Guest Nomad: Six Great Places To Visit In Washington, D.C.

This week’s “Guest Nomad” is Sarah Van Auken from VolunteerGlobal.com.

Six Great Places To Visit In Washington, D.C.

I’ve wanted to live in Washington, D.C. for as long as I can remember. I imagined strolling along the National Mall, taking in the view from atop the Washington Monument, sitting on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, and working in the White House.

After living here for five years, my experience has been vastly different from what I thought it would be. What I’ve found is that this city is not just that stock footage we all see in movies. It’s a real-life-honest-to-goodness city, complete with its own dog parks, independent shops, and even – yes! People! There are 600,000 of us from all over the world, living in very distinct neighborhoods.

Because I want you to love D.C. as much as I do, below are six tourist friendly places you may not have considered, but that you really should visit, next time you’re here.

Meridian Hill Park

Located at 15th, 16th, and W Streets NW, this park is my favorite spot in the city. Meridian Hill is home to statues of Jeanne d’Arc (the only equestrian statue in the city to feature a woman), Dante Alighieri, and James Buchanan. Thirteen fountains on lower level of the park are situated along a series of stairs to an upper section flanked by two more fountains. The top of the hill is home to a dog park, where you can join games of ultimate Frisbee and a very popular drum circle each weekend.

KramerBooks

We all love bookstores, right? Located on Connecticut Avenue just north of Dupont Circle, KramerBooks is The Bookstore to Visit in this city. Open 24 hours on weekends and late nights during the week, this tiny shop boasts publications on every subject, from fiction to travel to political satire. Stop by the Afterwords Café as well – this extension of KramerBooks offers daily happy hour specials at the bar and sit-down meals both inside and on the patio.

Roosevelt Island

Theodore Roosevelt Island is situated on the Potomac River and is accessible by a footbridge near the George Washington Memorial Parkway. You’ll have to hoof it though – no bikes or cars are allowed out there, but dogs are permitted if they’re on a leash. This small bit of land is considered a National Park, and is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. If you ever wondered why there were no memorials to this president on or around the National Mall, it’s because the man was so completely awesome that he deserved his own island. Just look at that statue!

The National Cathedral

Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of the National Cathedral, which is located on Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW. I’m going to tell you some cool things about it though.

First of all, there’s the Space Window – a stained glass window displaying a moon rock commemorating the lunar landing in 1969. The design of this window outlines the trajectory Apollo 11 took from the earth to the moon and back.

There’s also the statue of Darth Vader. You’ll need good binoculars to see it, but it’s generally accepted that this is the only religious building in the world featuring a Darth Vader gargoyle.

Speaking of gargoyles and grotesques, you’ll also find an elephant; a monkey; a computer; a robot; a crooked politician; a grotesque of one of the stone carvers, complete with overalls and a stiletto; and finally, an angel holding an Oscar statuette commemorating Marjorie Hunt’s 1985 documentary “The Stone Carvers.”

HR-57

Located on Q and 14th Streets NW, this club derives its name from House Resolution 57, which declared jazz to be a “rare and valuable national American treasure.” On weekends, HR-57 is a smoky, dark, hidden-away jazz club that showcases aspiring and professional musicians in Washington, D.C. – and always gives a great performance. During the day, they host lectures, workshops, and exhibits for nonprofits, universities, and individuals.

Eastern Market

Open every weekend, this market is located at the Metro stop bearing the same name, and includes arts and crafts, a flea market, and a farmers’ line. During the week, only the South Hall Merchants shops (produce and flowers) are open for business. The Eastern Market building reopened this summer after a fire badly damaged the structure in 2007, and now features nearly 200 exhibitors and handmade products. Stop by the adjacent cafes for Sunday brunch, and then spend your afternoon browsing this favorite spot among D.C. locals.

Tags: kramerbooks, lincoln memorial, national mall, roosevelt island, united states, washington d.c., white house

All You Need Is Love (And A Passport): 9 Beatle-riffic Destinations

Today is “09-09-09″, and while that may be catchy enough, it has also been dubbed “Beatles Day.” The reason behind the nickname is because the Fab Four’s entire music catalog is being re-released starting today in proper CD digital format. So that means you can get a hold of all the legendary British band’s popular hits ranging from “A Hard Day’s Night” to “Yesterday” and all songs in between in crystal clear quality.

