|
You Haven't Lived Here If . . . The Washington Post Metro Section
Sunday, August 11, 2002 | |  The Awakening statue at Hains Point in East Potomac Park is a perennial favorite for locals and visitors to Washington. (Mark Finkenstaedt/For The Post) | ABOUT THIS SERIES: Washington Post readers respond to the query: "Know of a uniquely Washington area experience, a place you always take out-of-towners or the thing you'd miss most about the region?" Following are all previously published reader responses. If you would like to make a submission, send an email to haventlived@washpost.com. You haven't lived here if you haven't marched into history at the National Building Museum. Housed in the old Pension Building, which was built between 1882 and 1887, one of the museum's finest exhibits may just be the structure itself. Inside, gaze up at the high ceiling, and outside, walk along with the hundreds of Civil War figures captured in the 1,200-foot continuous frieze. Marching soldiers, horse-mounted officers and oar-wielding sailors in yellow terra cotta forever circle the building in a stunning display.
National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 202-272-2448, Ext. 3300, or visit www.nbm.org. You haven't lived here if you haven't seen the Corinthian Acropolis. Rather than celebrate some ancient civilization, the 22 sandstone columns that rise from a Northeast Washington meadow punctuate a natural space that is a treasure in its own right -- the U.S. National Arboretum. The columns, which once supported the U.S. Capitol dome, were removed during a 1950s expansion and left to molder for years until being given a new home.
National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Dec. 25. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 202-245-2726 or go to www.usna.usda.gov. You haven't lived here if you haven't been inside the the National Cathedral. Sure, you've seen it. The imposing structure is hard to miss from its commanding location above Northwest Washington. But did you know that Darth Vader lurks in the church's western towers? Or that it is home to Washington's highest laundry room? Docents weave a web of fascinating stories as they lead groups through the cathedral. The can't-miss, behind-the-scenes tour takes you through hidden hallways, above the vaulting, within inches of the stunning north rose window and on to a breathtaking view from the church's roof.
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. Several tours are available. For details, call 202-537-6200 or go to www.cathedral.org/cathedral. You haven't lived here if you haven't spent Sunday morning at the Takoma Park Farmers Market. Every week, a small boulevard in Maryland's hippest town fills with farmers hawking lima beans and organic beef, logs of goat cheese and bushels of three kinds of basil, fresh eggs and zinnia bouquets. Regulars arrive early and line up next to their favorite stalls, waiting for the 10 a.m. opening bell; the mesclun can be gone in a matter of minutes. This time of year, make your reward a Sunday lunch of tomato sandwiches.
Takoma Park Farmers Market; the market, lining Laurel Avenue in the town's historic district, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. It operates from the third Sunday in April to the third Sunday in December. You haven't lived here if you haven't taken a closer look at Washington National Cathedral. Sure, you've seen it. The imposing structure is hard to miss from its commanding location above Northwest Washington. But did you know that Darth Vader lurks in the church's western towers? Or that it is home to Washington's highest laundry room? Docents weave a web of fascinating stories as they lead groups through the cathedral. The can't-miss, behind-the-scenes tour takes you through hidden hallways, above the vaulting, within inches of the stunning north rose window and on to a breathtaking view from the church's roof.
