Moore's "King & Queen," Hirshhorn Museum - photo by Anna Boman

I grew up in the capital city of the United States, Washington, D.C., and sometimes I still dream about it in the wee hours — as though it and I have unfinished business, or I’m looking for something I can’t find.

It’s a city I haven’t called home since 1993, but because my family lives there, so does a part of me. We were just there in late summer, and with my parents as tour guides I learned two valuable things:

You can live in a place your entire life and still discover something new.

You can go home again whenever you like, as long as you’re prepared to let it change.

I love being from D.C., and I love the city it’s become. Everywhere you look, there’s a person from a different corner of the Earth, a different experience, skin color and sense of humor. I love prowling the city with my family, and we all love sharing this East Coast city with Adam, who grew up clear across the country on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay.

D.C. is full of elegant architecture, much of it from a time when our country was inspired by Paris, both for its revolution and city planning. I sometimes wince when I hear people call D.C. a dowdy, conservative town, because to me it’s a vibrant place full of art, light, flowers, music, theater, and food from Ethiopia to El Salvador to Spain, on to India and then back again. Whole chunks of the city have been refurbished in the last few years, and I suddenly find myself not knowing my way around lots of neighborhoods — and having a great deal more to explore.

As the base of our country’s political machine, D.C. might be a transient city for lots of folks, but to many others it’s an exciting place to call home; if pressed, I’d say that’s how I still think of it. 17 years in L.A. and half the time I still answer the question, “Where are you from?” with, “Washington, D.C.” Sometimes I feel like an expat who’s stayed in the U.S.

But what does all this mean to you, you might ask? Well, if your routine needs a hit of romance, culture, beauty and a chance to learn something new, I’d encourage you to visit D.C. for yourselves…especially if the last time you went there was for a fourth-grade field trip. The sunset sky glows pink over the Potomac, a lot of the museums are still free, and it’s changing every day; it’s a cool town to help you reconnect with your American selves, or discover how global America can be.

Key Bridge over the Potomac River, linking D.C. to Virginia - photo by Scott Ableman

Adams Morgan, a NW neighborhood full of color, nightlife and ethnic restaurants - photo by Dennis S. Hurd

Eastern Market in Capitol Hill, opened in 1873 and reopened in 2009 after a big fire

Capitol Hill rowhouse that was briefly my parents' home (before I was born)

National Archives and Pennsylvania Avenue from the deck of the Newseum

At the Newseum, three different headlines from the 2000 presidential election

The Connecticut Avenue Bridge over Rock Creek Park - photo by Tom Smith

"People mover" at the National Gallery, connecting the East and West Wings - photo by Martin Prochnik

A D.C. Metro station, with the signature ice-cube-tray ceiling - photo by George Goodman

Ceiling at Union Station, both a train station and destination mall - photo by Murali Danakhoti

Elaborate ceiling at the Library of Congress - photo by Christoph Schrey

Splashy entrance to Chinatown, in downtown D.C. - photo by Jonathan Gagle

Much of Georgetown was originally built in the late 1700s, like the still-standing Old Stone House - photo by Anna Boman

Washington Harbour, a lovely place to stroll and dine along the Potomac River, just below Georgetown - photo by Anna Boman

The Smithsonian Castle, one of my favorite buildings anywhere - photo by Victor

The National Cathedral, built largely by Italian stonemasons and surrounded by flower gardens - by Photo Phiend

Cherry blossoms make a spectacular show in early April down by the Mall - photo by Nathan Walls

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See also
Top 5 Spots for Romance in D.C.
Between D.C. and the Deep Blue Sea
TWT Travel Binder: Washington, D.C.

Travels With Two

I was born and bred in Washington, D.C., and we go at least once a year to visit family and friends
and see what’s new at the art museums of the Smithsonian.

It’s a town full of history, culture, water, woods, green space…and romance.

Head to our favorite D.C. restaurant, Lebanese Taverna, in Woodley Park.
Stop into Politics & Prose to hear readings by some of the country’s greatest writers.
Ogle the mansions of D.C.’s political elite in elegant Chevy Chase,
and the stunning, soaring windows and stonework of the National Cathedral.