In honor of The Beatles, which just so happens to be one of my favorite bands, I thought I would showcase some of the more infamous destinations that John, Paul, George, and Ringo frequented when they were rocking around the world. Groovy.

Liverpool, England: Well duh. Of course any list of Beatles destinations would have to start with where the band got started. This English town is still crazy for their most popular residents 40 plus years after they formed. All members of the Beatles grew up in Liverpool, and if you visit that is a fact you will soon realize.

Almost all of the streets, pubs, and churches have Beatles references next to them. Every July they celebrate “Beatles Day” and just one month later the the party continues with August’s “International Beatles week.”

London, England: Our next stop on The Beatles world tour is just 200 or so miles away from Liverpool. London is easily the most popular city in all of England and where The Beatles recorded most of their work. One street in particular has been a “must cross” destination for Beatles fanatics for centuries.

Abbey Road Crossing, which is where Abbey Road studios is located, was used on the cover of the last Beatles album. Since that time visitors have imitated the infamous pose, causing the ultimate photo op and traffic nightmare in the process. Many locals driving down the street must be careful as to not hit faux Beatles as they strut across the road.

Some famous faces like The Simpsons and Red Hot Chili Peppers have paid honor to the band with their own version of the album cover. Abbey Road studio is still popular to this day for producing music from the likes of Pink Floyd and Radiohead, as well as scores for such blockbuster movies as Lord of the Rings and Batman.

Hamburg, Germany: The Fab Five (Pete Best was the infamous fifth member of the band in the early days before being fired by the original four because they simply did not like him) honed their skills at many clubs in the early 1960s in the city of Hamburg. Hot spots like the Top Ten Club were buzzing with Beatlemania until they were booted from Germany after it was found out that George was hanging out at clubs underage. Today the city of Hamburg is home to nearly 2 million residents and is sixth-largest city in the European Union. Hamburg is also known for being a major port city and transportation hub in Germany.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: After tying the knot, John Lennon and Yoko Ono honeymooned in this popular European city. If you listen to the lyrics of “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” Mr. Imagine even mentions the lodge where he stayed (Amsterdam Hilton) with his new wife for a week to “get him some peace.” Their stay was peaceful – but in a different way. Both used their fame to garner some media attention to promote peace in the world. It worked as several reporters showed up to interview to duo.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Loving the attention that their “Bed-In For Peace” received in Europe, John Lennon and Yoko decided to perform the same stunt in the United States. However, the government did not allow Lennon to enter due to a previous drug conviction. Some believe that President Richard Nixon had a personal vendetta against the rocker due to his extremely liberal views and used the issue to bar Lennon from entering.

So “Plan B” was to head up north to Canada, Montreal in particular, where he was welcomed with open arms. It was on June 1, 1969 in suite #1742 of the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth that “Give Peace A Chance” was recorded by the Beatle. Lennon did not sing the tune alone, as Yoko and the media joined him in an impromptu jam session.

Washington, DC: Just two days after arriving in the United States and performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles performed their first U.S. concert to thousands of screeching fans at the Washington Coliseum. The date was February 11, 1964 and the show easily sold out.

The venue still stands today, however it is used as an indoor parking garage. The ticket price to see the Fab Four for this historic show? Four dollars! That is far less than the convenience fees we see added to today’s concerts.

San Francisco, CA: It was here that The Beatles performed their final full concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. Although the concert was not professionally recorded and it was decades before the “YouTube Generation,” some of the show was actually captured on film by a 15-year old fan in the audience and was even featured in a documentary entitled “The Unseen Beatles.”

Rishikesh, India: After being burned out by touring and the entire life that comes along with fame,  The Beatles headed to the city of Rishikesh,India for eight weeks in 1968. Known as the birthplace of yoga, all four men spent a week at a Transcendental Meditation course followed by spending time with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his ashram in the Himalayas. It was here that the Fab Four not only found their “inner peace,” but wrote the lyrics to many songs that would appear on the extremely popular White Album.