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. Several tours are available. For details, call 202-537-6200 or go to www.cathedral.org/cathedral. You haven't lived here if you haven't driven down Route 301 for a plateful of ribs that will stick to your own. The tiny Johnny Boy's could almost go unnoticed after the big box stores up the road, but don't worry about missing it. Your nose will tell you when to stop. The classic rib shack has been upgraded from its original plywood walls and cigar box cash register, but the smell that wafts across the highway remains just as sweet -- and the taste is easily worth the trip. Grab a slab and a seat at one of the nearby picnic tables, and don't forget the napkins. Johnny Boy's Ribs, 7540 Crain Highway, La Plata, 301-870-2526. Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. You haven't lived here if you haven't taken a Sunday drive to Snickersville. Winding 15 miles under a canopy of arched trees, past red barns and thoroughbreds, sloping down hills and crossing over thin streams, this old, narrow road boasts one of the most charming atmospheres of Northern Virginia. It's a rural time warp lined with 18th-century stone fences and views of smoky blue hills in the distance. And if you want a break along the way, stop in at the Philomont General Store. The Snickersville Turnpike stretches about 14 miles from Aldie to Bluemont in Loudoun County. From the Capital Beltway, take Interstate 66 west to Route 50 and continue west to Aldie. The turnoff to Snickersville Pike is on the right, on the way out of town. You haven't lived here if you haven't cooled off at the Mall's hidden oasis. Overshadowed by the Capitol and a tall stand of trees, the Summer House is a blessing for travelers lucky enough to stumble upon it. Built about 1880, the six-sided structure is anchored by a fountain that once held spring water for drinking. Water fountains -- and Washington's ubiquitous souvenir stands -- slake modern thirsts, but Mall visitors still need a spot to refresh. The Summer House's decorative brick walls and cool benches are sheltered by mission tile roofs, providing a perfect refuge from sultry summer days. The Summer House is tucked into the hill that leads from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Senate side of the Capitol. For details, go to www.aoc.gov. You haven't lived here if you haven't made a pilgrimage to Washington's religious shrines. It isn't exactly the Holy Land, but it sure looks that way. The Franciscan Monastery in Brookland -- which features large replicas of Jesus's birthplace, the cave at Gethsemane and even the Holy Sepulchre -- offers an "alternate reality" tour of some of the holiest sites in Christendom. One eerie highlight: the Roman catacombs, the shadowy underground where early Christians hid from their pagan oppressors. Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy St. NE; donation requested; for information on tours, which are given daily on the hour, call 202-526-6800 or visit the Web site at http://www.pressroom.com/~franciscan/ You haven't lived here if you haven't taken a spin on the carousel at Glen Echo Park. You don't have to settle for a horse on this ride: Climb aboard a giraffe and fall spell to the sounds of the Wurlitzer organ. Or take the reins of a hand-carved ostrich. The centerpiece of a segregation-era amusement park, the merry-go-round was installed in 1921 and carefully restored not long ago. Much of the rest of the park, which opened in 1891 as part of the chautauqua movement, is now being renovated -- an effort that will erase decades of neglect and help forge a new era at the park.Glen Echo Park. From May 3 to Oct. 1, the carousel operates on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are 50 cents. For directions, call 301-492-6282 or go to www.nps.gov/glec. You haven't lived here if you haven't eaten crabs by the bushel at Tim's Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse. In some ways, the best part about this Dumfries treasure is simply finding it. Tucked amid the trees on the west side of the river, Tim's is accessible by boat or by car, along a mostly unmarked two-lane, winding road. Famous among locals, the restaurant offers sweeping, shore-level views of the river and a sometimes-raucous tiki bar. The inside is decorated like a boat, and adding to the experience: The walls and floors rattle regularly when trains rumble by on tracks that run just a few feet from the building. Tim's Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse, By car: 1510 Cherryhill Rd., Dumfries. By boat: Just south of Leesylvania State Park. The restaurant is open year-round, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It closes at 10 p.m. on Sundays. 703-441-1375 or www.timsrivershore.com You haven't lived here if you haven't seen Whistler's peacocks. It's a museum-quality home contractor horror story. Frederick R. Leyland hires James McNeill Whistler to touch up his dining room to make it more harmonious with the Whistler painting hanging there. In Leyland's absence, Whistler transforms the room into a spectacle of peacocks, entertains friends there and finally bills Leyland a small fortune. When Leyland objects, Whistler adds a mural that amounts to an insult. But give Whistler his due: The Peacock Room is a gem, the gaudiest in the Smithsonian Institution's uncrowded and sublime Freer Gallery of Art. Freer Gallery of Art, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street SW. