up the Circulator Bus at the Convention Center Metro Stop and taking it to 29th Street in Georgetown. (2:16)

Once in Georgetown we visit Mt. Zion UMC and Cemetery, which were on the Underground Railroad during slave times. Then we head over the Dumbarton Bridge to visit a whole series of Civil War Memorials. We visit Sheridan Circle, DuPont Circle and then head south to Farragut Square. (5:15)

We review how Civil War history is bound up in institutions like the Blair House, the Old Corcoran Gallery (now the Renwick Gallery), the White House, and the Willard Hotel. We visit Sheridan's memorial in there somewhere. (18:43)

We play a wonderful Jazzy rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, performed by the US Air Force's Airmen of Note.(29:25)

We walk down to 10th street, to Ford's Theatre, and the house where Lincoln died - both National Park Service Sights. We stop by the Old Patent Office, now the National Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery. (34:45)

In Chinatown we visit Mary Surratt's Boardinghouse, where John Wilkes Booth and conspirators plotted against Lincoln, then we stop by Judiciary Square, for a modest statue of Lincoln and a look at the statue of Albert Pike, the only Confederate memorialized in Washington.(38:50)

We talk about Mathew Brady, famous Civil War Photographer. We've included some of Brady's photos in our slideshow but you can get to see more at this online archive.(45:03)

We visit Capitol Hill, to see the Peace Memorial and Grant Memorial, and to talk about the Civil War relevance of the Capitol Building, the Mall, and the temporary Capitol Building.(48:40)

We finish our tour with a visit to Ebeneezer UMC, on Capitol Hill, and also once a stop on the underground railroad. (55:00)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

You can see both ours and Mathew Brady's photos in our photo album..

A midweek special edition in which we rave about the The Grace Manor Inn a bed and breakfast inn in the Fan District of Richmond, Virginia. We recently stayed at the inn, when we did our Richmond Revolutionary and Civil War History Podcast.

We also get to interview one of the owners of the Inn, Albert Schick.

The music in this episode is Partita by J. S. Bach and Badinerie by J.S. Bach, both performed by the The Brunswick Duo from Brigton, England. OK, that's pretty far from Virginia, but we were thinking a lot about our Colonial Roots. Both pieces come to us via the Podsafe Music Network.

WE do have a Photo Album for our visit to the Grace Manor Inn. Let us know what you think of our review, via email at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com or as comments on this page.

This week we wander far afield, for a day or weekend trip down to Richmond, Virginia. Richmond is one of the oldest municipalities in the United States and is very important in both Revolutionary and Civil War History, which becomes our focus on this visit. We think Richmond is worth renting a car for, as well as devoting almost an hour to.

We start off by talking about what to do in Washington after the museums close, in response to a question by our listener, Jamee. (0:50)

We start our visit to Richmond in the Church Hill neighborhood in the east end of Richmond, home of the Chimborazo Visitor Center of the Richmond Battlefield National Park, and the Confederate Medical Museum. (5:55) A park ranger shares with us a few hints about visiting these Civil War Battlefields, from the campaigns of 1862 and 1864. (10:48) We also visit St. John's Episcopal Church, where Patrick Henry, colonial orator, said "Give me Liberty or Give me Death!" in 1775. (15:34) Julie talks about Richmond's History (15:56), then we take a tour of the church.

We play Yankee Doodle performed by the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (26:02).

We visit a number of sites in the Court End Neighborhood in central Richmond. (26:24) We visit Capitol Square, including the Old City Hall, the Governor's Residence, the State Capitol Building, the Washington (and other revolutionary war heros) statue, and then St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the "church of the confederacy." We happened upon a rehearsal of a Mozart Missa Brevis, which we, alas, do not have permission to share with you.

We head across Broad Street and visit the Library of Virginia, the Marshall House, the Confederate Museum and White House of the Confederacy and the Valentine Museum. (40:17)

We play an excerpt from the Fantasia on "When Johnny comes Marching Home, performed by the West Point Band. (50:20)

We continue on to our last neighborhood and briefly talk about the Fan District, an historic residential neighborhood, and one of the top places that Richmond Natives take their guests, when they visit. We stop for a look at the Arthur Ashe Monument, while describing the other monuments. (52:15)

Let us hear from you! You can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H, and our driving music is As long as I live by GUM!.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for Richmond.

This week we visit Arlington National Cemetery, a major site just over the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Not surprisingly, we recommend the Arlington Cemetery Station on the blue line for your visit, although we do discuss parking options.

We start by visiting the visitor's center and picking up a map. We talk briefly about Memorial Day in Arlington Cemetery. (2:30)

We discuss the history of the cemetery - particularly it's founding. (5:32), then walk to the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy (7:10), and his brother Robert (Bobby) Kennedy, both of whom were assasinated during the 1960's.