New York, New York: After performing a spur of the moment gig high above London on top of the Apple Corps building, the Fab Four would soon split up. For years fans hoped that John, Paul, George, and Ringo would reconcile and tour again. Sadly that was never to be. On the night of December 8, 1980 John Lennon was shot to death by Mark David Chapman right outside of The Dakota in New York City.

For days thousands of fans mourned outside of The Dakota and sang Beatles tunes in unison. Yoko Ono requested that the mourners move away from the building as it was keeping her and son Sean awake at night. They reconvened across the street in Central Park.

The 2.5 acre piece of land named “Strawberry Fields” has become a memorial not only for the legendary Lennon, but it also drew a candlelight vigil days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and was a place to mourn the passing of rock stars like Jerry Garcia and The Beatles’ George Harrison.

For more Beatles goodness, check out their official website.

Tags: abbey road, amsterdam, beatles, beatles day, california, canada, cavern club, england, fab four, fairmont queen elizabeth, germany, hamburg, hilton, india, john lennon, liverpool, London, montreal, netherlands, new york, quebec, rishikesh, san francisco, the beatles, washington d.c.

America’s Best & Worst Airports For 2009

Travel + Leisure Magazine just released it’s list of the United State’s “Best & Worst Airports” for 2009.  They compiled information on flights that departed more than 15 minutes late from the country’s airports between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 courtesy of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

There are some notable highlights from this year’s list of aviation hub angels and offenders. We have a new number one “worst” in ‘09, Seattle (SEA) dropped off the top 10 “best” list, Chicago (MDW) fell from the “worst” list, and it should come as no surprise that all of the New York area airports made an appearance (…and not a good one). Here are this year’s winners and losers:

Worst Airports:

#1 – Newark (EWR)

#2 – Chicago (ORD)

#3 – Miami (MIA)

#4 (tied) – Dallas (DFW)

#4 (tied) – New York (LGA)

#4 (tied) – New York (JFK)

#7 – San Francisco (SFO)

#8 (tied) – Washington DC (IAD)

#8 (tied) – Atlanta (ATL)

#8 (tied) – Philadelphia (PHL)

Best Airports:

#1 – Salt Lake City (SLC)

#2 – Portland (PDX)

#3 (tied) – Washington DC (DCA)

#3 (tied) – Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)

#5 (tied) – Los Angeles (LAX)

#5 (tied) – San Diego (SAN)

#5 (tied) – Tampa (TPA)

#5 (tied) – Detroit (DTW)

#9 (tied) – Phoenix (PHX)

#9 (tied) – Orlando (MCO)

So what is your favorite and least favorite airport? If you want to vent and share some airport horror stories, feel free to comment below.

For more information on this list, check out TravelandLeisure.com.

Tags: arizona, atlanta, california, Dallas, detroit, florida, georgia, jfk airport, los angeles, miami, michigan, minneapolis, minneapolish-st paul, minnesota, new jersey, new york, newark, oregon, orlando, pennsylvania, philadelphia, phoenix, portland, salt lake city, San Diego, san francisco, tampa, texas, utah, washington d.c.

Unwanted Watergate: Auction Attracts No Bids For Infamous DC Hotel

The Watergate Hotel, which was made famous by a scandal in the early 1970s that ultimately culminated with a U.S. President’s resignation, failed to attract any bids Tuesday when it went up for auction at the opening price of $25 million. Of the 10 registered bidders present, which included wealthy developers and owners of hotel chains, not one accepted the asking price. By the end of the day the property was still in the hands of PB Capital Corp. Ouch!

Monument Realty, the former hotel owner, purchased the property in 2004 with plans to convert it into expensive cooperative apartments. But after local residents fought off that idea in court, the company decided in 2007 to give the Watergate Hotel a $170 million renovation that would take 18-months to finish.

The Watergate was completely gutted and all items inside from beds to marble columns were sold. But a combination of an economic meltdown in late 2008 and credit issues saw Monument Realty default on their loan with PB Capital. Now the hotel that once saw such famous visitors as John Wayne, Liberace, and Andy Warhol is just an unwanted piece of property.

Opened in 1967, The Watergate Hotel was one of six buildings in the Watergate complex. One of those buildings was involved in a 1972 burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. This crime led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Four of the burglars involved in the incident were booked at the hotel at the time of the robbery.

Tags: hotel, washington d.c., watergate