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Dec. 25. Admission is free. 202-357-4880 You haven't lived here if you haven't crossed the Potomac the low-tech way. There are faster ways to traverse the river. Have been for years. But racing across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge at 75 mph hardly compares to a lazy ride on the Jubal A. Early, the East Coast's last cable-guided freshwater ferry. Spanning the Potomac at a narrow spot between Poolesville, in western Montgomery County, and Leesburg, the ferry offers a shortcut to hundreds of commuters each day. For others, the ride -- with the placid river bubbling quietly under the chugging barge -- is the joyful end in itself. White's Ferry docks at the end of White's Ferry roads in Montgomery and Loudoun counties. It runs from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily but may be closed for high water or icy conditions. Cars: $3 one way, $5 round trip. Pedestrians: 50 cents. 301-349-5200. You haven't lived here if you haven't gotten in tune with the National Symphony Orchestra. The secret to getting the best seats at the summer concerts on the Capitol lawn? Get there early. A whole day early, in fact. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people jam the Mall for the holiday spectaculars. The shows are a can't-miss event. What is missing, though, is space. And views. Both are readily available at the outdoor rehearsals, normally held the day before. They may not be as smooth or star-studded as the actual concerts, but there's enough room to stretch out and enjoy the show up close. The Memorial Day concert rehearsal is 7:30 p.m. May 25. The rehearsals have not yet been scheduled for the Fourth of July and Labor Day concerts. You haven't lived here if you haven't had a taste of the past at Frozen Dairy Bar. With a six-foot neon ice cream cone that served as a beacon to cruising teenagers, this shop once attracted long lines to its '50s-era drive-up shop. Developers eventually flattened the place, and after an ill-fated move down the road, the Dairy Bar ended up in a strip mall at its old location. A little character was lost but none of the flavors: smooth frozen custard in chocolate, vanilla and -- only during the summer -- strawberry. Frozen Dairy Bar, 6649 Arlington Blvd. (at Annandale Road), 703-534-4200. Through summer, open noon-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, noon-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. You haven't lived here if you haven't had a close encounter with Washington's jet set. At Gravelly Point, you'll gain a whole new perspective on the miracle of flight as the flying machines from Reagan National Airport thunder overhead. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the jets take off or land on a line directly over the park -- low enough to look in the windows. The best time to go: early and mid-morning and early evening on weekdays, when thousands of business travelers shuffle off to somewhere else. Or spend a romantic Sunday night under the lights of the landing beacons, watching the weekend getaway crowd come home. Gravelly Point: By car: Just north of the airport, accessible from the northbound lanes of George Washington Memorial Parkway. By bike or by foot: Along the Mount Vernon Trail between the 14th Street bridge and Alexandria. You haven't lived here if you haven't cried "May Day!" in Annapolis. On both sides of Spa Creek, on the quaint brick streets and Colonial row houses of downtown Annapolis and along the more relaxed waterfront of neighboring Eastport, the flowers of spring bloom ebulliently May 1 on the front doors and porches of stores and homes. In a tradition that has gone on for nearly a half-century, hundreds of residents and shop owners join to create enormous baskets of fresh-cut flowers. The baskets stay up past the May Day contest, and it is, in Annapolis -- this place that loves to party and look pretty -- yet another pungent and cheerful greeting of spring. You haven't lived here if you haven't had drinks on the roof terrace at the Hotel Washington, an 85-year local tradition that will reopen Monday. It is a favorite place to propose marriage, take out-of-town visitors or just soak up the panoramic view. You can see all the buildings on the back of the $5, $10 and $20 bills -- the Lincoln Memorial, U.S. Treasury and White House. The lines build up, especially on weekends. Sky Terrace, Hotel Washington, 515 15th St. NW (15th and Pennsylvania Avenue). Open 11 a.m. until midnight daily. No reservations accepted. www.hotelwashington.com, 202-638-5900 You haven't lived here if you haven't checked up on the national museum of the macabre. When it was known as the Museum of Military Medicine, this was a storehouse of the strange: pickling jars filled with deformed and mutilated specimens. But the National Museum of Health and Medicine, as it is now called, long ago shed its freak-show image. In its place: exhibits on a range of topics, sprinkled with a few items of historical significance. Check out the bullet that killed President Abraham Lincoln, or the shattered leg bones of Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles, the Union officer whose leg was amputated after he was struck by a 12-pound cannonball at Gettysburg. National Museum of Health and Medicine Campus, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, www.natmedmuse.afip.org. Free. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily; closed Christmas. Because of increased security, visitors must call the museum at 202-782-2200 at least two days in advance. You haven't lived here if you haven't had an "Awakening" moment. Standing at Hains Point, where the Washington Channel and Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet to form a watery plain, it's hard not to feel renewed. Which must be why the National Park Service chose this spot to plant J. Seward Johnson's sculpture. The giant, as some people know him, emerges bit by bit and open-mawed from the earth -- this despite a series of incidents in which motorists plowed into his arm, hand and head. Just a few steps away, the tip of the point offers an impressive view of sailboats plying the waterways and jets taking off and landing at Reagan National Airport. Hains Point, East Potomac Park, 1090 Ohio Dr. SW, 202-426-6841 You haven't lived here if you haven't stopped to see the blossoms. The Cherry Blossom Festival is Washington's signature event. Unfortunately, it comes with its share of the region's signature scourge: gridlock. Parking is scarce; the sidewalks are packed. The best way to beat the crowds: Get there early. Pack a picnic breakfast and watch the sky turn pink, too. Follow it up with a walk along the Tidal Basin's southwest edge. It isn't as easy to reach, but it's less crowded and buffered from traffic by the FDR Memorial. Better still, rent a paddle boat at the Tidal Basin Boathouse. The dock can get a little crowded, of course, but it's always easy to find an open patch of water.Tidal Basin Boathouse, 1501 Maine Ave. SW, 202-479-2426. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Prices: two-seat paddle boat, $8 per hour; four-seat paddle boat, $16 per hour. You haven't lived here if you haven't contemplated the universe from Einstein's lap. Only on the Mall can you sit down with one of the greatest minds of science -- and a regular parade of schoolchildren. Sequestered just north of the Lincoln Memorial, the National Academy of Sciences' memorial to Albert Einstein brings the heavens closer to Earth. The bronze genius, holding a sheaf of equations summarizing his major scientific contributions, provides a perfect perch for surveying the universe spread out at his feet: a 28-foot expanse of granite punctuated with more than 2,700 studs signifying the sun, planets and stars. Sitting here, you can't help but appreciate living in the lap of the gods. Albert Einstein Memorial Statue, National Academy of Sciences grounds, 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue SW You haven't lived here if you haven't taken in a session of the people's court. The U.S. Supreme Court opens all oral arguments, which will recommence tomorrow, to the public. Visitors can sit in on an entire two-hour session or grab a brief glimpse. Seating is limited, so join one of the two lines that form on the plaza in front of the court early. One other tip before you go: Dress conservatively. It seems certain justices have objected to some visitors' fashion sense, asking one woman to remove a deep orange bandanna she had tied in her hair and telling another to find a jacket to wear over her outfit.U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St. NE. Building is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Public lectures are offered every hour on the half-hour when the court is not sitting. www.supremecourtus.gov. You haven't lived here if you haven't hiked up Old Rag Mountain, 80 miles from Washington in Shenandoah National Park. Old Rag, named for the appearance of its 3,268-foot granite summit, is among the region's most scenic hikes. It's also among the most popular, especially in the warm months and in the fall, when the leaves are changing. Go now, before the trail up through the rocks is jammed. As long as there is no snow, the nearly three-mile Ridge Trail to the summit offers few obstacles. There is some moderately challenging rock-scrambling near the summit, and that's where the warm-weather lineups begin. Best way down is via the fire road. Old Rag Moutain, Shenandoah National Park. From westbound Interstate 66, take Route 29 to Warrenton, then Route 211 to Sperryville. Follow Route 522 south. Right on Route 231. Right on Route 601. Follow signs to parking. Entrance fee is $5 for hikers 17 and older. 