Even if you’ve missed the early April bloom of the famous cherry blossoms, you can still meander through the best of Spring’s flowers at the National Arboretum and foresty Rock Creek Park.

Here are some resources to help you plan your own “travels with two”
to Washington. D.C.

Travels With Two
Posts on Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. 
Guides
Washington, D.C. Official Tourism Guide
Washingtonian Magazine
National Geographic Traveler
Concierge.com
Travel + Leisure
Fodors
Samantha Brown
Anthony Bourdain
Globe Trekker

Washington, D.C. 
Articles
NGT: 44 Must-See D.C. Places
NGT: Free D.C.!
NGT’s Intelligent Travel: I Heart My City: Washington, D.C.
Cooking Light: Best Cities: Washington, D.C.
Conde Nast Traveller: The Best B&Bs: Washington, D.C.
New York Magazine: Weekend Escape: Loosen the Beltway

Have a Washington, D.C. tip, story, or blog post you’d like to share?

Travels With Two

Continued from
A Spring Drive Through the American South – Part One, Part Two and Part Three

In a journey through some of the most romantic spots the South has to offer, start in Washington, DC, and head to Charlottesville, VA along the Skyline Drive.  From Charlottesville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, NC.  Then go from Asheville to elegant Charleston, South Carolina.

For the last of your Spring drive, journey from Charleston to grande olde Savannah, Georgia.

Before you go, you might want to immerse yourself in Savannah by reading (the oft-suggested) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil or by watching (no, seriously) the Style Network’s “Ruby,” shot entirely on location.

From Charleston, driving time to Savannah is only about 1 1/2 hours.  Take the 95S to the 17S.

Give yourself 2-3 days in Savannah:

• Stay at the Forsyth Park Inn, just across Forsyth Park from the lovely white fountain that serves as the emblem of the city.

• While everyone else is combing the Historic District‘s squares looking for the illustrious Mercer Williams House and Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low’s stately white home, pop into Temple Mickve Israel for some peace and quiet in America’s third-oldest synagogue.

• For the love of all that’s holy, do not take an Old Town Trolley Tour.  Yes, we’d been schlepping all over town that day.  Yes, we were hot and tired.  But as soon as we heard Rich Little doing impersonations on the recorded narration, we knew we were screwed…for the next hour.

• Instead, retreat off your feet to the vintage Gryphon Tea Room, beside the Savannah College of Art & Design.  Sit, people watch, and preserve your sense of dignity.

• Have dinner at the utterly romantic Elizabeth on 37th, and hope that their ever-changing, seasonal menu includes their exquisite English pea soup.

• Arrive early for lunch at reservation-free Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room, which specializes in the traditionally Southern meat-and-three.

• Do dine at Lady & Sons, Food Network star Paula Deen’s Lowcountry gorge-fest…but afterward, take a long walk to digest.

• Just outside of town, wander through the evocative Bonaventure Cemetery, overhung with moss and mysticism.  Bonaventure means “good fortune,”  an ironic name for this unlucky plot of land.

• Head over to Emmet Park to see the unique and quieting Vietnam Memorial sculpture with an empty Army helmet, boots and M-16.

• Get out into the nature that surrounds Savannah:

• Read our post about the perfect crowd escape, the Savannah Wildlife Refuge.

• Take a relaxing Bull River Marina dolphin tour from the north end of Wilmington Island.  Try to be here late in the day to glide through soft, Lowcountry marshland while friendly dolphins follow your boat.

• At the Isle of Hope just southeast of the city, meander along Bluff Drive for great views of the Wilmington River.  Where Bluff dead ends, take a stroll amongst restored antebellum homes.  Don’t miss a forest trail hike or the driveway lined with 400 live oaks at decrepit-but-lovely 18th century Wormsloe Plantation.

When your Southern trip is at last over, sigh deeply, put your head on your partner’s shoulder…and vow to someday return again.

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See also
A Spring Drive Through the American South – Part One, Part Two and Part Three

Travels With Two

Continued from
A Spring Drive Through the American South – Part One and Part Two

In a journey through some of the most romantic spots the South has to offer, start in Washington, DC, and head to Charlottesville, VA along the Skyline Drive.  From Charlottesville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, NC.