We pass by a number of important graves, including several Supreme Court justices, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. (11:49)

We walk up a large winding set of step to the area of the Custis-Lee Mansion, Arlington House, and visit the gravesite of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, (13:49) then tour the mansion. We're thankful to the National Park Service volunteers who let us tape them for this podcast.

We visit the Old Ampitheatre behind Arlington House, and the Lockerbie Cairn. (23:51) We play Amazing Grace performed by the by the bagpipe band of the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve

Julie walks by the memorials on the west side of the Ampitheatre, and walks into the Ampitheatre, while Mark lingers to get some pictures for our photo pages. (28:49) Then we visit the Tomb of the Unknowns and see the changing of the guard and a wreath laying ceremony. Our ending music is Taps played by a Marine musician at the end of the wreath-laying ceremony.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Mark got some really great pictures of Arlington Cemetery for this week's photo album..

Today we visit the grandaddy of performing arts venues in the Washington area, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. We recommend you use the Foggy Bottom Station on the Orange or Blue Line, and the Kennedy Center Shuttle

We start at the Hall of Nations, then head to the roof to visit the restaurants, roof terrace, and the theatres on that floor. (1:40)

We talk about Sheer Madness. (6:11)

We return to the ground floor and visit the Hall of States and the new Family Theatre before moving into the Grand Foyer. In the Grand Foyer we play a recording of the Carol Ringers from St. Matthew's United Methodist Church on the Millenium Stage in 1999, playing Tchaikovsky's Trepak from Nutcracker. One of the Carol Ringers is our daughter, Sarah. (10:59)

We talk about the Millenium Stage, then visit the Eisenhower Theatre and the bust of John F. Kennedy. (12:41)

We go out onto the terrace, where we enjoy the view of the Potomac and the sayings of JFK engraved into the walls of Carrara Marble. (19:00)

Back inside we re-enter the Grand Foyer, and visit the Opera House and the Concert Hall. We talk about the The Cappies, an innovative program for High School Theatre which is sponsored in part by the Kenndy Center Education Office. (25:39)

We give into hopeless nepotism once again, as we play "Verdrai, carino" from Mozart's Don Giovanni, sung by our other daughter, Catherine, during her Senior year of high school. Catherine was nominated for a Cappie in 2001. She is accompanied by her uncle, John Hamm. (16:58)

We end up talking about the parking and gift shops.

We'd like to particularly thank our friend Barbara Shepherd, Senior Program Director for the Partners in Education Program, a major Kennedy Center program which partners arts educators and arts organizations, for help with this podcast. It was very educational, Barb.

Let us hear from you! You can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Here is the Photo Album for the Kennedy Center.

We've spent a lot of time taking you to sights you can visit during the day - this week we begin giving you some ideas of what to do at night. We explore Washington DC as a first class theatre town - which, with more than 50 professional theatre companies and venues, it most certainly is.

We start off at the grandaddy of professional Regional Theater in the US, at Arena Stage in Southeast DC, near the Waterfront. We recommend the Waterfront Metro Station for your visit to Arena Stage. (2:20)

After Arena Stage, we head to the U Street Cardozo Metro Station, and visit what used to be the centerpiece of "Black Broadway". the Lincoln Theatre. (11:22)

From Lincoln we walk to the Source Theatre (13:50), then the Studio Theatre (14:23), and Theater J. (16:28) (past the community Theater Group The Foundry Players, in case you did not know that community Theater is also alive and well in Washington. Please note - since we did this episode, I have discovered that Source Theatre has closed.  Their space is currently being used by other companies, but is currently slated to become a bar.  Moral of the story - support local theatre - they really are running on a shoestring!

Last we head downtown, and walk from the Federal Triangle area to the Gallery Place Area in order to visit major venues the National Theatre and the The Warner Theatre (1955)

Then we walk on past Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was shot, (27:30) and to the new Penn Quarter to visit Wooley Mammoth Theatre, the Ticketplace half price ticket booth, and, lastly, the The Shakespeare Theatre at the Landsburg, where we stop to enjoy an evening of Theatre.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Our music today is Summer Pump by Cagey House, coming from podsafeaudio.com, and To Fly, from the United States Air Force Musical, Born of a Dream. For more about that check out the U. S. Air Force Band Web Site.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for Theatre in Washington..

If Washington TravelCast is fashionable (and we hope it is!) then today's show is the ultimate accessory. We spend twenty minutes telling you in detail how to take Metro around town.

Note that you can learn everything you would ever want to know about Metro at the official WMATA web site.

Remember that every rider on metro needs their own farecard or smartrip card. You cannot use one farecard for multiple people.