540-999-3500. You haven't lived here if you haven't visited the National Aquarium. No, not that aquarium. The National Aquarium, the downtown D.C. institution with roots that go back to 1873. Housed in the basement of the Commerce building, this is no celebration of seaside views or sunlight on water. It is an underground window on the underwater world. It's also a perfect spot for a quick escape from the Mall. Once run by the government, it is now a nonprofit effort, created after the opening of the Baltimore aquarium. The best time to visit: 2 p.m. Fridays, when the four juvenile alligators are fed their weekly lunch: a rat, or fish, or the occasional chicken.National Aquarium, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, 202-482-2825, www.nationalaquarium.com. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week; last admission at 4:30 p.m. General admission is $3, 75 cents for children 2 to 10. Children under 2 get in free. You haven't lived here if you haven't been to the top of the Washington Monument. Yes, there are other views of the city as pleasant, and of course the lines can be impossibly long. But it is the Washington Monument. And it reopened Friday after a $10.5 million overhaul that began in 1998 and included repairing and cleaning the exterior marble, expanding the observation deck, refurbishing the elevator and installing a climate-control system. While it can be difficult to get in, it's certainly not impossible -- and if you're willing to pay, you can get tickets in advance.The monument is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September through March, and 8 a.m. to midnight April through August. It is closed July 4 and Dec. 25. Timed tickets are distributed free daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at a kiosk at 15th Street NW and Madison Drive. Advance tickets may be obtained for a fee of $1.50 by calling the Park Service at 800-967-2283 or through the Park Service reservations Web site: http://reservations.nps.gov. You haven't lived here if you haven't chased a dragon down a D.C. street. True, many of Chinatown's residents have left for the suburbs. And yes, the neighborhood's ethnic restaurants now share a block with Starbucks. But the area's historic culture dramatically returns with the bang of celebratory fireworks once a year. Lion dancers fill the street, and the lure of the dragon stirs onlookers. Dragons, in Chinese legend, are benevolent creatures from the heavens that control the wind, mist, rain, thunder and lightning. Some say that if you manage to touch the dragon -- especially its eyes -- you will be lucky for the entire year.Chinese New Year Parade, H Street NW, between Fifth and Ninth Streets. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown. Free. 202-638-1041 or 301-577-0001 You haven't lived here if you haven't caught a flick at the National Archives. Famous for taking care of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the Archives also watches over nearly 500,000 recordings. Cue up an old Civilian Defense video on how to protect yourself from the A-bomb. Or check out a film of American Indian chiefs explaining Plains Sign Language. Even old newsreels and sports highlights. The helpful staff will turn you on to their "greatest hits" lists to make browsing easier.Motion Picture, Sound and Video Unit, National Archives at College Park; 8601 Adelphi Rd.; 1-866-325-7208. Hours: 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 8:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday. First-time visitors must obtain a researcher registration card. You haven't lived here if you haven't tried the jelly cake from Shuman's Bakery in Alexandria. Or maybe you're just too young. Thin, round layers of buttery poundcake separated by slathers of red-currant jelly, cut into tidy diamond shapes, jelly cake has been a mainstay of Shuman's in Old Town for a century. In December, nearly 4,000 sailed off the shop's racks -- at $18 for a whole cake, $6.50 a pound -- and about 900 were bound for out-of-town connoisseurs. In the early 1950s, Shuman's jelly cake got a dusting of royal repute along with its customary powdered sugar when Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth II's private plane was provisioned with one for a flight back to England. No one knows if she had even a bite, but fans have bragged ever since that the jelly cake is so famous, even Queen Elizabeth has sampled it.Shuman's Bakery, 430 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-0128. Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. You haven't lived here if you haven't been ice skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Yes, the region is filled with ice rinks, but only this one feels distinctly Washington. The rink at Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW for years has been a favorite respite for bleary-eyed visitors to the museums along the Mall, and now it is surrounded by lush landscaping and sculpture. Besides seeing some of the city's most famous buildings from the ice, skaters can view seven of the garden's 13 sculptures. It is at its most enchanting at night. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden and Ice Skating Rink 700 Constitution Ave. NW. Washington, D.C. 202-289-3360. 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. At night, access to the rink is from the Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive entrances at Ninth Street. | | |  | |