From Asheville, continue on to graceful Charleston, South Carolina.

If you’re eager to get there within 2 hours:  Take the 126 straight to Charleston.

For a more scenic journey:  Take the 126 to Hendersonville, NC, pick up the 25-S and take it to the 11 (the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway).  Stop for a seasonal snack at Perdue’s Mountain Fruit Farm.  Continue on 11 until it crosses 26.  At Harleyville, SC, stop at the Francis Beidler National Forest and take the 1-mile boardwalk through this gem of a Lowcountry swamp.

Spend 2-3 days in Charleston, SC…if not the rest of your lives:

• Stay in a market-side room at the elegant Planter’s Inn.

• Planter’s is adjacent to the 19th-century City Market, the perfect place to pick up South Carolina-specific souvenirs like Gullah-made baskets.

• Splurge on a lunch or dinner of rich Lowcountry food at 82 Queen, a warren of garden courtyards and dark-wood rooms in the city’s French Quarter.  Start at the bar and order a real mint julep, then work your way on back.

• Ogle gorgeous antebellum homes along Battery Park,  across the Cooper River.  Admiring houses here is a rewarding pursuit: Almost every time you’re in mid-wonder about a building’s provenance, you find it has a helpful, historical plaque.

• Watch the sunset from the Rooftop Cocktail Bar overlooking the Cooper River harbor and Civil War-era Fort Sumter to see one of America’s oldest and largest shipping ports at day’s end.

• Visit the fine old (and now, slave-free) Ashley River Plantations:

• Middleton Place, home of America’s oldest landscaped gardens
• Drayton Hall, the evocative remnants of a working plantation
• Magnolia Plantation for its stunning azaleas and winding paths.

• While at Magnolia, don’t miss the Audubon Swamp Garden (pictured above) for nesting snowy egrets, gliding alligators, and ancient oaks fairly dripping with moss.

Travels With Two

Continued from
A Spring Drive Through the American South – Part One

In a journey through some of the most romantic spots the South has to offer, start in Washington, DC, and head to Charlottesville, Virginia along the Skyline Drive.

When you’ve had your fill of Charlottesville, backtrack to the Blue Ridge Parkway and head straight into Asheville, North Carolina for forests, waterfalls, and a history of fortune.

From Charlottesville back to the Parkway: Take the 250W to the 29S to I-64W.  Stay on I-64W for about 18 miles.  Take Exit 99 for the 250 towards Waynesboro/Afton.  Turn right at the 250, right at VA-610, and left toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The drive is about 4-5 hours. The soft, gentle mountain scenery along the Parkway is positively stunning, and if you’re here between May and June, you’ll catch one of the greatest rhododendron displays in the U.S.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs almost directly into Asheville.  Where the Parkway crosses Tunnel Road (US-70), take the 70W to the 25S to get downtown.

Spend 2-3 days in Asheville, NC:

• Stay at the Wright Inn in the Historic Montford District.  While there, take a walk around the neighborhood to see truly gorgeous Victorian-era homes.

• Run, don’t walk to the Biltmore Estate (pictured above).  The Vanderbilt family treasure is nestled into about a gajillion acres between the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers.  Take a Behind-the-Scenes Tour to see this mansion as its countless servants did, with then-cutting-edge technology like an intercom system and a kitchen vault for priceless china.  Skip a visit to the awful winery included in your entrance fee and spend more time strolling the astonishing gardens; early April is all about tulips, while late April and May are heavy on azaleas.

• Visit fabulous craft art galleries in Biltmore Village (but be sure to skip Thomas Kinkade lest your eyes be forever wounded).

• Check out this list of romantic Asheville restaurants.

• Drive some of the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway and stop to see Sliding Rock (which in summertime serves as a rocky version of a Slip ‘n’ Slide), the Cradle of Forestry and the sumptuous Pisgah Forest. We fell in love with the waterfalls here (see photo below), and the sun dappling through the tall trees.  Far from overrun with tourists in Spring, you can often feel like the forests are yours to explore.

