Tour Like a Local
Washington D.C. hosted over 22 million tourists last year so you may understand why so many of us "locals" get overwhelmed and stay home, especially in the spring when the Cheery Blossoms turn the town pink.
With so many monuments, memorials and museums to explore, many of those 22 million visitors never make it off The Mall, America's Front Yard, (or, perhaps out of the convention and conference centers scattered about the city). The five most visited sites are all on The Mall -- the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial and numerous Smithsonian museums. Why didn't the Jefferson Memorial or its companions -- the Roosevelt or Martin L. King memorials make the list, you should ask? Surely, they have a much better venue -- a tree lined Tidal Basin complete with winding path, substantial seating overlooking the water from may angles, paddle boat rides and evening concerts on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial in the summer. My guess is that by the time people walk The Mall, they're tootsies are too tired to walk a block to cross the street to reach the Tidal Basin.
For those willing to do bit of research, there's a world beyond that manicured strip of land that connects the Capital to the Lincoln Memorial. And, none of it requires driving a car and, horrible of horribles, trying to find a place to park. It may be my imagination, but it seems that most parking spots go to "permit only" holders, folks who work on the Capital or in the many office buildings that surround it or know someone who does.
As a local, I've "done" the monuments and memorials (M&M) when friends or relatives visit. In fact, I've a got my own dynamite "Monuments by Moonlight" tour that includes the little known Einstein Memorial, hidden among the trees near the Academy of Sciences on Constitution Ave. In fact, most of our famous M&Ms instill more emotion and awe when visited at night.
Authentic DC in found off the M&M path, as is true in so many cities. Take for instance, my latest Sunday morning excursion. I could have gone to the H Street Corridor, Georgetown, Columbia Heights or DuPont Circle, but I chose "The Hill". With backpack on my back, I rode the metro to the Eastern Market, the Capital Hill neighborhoods' town center since the early the 20th century. It's a combination of farmers' market, flee market, and art market that's been stirred and not shaken with a collection of neighborhood butchers, bakers and, yes, candlestick makers. A sea of stalls surround the main Eastern Market building. Surrounding blocks of unique local stores and restaurants ring the the stalls. And, you never know what you'll find. Some vendors are there every weekend summer, winter and fall. Others come and go as the seasons change.
I found Rayhart, an artist I met at Christmas time this past year. I'm determined to find just the right piece to add to our collection we've gathered over the last 25 years. (BTW, I did after he sent me an image three hours later). Then, wandering through the path between the main building and the vegetable stalls, I was stopped in my tracks by a stall full of turned wood objects. The makers, a couple from North Carolina, do amazing work. I had to have one of their magnetic knife holders -- a gift for my husband, my personal chef. What makes the knife holders special are not just the fine cherry or maple wood, but they have embedded magnets so the knives literally lay on the wood "like magic". You just never know what you'll find at this market so bring your credit card.
It was a perfect day for a long walk. So, before heading home on foot, I indulged in an almond croissant (well, it was Sunday morning and it was going to be walking for a while so the calories won't count, right?). Sunday mornings in the heart of DC this time of year are most quiet and pleasant. It's the time between summer and fall. Visitors are sparse before noon, the air is fresh, and traffic is all but missing. I hiked down the hill on the shady side of Independence Ave. Once past the Library of Congress and the Capital Building, I found myself in the Botanical Gardens' outdoor garden. It was all the inspiration I needed to keep walking and keep experiencing the outdoor galleries and gardens hidden in plain sight.
That's what many of us local folks do -- we seek out all that is hidden in plain sight (OK, sometimes not in plain sight) and, on a day like Sunday was, there was absolutely no reason to go inside any building. Was I walking on The Mall -- yes, of course, but I felt like I was in Paris (L'Enfant did design DC).
It was the kind of walk where you put your phone away to just take it all in.