Metro has a day pass - it's very reasonable if you're going to be coming in from the suburbs and/or going to use more than three trips in a day. There is also a weekly pass that can save you money if you are in town for a week. Neither pass can currently be put on a Smart Trip.

And the folks at Springfield Mall probably really don't want you parking there, no matter what we say!

Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for Metro Primer.

We bring you our special Mothers' Day edition - a week early - and take you to Julie's favorite Mothers' Day spot, the National Arboretum, the US Department of Agriculture's huge national garden.

We explain why we recommend you consider using a car to get to and around the Arboretum, and how to get there via Metro and Arboretum Tram if you do come that way. (2:34)

We visit the Azalea Gardens, and take the Mitchell Azalea Walk. (7:16)

We visit the Picnic Area and the National Grove of State Trees. Julie tells you how to pull off her favorite Mothers' Day experience at the Arboretum. (15:20)

We walk through the forest of Fern Valley. Mark suggests an alternative Mothers' Day idea. (19:52)

We explore the new Asian Collection. We even tell you where the bathrooms are. (26:33)

We finish off strolling along the plush lawns and beautiful vistas of the Dogwood collection. (31:52)

We play a promo for The Amateur Traveler podcast. Julie was recently interviewed on this podcast about her recent trip to Berlin. (35:42)

Our music on this episode is provided by the birds at the National Arboretum.

Talk back to us! You can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans

Our walking music is find me by H, and our riding in the car music is from As Long as I Live by Centerville, VA band, GUM!

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for the National Arboretum. We put a LOT of pictures up this week.

A short, special edition in which we visit the Mitsitam Cafe of the National Museum of the American Indian between Jefferson and Maryland Avenues at Third Street SW.

This is a unique museum restaurant, featuring food from a wide variety of Native American cultures. It is our choice for lunch if you are visiting the Smithsonian. Let us know what you think of our review, via email at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com or as comments on this page.

On a rainy day, we visit the National Museum of the American Indian which is one of the museums of the Smithsonian Instiution. We recommend you use the L'Enfant Plaza Station on the Orange, Blue, Green or Yellow Line.

This podcast is a soundseeing tour, rather than our normal guided tour - we assume you can find your way around the museum OK.

At the end of the tour we mention our friend Steve whose Blog about his Sabbatical with his tribe, the Oneida is well worth reading.
Let us hear from you!  You can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans

Our music today is find me by H.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for the National Museum of the American Indian..

A short, special edition in which we visit the Food Court of the Reagan Building between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues at 15th Street NW.

This is an inexpensive and convenient food court with a number of casual dining options, just across the street from the more expensive restaurants on the Smithsonian.

We hope to continue to do occasional tips, restaurant reviews and the like as short midweek segments, if our listeners find them helpful.  Let us know how you like them, via email at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com or as comments on this page.

Today we end a three week series, visiting the National Mall, the Nation's backyard.  We recommend you use the SmithsonianStation on the Orange or Blue Line.  

We start on the grounds of the Washington Monument. (2:34)

We visit the National World War II Memorial. (8:17)

We break away from the crowds and take a tranquil stroll through Constitution Gardens. (11:24)

We continue on westward and play Remember Me by the Central Virginia group The Lee Harris 3. (14:17)

We visit the dramatic and moving Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.  (16:58)

We cross the mall to visit the Korean War Veterans' Memorial.  (22:31)

We finally arrive at the other end of the mall, the Lincoln Memorial. (28:40)

We give three sets of directions back to metro. Hint - the Foggy Bottom station is the furthest of the three from the Lincoln Memorial. And uphill!

Let us hear from you! You can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for the last part of our Walk along the mall..

Today we bring you part two of a three week series, visiting the National Mall, the Nation's backyard. We recommend you use the Federal TriangleStation if you are doing this in conjunction with Podcast #4 or the L'Enfant Plaza on Blue, Orange, Green or Yellow lines, or SmithsonianStation on the Orange or Blue Line.

Julie continues with her retelling of the History of the Smithsonian Institution. (2:21)

We walk around the National Museum of the American Indian, the newest museum on the mall. (5:20)

We continue walking past the most visited museum in the world the National Air and Space Museum. (10:11)

We rest our feet for a few minutes in the lovely atmosphere of the Sculpture Garden at the Hirshhorn Museum. Then we explore some of the other sculpture on the grounds of this intersting contemporary art museum.(15:41)

We continue walking next door to the portico of the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Then we take note of the Carousel and the Smithsonian Castle. (19:27)

We head toward the garden behind the castle, and then play Lapse by College Park, Maryland guitar trio Might Could. We also talk about the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and the Sackler Gallery(26:01)

We pass by the S. Dillon Ripley Center, and the Freer Gallery which, along with the Sackler constitutes the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art. (29:50)

We then pass by the Department of Agriculture's Visitor's Center

We hope to continue to spotlight DC area music on our podcast. If you are a local musician and you would like to hear your music on Washington TravelCast, you can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for the second part of our Walk along the mall..

