"The Nation's Capital" a Washington D.C. Travel Page by soccergrrl

If you visit Washington, DC this summer, 2004, keep an eye out for some colorful friends waiting to greet you. They are the artfully, and cleverly, decorated and named pandas that dot street corners around the city. See my tip about them for more details.

This one, called "Sightseeing DC-Style," is located at Pennsylvania Ave and 14th St NW.

Cherry Blossom time is the unofficial start of "Tourist Season" here in Washington. We have visitors all through the year, but the city is at its most beautiful in the spring when these stunning trees strut their stuff. For details on the annual festival, visit:
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

For predictions about bloom dates (and historical bloom times for the past several years):
http://www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry/updated.htm

Soon enough the unpredictable spring weather will be gone and we will be moaning, "It's HOT!" No doubt another sweltering Washington summer is just around the corner. But guess what? The museums are air-conditioned and there's an ice cream vendor on nearly every corner around the Mall!

Washington is a unique and beautiful city to visit. Here you'll find some photos from cherry blossom time in 2002 as well as some of my favorite restaurants. Some of the restaurants are in the suburbs, but I'm putting them here because I think more people will see them. You'll also find some information about soccer (football) here in metropolitan area! Finally, there's a travelogue with pictures of the snow we got on December 5, 2002. I hope you'll come see things for yourself. If you have questions about the area, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help.

HELP
You may have heard that Washington is full of busy, Type A personalities--lawyers, politicos, and lobbyists--who won't give you the time of day let alone help you find the White House. Like any city, you're bound to encounter some rude people, but overall you'll find us helpful if you just ask! In addition to locals, in the downtown areas you will see "Downtown Sam" employees in red jackets. They are here to help and usually have maps and a smile to help you find your way.