• Nearby, visit Chimney Rock Park and Grandfather Mountain to see this gorgeous, green part of the world from on high.

Consider taking an extra day to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 60 miles from Asheville.  Take a hauntingly beautiful, often misty drive or two through the huge, rugged mountains and historic Appalachian homesteads here, enjoying the lighter crowds before the high July-October season.

Or, continue from Asheville to graceful Charleston, South Carolina.

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Continued in
A Spring Drive Through the American South – Part Three

Travels With Two

If you’re worried the best of Spring might pass you by, we’ve got a trip that will reconnect you not only to each other…but to the history of America, as well.

Drive yourselves from Washington, D.C. – Charlottesville, VA – Asheville, NC – Charleston, SC – Savannah, Georgia for full-blown immersion in mountains, flowers, forests, swamps, fine old homes, Low-Country cuisine and even wine from America’s oldest vines.

We reckon it’s time to jump on in the car and see the South for yourself.

Ideal timing:  9-14 days between late April and early June

Packing: Charlottesville, VA and Asheville, NC are very laid-back places, and in our experience there was little need to dress for anything but comfort.  Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA tend to be a little dressier, so be sure to bring a nice outfit or two for going out to dinner.  Bring good city walking shoes.  Sneakers or athletic sandals will come in handy for forests and swamps.  Rain is always possible this time of year.

For suggestions in Washington, D.C. (the beloved town of my birth), see the Top 5 Spots for Romance in D.C. and  Between D.C. and the Deep Blue Sea.

From Washington, D.C. to the Skyline Drive, driving time is about one hour. Take the 66 West to the 340 South towards Front Royal, Virginia; from here, it’s 4 miles to the the north entrance of the Skyline Drive, the stunning, northernmost stretch of Shenandoah National Park.

The Skyline Drive takes at least 3 hours. It runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has a speed limit of 35 mph, and approximately one gajillion scenic lookouts (one of which is pictured above).

It ends not far from our favorite Virginia town, Charlottesville. It’s the historic home of Thomas Jefferson and birthplace of American wine.

North Carolina via the Blue Ridge Parkway is another 4-5 hours of driving. Learn from our crushing, over-ambitious error in judgement…and take a break before you become both tired and stuck.

Take the 64E to the 250 E to Charlottesville.

Charlottesville, is worth at least one day of your time…if not two:

• Stay at the cozy Dinsmore House, a historic B & B right in town.

• Tour the grounds, gardens, and Rotunda of the University of Virginia.

• See the yuppified-vintage, pedestrian-only Historic Downtown Mall.

• Visit Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello (with its brand new visitor center) and nearby, James Monroe’sAsh Lawn-Highland.  Jefferson lived far beyond his means, and Monroe far more simply, but both houses are a fascinating but troubling glimpse of an 18th-century life built by slave labor.

• Follow the Monticello Wine Trail.  Jefferson fancied himself a vintner in post-Independence America, bringing choice (yet unsuccessful) vines back from France after his stint as ambassador.  These days, the vines and the region’s reputation are thriving.  Be sure to visit the Jefferson Vineyards, the area’s first winery.

Travels With Two

Today is Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration, and I feel a swell of pride that I was able to grow up in Washington, D.C. (Thanks, Mom and Dad.)

D.C’s such a prestigious, vibrant city — the kind of place people travel to from all over the world to visit — but in honor of the new President and First Lady, I thought I’d spotlight the fact that it’s also steeped in romance.

Sure, some of the following would be a lot more pleasant between April and October than, say, an icy night in January.  But then, so would standing around on the Mall to welcome the nation’s new leader (and wave goodbye to the old one).  Stiff upper kissin’ lip, people.

Try these romantic suggestions to fully experience Washington, D.C.:

1.  Stargazing from the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. It’s quiet here, the traffic to Alexandria a mere ocean buzz in the background.  Fringed by cherry blossom trees, white lights shimmer on the glassy water, and a soft glow from the monument dome frames you and your love in graceful shadows.   It’s a dream spot for beginnings:  Engagements, renewals, first kisses.