Today we begin a three week series, visiting the National Mall, the Nation's backyard. We recommend you use the Federal Triangle or SmithsonianStation on the Orange or Blue Line.

We start with a brief discussion of the History of the Smithsonian Institution. (3:05)

We pass the National Museum of American History. (7:19)

We continue our discussion of the history of the Smithsonian, then visit the National Museum of Natural History. (11:02)

We continue on eastward along the Mall and play Swallowing Stones by Westminster, Maryland artist Lisa Cerbone. (17:03)

We visit the Sculpture Garden, Pavilion and Ice Rink(), then the East and West Wings of the National Gallery of Art. (20:51)

We hope to continue to spotlight DC area music on our podcast. If you are a local musician and you would like to hear your music on Washington TravelCast, you can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Photo Album for the first part of our Walk along the mall..

Today we stroll up Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol grounds to the White House. We recommend you use the Capitol South Station on the Orange or Blue Line, or Judiciary Square or Union Station on the Red Line.

We start at the Peace Memorial on the Capitol Grounds, and talk a bit about the history of Pennsylvania Memorial. (2:34)

We stop at the Navy Memorial, and listen to the Navy Sea Changers sing Eternal Father, Strong to Save. This music is available freely on the web site of the United States Navy Band. (8:53)

We visit Freedom Plaza and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with excerpts from his "I have a dream" speech, which is available in its entirely many places online, including www.americanrhetoric.com. (15:27)

Just before arriving at the White House we listen to the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band play Four Ruffles and Flourishes and Hail to the Chief (21:32)

We visit the White House or Presidential Mansion. (22:25)

We finish with the song Just Another God Bless America by Chantilly, VA based Enduring Pain. This song comes to us from the Podsafe Music Network (27:31)

We hope to continue to spotlight DC area music on our podcast. If you are a local musician and you would like to hear your music on Washington TravelCast, you can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Photo Album for our Pennsylvania Avenue Walk..

Today we explore Capitol Hill, and many of the buildings associated with the U.S. Government. We recommend you use the Capitol South Station on the Orange or Blue Line, or Judiciary Square or Union Station on the Red Line. We give you directions from the top of the Elevator at the Independance Ave exit at the Capital South Metro Station.

We view the Capitol Building from the exterior, and talk about its history. (2:02)

We view the Library of Congress. (7:29)

We sit on a bench and stop for a chat by the Folger Shakespeare Library about the library, gardens, and events associated with the Library. (9:21)

We don't stop by the Supreme Court because they are loudly power-washing the steps as we pass. Nonetheless we talk about the building and explain how to visit. (10:51)

We play the song Simple Ways by Washington, DC based Sharif. This song comes to us from the Podsafe Music Network (12:55)

We head on around the Capitol, talk a little about Union Station, listen to the Capitol Carillon and visit the Peace Memorial, Grant Memorial and Garfield Memorial. (17:36)

We stop briefly by the U. S. Botanic Garden. (25:29)

We Pause by the Office Buildings for the U. S. House of Representatives (26:55)

We hope to continue to spotlight DC area music on our podcast. If you are a local musician and you would like to hear your music on Washington TravelCast, you can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

Incidental music during the walk is from find me by H.

Photo Album for Capitol Hill Walk.

Comments[13]

We've added a new feature - a picture album to go with the audio, featuring a map of our walk as well as a handful of pictures (slideshow feature included). Tidal Basin Photo Album is Here.

Today we take a walk, clockwise around the Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin is a body of water sitting just south of the Washington Monument, across Independence Avenue. We recommend you use the Smithsonian Metro Station on the Orange or Blue Line. We give you directions from the top of the escalator at the Independance Ave.

We talk about the history of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts this year on March 25th. Peak Bloom is forecast between March 27 and April 1 in 2006. (8:43)

We visit the Jefferson Memorial. (10:28)

We head on around the Basin and visit the FDR Memorial, and take a tour through this complex and large memorial. (15:19)

We play the song Everytime I Run Away by Centreville, Virginia based group GUM!. (24:53)

We hope to continue to spotlight DC area music on our podcast. If you are a local musician and you would like to hear your music on Washington TravelCast, you can leave us a message here on our web page, or email us at washingtontravelcast@yahoo.com.

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans.

We erred in the audio section of our podcast - the incidental music during the walk is from find me by H (not davey, as stated.) Our Mentor is Dave Shepherd of The Word Nerds. Thanks, Dave.