Washington, D.C. Luxury Hotels and Destination
Our nation's capital, Washington in the District of Columbia, is worth at least one visit. Whether your family's greatest interests are political, historical, scientific, artistic or social, D.C. can keep you interested and enlightened.
History
There are conflicting reports concerning the exact date of the founding of Washington D.C. Some place it in 1790 others in 1791. The city was established as a replacement for the eight cities, which hosted sessions of the Continental Congress. President George Washington chose the land in the District of Columbia, between Maryland and Virginia, because of its close proximity to his own property in the northern part of Virginia. Pierre L'Enfant, a French architect, was appointed by George Washington to design the new city. L'Enfant's original name, Washingtonople, didn't go over very well, but parts of his original dream layout still exist today, including the Washington Monument.
L'Enfant was later dismissed and replaced by a city surveyor by the name of Andrew Ellicott (whose father founded Ellicott City, Maryland). In an attempt to finish the city by 1800, the appointed city commissioners announced a contest for a Capitol Building and Presidential Mansion design. There were an abundance of entries, and it was discovered that one of the contestants was a mysterious "AZ", later discovered to be Vice President Thomas Jefferson.
Both the War of 1812 and the Civil War took their toll on Washington, D.C., and the city was in need of repair and restoration. The Capitol was saved, but the Presidential Mansion had to be redesigned and rebuilt. The new project was named the "White House" after the color of its exterior walls.
Attractions
Washington D.C. is known for both its cultural and scholastic traditions. Some of the country's finest universities are located there and these include American University, Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Howard University. Cultural attractions include the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which presents some of the greatest performers and performances from across America and around the world.
The Smithsonian Institution was established in 1846 and holds some 140 million artifacts and specimens for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge". The Institution is dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history. It is composed of sixteen museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and numerous research facilities throughout the United States and abroad.
The National Gallery of Art was created in 1937 for the people of the United States by a joint resolution of Congress, after accepting the gift of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon. European and American art is displayed in the permanent collection galleries, and temporary exhibitions from countries and cultures throughout the world are presented on a regular basis.
Unexpected Discoveries
The Capitol, White House, Supreme Court Building, National Archives, Constitution Hall, and Library of Congress are well known, as are the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. One memorial not to be missed, is the Franklin Delanore Roosevelt Memorial. It consists of four outdoor rooms with granite walls, statuary, inscriptions, waterfalls and thousands of plants, shrubs and trees along the famous cherry tree walk on the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. American sculptors, whose works in bronze bas-relief and sculptured figures, relate memories of the man and his times. Other lesser known memorials include the Emancipation Statue, which depicts Archer Alexander, the last slave captured under the Fugitive Slave Law, breaking the chains of oppression while Abraham Lincoln reads the Emancipation Proclamation. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is composed of elegant marble walls displaying the names of nearly 14,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty dating back to 1794. And finally, the Banneker Circle & Fountain, a tribute to African-American mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker, who in 1791 assisted Pierre Charles L'Enfant with the original design for the capital city.
The Great Outdoors
Washington D.C. is known for its museums and monuments, but if you want to get in some recreation, there is plenty to do. Bird watchers will love visiting the 40-acre grounds of the headquarters of the Audubon Naturalist Society. The grounds contain numerous types of birds as seen in their natural habitat.
C&O Canal National Historical Park was the brainchild of George Washington. Envisioned as a commercial waterway connecting the Ohio and Potomac rivers, the canal now serves as one of the DC area's most popular parks. There are numerous diversions in the park such as the Clara Barton National Historic Site and Glen Echo Park, which has a working carousel (Wed - Sun, May-late Sept) and is the site of festivals and activities for children.
Dumbarton Oaks is an estate run by Harvard University that houses Byzantine and Pre-Columbian works of art. Outside the estate are ten acres of beautifully landscaped land designed by Beatrix Farrand. Incorporating different styles of European landscaping, the gardens provide plenty of places to sit and appreciate one of the loveliest spots in Washington.
East Potomac Park is a 328-acre park that contains public swimming pools, tennis courts, golf, playgrounds and picnic tables. The two most prominent features of the park are Hains Point and the Jefferson Memorial. Hains Point is a popular place to picnic and watch planes take off from Washington National Airport. It also has "The Awakening" sculpture depicting a giant emerging from the earth. In April, the park is a popular place to see the blooming Japanese cherry blossom trees that are around the Tidal Basin.
Rock Creek Park is an immensely popular park among Washingtonians. Originally built to defend Washington during the Civil War, four forts remain standing on park grounds. Well maintained bicycle, hiking and equestrian trails run past the forts and other sites like Pierce Mill, a functional water mill.
Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, July 4
10 a.m. The National Archives will celebrate the 224TH anniversary of the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence with its traditional Fourth of July program. The program includes patriotic music, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence and a demonstration of colonial military maneuvers. Constitution Ave. steps. Between 7th and 9th Streets, NW.
11a.m-5:30 p.m. Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall, Washington, DC. The 2000
Festival features the cultural traditions. Music, dance, food, crafts, storytelling, work demonstrations, community celebrations, family activities and cultural workshops. For information call 202-287-3424.
11:45 a.m. 2000 National Independence Day Parade- Constitution Ave. between 7TH and 17TH
Streets NW. Celebrating the 224TH birthday of the United States of America at the dawn of the new millennium. A red, white, and blue return to a traditional Fourth of July in Washington with a major new parade of the Nation's Capital. Floats, giant balloons, marching band.
Afternoon family stage entertainment at the Sylvan Theatre on the southeast grounds of the Washington Monument.
5:30 p.m. 9 p.m. Smithsonian Folklife Festival dance parties on the National Mall, Washington, DC.
8 p.m. A Capital Fourth 2000 National Symphony Concert A dazzling birthday for the new millennium. Broadcast live, public television's top-rated holiday event. Joining host Barry Bostwick for the festivities are legendary entertainer Ray Charles, popular flutist James Galway, Broadway sensation Audra McDonald, renowned pianist David Benoit and other leading talents performing with Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducting the National Symphony Orchestra. Capping off the holiday extravaganza is Tchaikovsky's stirring "1812 Overture". Concert is free. (Raindate 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 5, west lawn).
9:05 p.m. FIREWORKS!!!!! Washington Monument Grounds.
Washington, D.C. is a city of crossroads where North and South, federal and local, urban and suburban, national and international, native and newcomer, African American and white, Hispanic and Asian meet and become America. When you do visit, plan your time very carefully. The Smithsonian alone can take weeks!
Photos by Joseph Giove III
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