2. Strolling Rock Creek Park by the Old Pierce Mill. At the corner of foresty Beach Drive and Tilden Street, NW is one of my favorite buildings in the city:  A now-defunct 1820s grain mill that’s earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.  Perch by the creek on a little bridge and you can hear the rush of the old falls here, as well as the wind through the leaves (or this time of year, the branches).  I took Adam here on his first visit to meet my family, and had the pleasure of kissing and telling him, “Everyone loves you.”

3. Taking in the sunset from the Kennedy Center. This also involves seeing a performance at this Washington landmark, but D.C. is a cultural mecca and attracts the best of dance, music and theater.  The soaring ceilings in the elegant great hall and the sunset view from the balcony across the silvery Potomac afford the perfect opportunity to dress up, hold hands and, while bathed in pink light, feel fancy and hopeful at the same time.

4. Explore the Orchid Room at the United States Botanic Garden. In bloom all year-round, this hothouse treasure is an explosion of color and sensuality…which can’t be said for everything this close to the Capitol Building.  As a dedicated orchid enthusiast, I know that it’s no mean feat to nurture hundreds of species and  maintain them in pristine condition.  Orchids are a beautiful metaphor for a healthy relationship; come here to celebrate both the flowers and yourselves.

5. Sunday afternoon tea in the Garden Cafe of the National Gallery. On Sundays from 4-6pm during the gallery’s free concert season, come to this conservatory cafe on the ground floor of the older West Building to sit by a trickling Grecian fountain, listen to classical and jazz amidst marble and flowers, and indulge in a European sensibility without leaving America.  The cafe is open for lunch every day, but on Sundays there are more beverage and dessert choices for you to mull over with great abandon.

While you’re here, don’t miss the 19th-century pageantry of the West Garden Court upstairs, the rooms full of Old Masters, or, between the West and East Buildings, American artist Leo Villareal’s Multiverse, a trippy chrome tube of 41,000 LED lights flashing you 200 feet along a people-mover.

At the National Gallery, love feels pretty darn timeless.

Travels With Two

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is just about adjacent to the Washington Monument.  If you’re heading to Washington, D.C. for Obama’s inauguration and plan on standing outside in the cold with millions of other Americans, we’d recommend taking warm shelter in a side trip — to the whole of the universe.We generally try to avoid being in Washington, D.C. in December — when my beloved hometown at its coldest and dreariest — but there was no way we were missing my cousin’s wedding.  (Congratulations, Karen and Stephen!)

And besides, my parents said they’d take us to the museum.  And if you’re looking to both stay out of the chill and immerse yourselves in a whole different world, this is the place.

We started in the newly re-designed Sant Ocean Hall, and our eyes nearly popped out of our heads.  The ceiling soars above approximately one gajillion different sections, with a tropical aquarium, intricate fossils, hanging models, drawers full of stuffed water birds, and of course, creepy, slimy things in jars.

Teetering on the edge of overwhelmed, we stumbled into a dark theater to catch Deep Ocean Explorers, a documentary tour of the sea from top to bottom by some of the few people who’ve ever gone so far below.

Talk about a dream trip…Adam and I agreed that hands down, we’d rather venture into the deep ocean than explore outer space.  You know, in case anyone’s ever asking.

When we at last resurfaced, my mom pointed out that the museum had also recently rehabbed its Annenberg Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals.  For the next hour, we all got lost in yet more deep recesses of the planet.

This hall is full of answers to questions that have often lingered in the back of your mind:

Why is jade green?
What’s inside an ancient meteorite?
What kind of rock would make the best kitchen counter?

We chiseled our way through a warren of displays on the dazzling “ites” of the world.  We indulged our tastes for bling in a rainbow of crystals, shards, and polished treasures, safely experiencing the Earth’s finest eye candy without all their peril, tragedy and plain bad luck.

Like, for instance, that world-famous symbol of cursed beauty, the Hope Diamond.

Be sure not to miss the large mammals. Or the permanent exhibit on Evolution.  Or the room full of flitting butterflies…

And for the love of all that’s holy, wear comfortable shoes to tread across almost a square mile of marble!

Travels With Two