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April 8, 2009

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WHERE'S JOHNNY JET?                    Washington D.C.
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GEORGETOWN
What's great about the hotel is that pretty much all the major sites are within walking distance: The White House, Washington Monument, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Veterans' Memorial, The National Mall, Museums (the majority of the museums are along the mall). If you don't feel like walking or want to go somewhere further like Arlington National Cemetery, the metro is just two blocks away and taxis aren't too expensive. In fact, I took a 10-minute ride to Georgetown for Sunday brunch at and it cost only $7 without tip. It was a warm day so I sat outside at the Peacock Café (corner of Prospect and Wisconsin) and had French toast with balsamic syrup and strawberries ($10.95). Their smoothies are popular and they have unique flavors like Banancino (banana, espresso and honey with skim milk) for $5.95. Service is quick and I was in and out within 30 minutes.



TIME WARP
Next door to the Peacock Café is Café Milano, which I was told is the equivalent to The Ivy in Los Angeles. It's where all the young celebrities and politicians go to be seen and enjoy good Italian food. Walking around Georgetown on a warm sunny day got me all fired up. I felt like was in another country or era. I had to rub my eyes when I saw an old boat being pulled down the river by horses and people dressed in colonial clothing following behind. A few blocks down, along the banks of the Potomac River is Kennedy Center and next door, the Watergate buildings. There's so much to see and I was surrounded by so much history that I was begging for more time.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS
I've always wanted to go to Japan this time of year to see their cherry blossoms but if you can't find the time or resources to go there, the second best place is D.C. The 3,000 famous trees that line the Tidal Basin around the Jefferson Memorial were a gift of friendship from Japan in 1912. When they are in full bloom, there's no greater sign that spring has arrived. No one knows exactly when the buds will open each year but the National Park Service provides updates, which have proven accurate in the past. No need to check this year because they are in full bloom and there are just a few more days left of the annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs this year through April 12.

CAPITOL VISITORS CENTER
I was fortunate to be able to check out the brand new Capitol Visitors Center (CVC), which opened on December 2, 2008. This tastefully done, modern, nearly 580,000 square feet underground facility is 36 feet below ground – right in front and to the east of the Capitol. It's underground so it doesn't detract from the appearance of the Capitol and of the grounds. The most memorable features are its two huge skylights that give a clear view of your location and plenty of sunlight. This new building makes visiting a lot more enjoyable. In the past, it would take 25 minutes to get 100 people into the building (through airport-like screening). These days, it takes 2.5 minutes for every 100 people. Instead of one bathroom there are 26 and they now have a food court, which is also something new. They get about 15,000 visitors a day. Admission to the CVC is free and does not require a ticket. However, tickets are required for tours of the historic Capitol and may be needed for other special events. To avoid a long wait, reserve a time slot online. Last-minute visitors usually wait between 30 minutes to one hour but unlike in the past, they haven't turned anyone down so far.

CVC EXHIBITIONS
The 16,500-square-foot exhibition hall is dedicated to the story of Congress and the Capitol. It's organized into sections with displays of original documents from the National Archives and the Library of Congress. They have 40 to 50 documents rotating and I saw the 19th amendment, which is the 1920 ruling granting women the right to vote. There are also interactive computer stations that allow visitors to investigate Congress as an institution and take a "virtual tour" of the Capitol.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Next door is The Library of Congress; no need to go outside since there's an underground passageway. This is the world's largest library in the world with millions of books (560 miles of stacks), recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It's the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. Its mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The building is beautiful and after a briefing film, it was time to tour around with our guide using whisper technology. Each of us had a headset like an iPod and we could hear our guide perfectly even though she was speaking in a soft voice, many feet away.

LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL EXHIBITION
The Library of Congress just added a new interactive visitors experience and is the first stop of the national Lincoln Bicentennial exhibition. It ends May 9 and the other cities include Sacramento, Chicago, Omaha, Indianapolis and Atlanta. I learned a lot about our 16th president. First of all I didn't realize that Abraham Lincoln (1809 –1865) was born in rural Kentucky. He was a self-taught man with only one year of formal schooling. The exhibit has 200 items including his schoolbook and the first known photographs of him in 1846. There's also the caned chair from his law office and 1860 campaign buttons. One of the most interesting is a letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell from New York who suggests he should grow a beard. Of course, his bible is also on display and it's the hot attraction since President Obama used it when he was sworn into office on January 21. Other notables: His stationery didn't say White House; it reads The Executive Mansion. His wife Mary Todd spent $80,000 on jewelry and almost bankrupted the family after his death.

JEFFERSON EXHIBIT
Lincoln isn't the only one with an exhibit. Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) our third president, has an impressive one as well. Jefferson was one of our founding fathers, a farmer, architect, inventor, slaveholder, book collector, scholar, diplomat and traveler. Jefferson had the largest collection of books during his time, which he started collecting at the age of 22. He taught himself how to read in different languages and he had books with 17 languages. He wrote the Declaration of Independence at age 33 (makes me feel like an underachiever BIG TIME). After the British burned Washington D.C. during the continental North-American War of 1812, they came to Jefferson and paid him $23,000 for 6,500 of his books. The collection included a copy of his Koran. He believed in world religion. For more on the Jefferson Exhibit, check out these links.

LUNCH AT ART AND SOUL
For lunch, I headed to one of Capitol Hill's newest neighborhood hotspots: Art and Soul. It offers guests a chic setting while they enjoy "food for the soul." Two-time James Beard-award winning chef Art Smith is the chef and owner of this 221-seat restaurant, which serves up fresh and modern regional cuisine with southern accents. I had the fried chicken Maryland-style with buttermilk mashed potatoes ($16). If you recognize the place, it might be because this is where Oprah filmed her post-inauguration program. Art and Soul, 415 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., Tel: 202-393-7777.

INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM
I toured the International Spy Museum for about an hour. I wasn't that into it but the place was packed and people of all ages seemed to really enjoy themselves. It examines the history of espionage (they bill it as the second oldest profession) and the importance of espionage in winning the Cold War. This museum is not free but if you like seeing a chronicle of espionage throughout history, then check this place out. The coolest thing I saw was James Bond's gadget car. Admission: Adults $18 (ages 12-64), seniors (65+), children (ages 5-11) $15.

FORD'S THEATRE
I remember when I was a kid, my parents took me on a tour of Ford's Theatre, which was the site of the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. The theatre didn't reopen until 1968 and the entrance was just given a facelift. I read that the theatre supposedly has 400 plus historic objects to tell the story of Lincoln's assassination but I only saw his bloodstained coat. I hear the other 399 items are in the basement but for some reason my guide didn't take me there. The intimate theatre still has plays today and I had a chance to sit in on the rehearsal for the current one entitled, The Civil War (running from March 27 to May 24, 2009). As you know, Lincoln didn't die in the theatre; he was taken across the street to the Petersen House where the closest bed could be found since it was known he wouldn't survive. He died there early the following morning and the tiny, well-preserved house is run by the National Park Service (Tel: 202-426-6924). Admission is free but you need your ticket stub from the Ford Theatre. BTW: The play Lincoln was watching was a comedy entitled Our American Cousin.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The National Museum of American History collects artifacts of all kinds -- from Julia Child's complete kitchen to gowns of the former first ladies and even the flag that became the Star Spangled Banner. The museum has more than 3 million artifacts in its collection. Admission is free.

REAGAN NATIONAL DCA
I ended up switching my flight from Los Angeles to West Palm Beach. I figured I was so close to my dad, I should go see him for a few days in south Florida. I found a last-minute ticket on USAir (using JohnnyJet.com's search engines, of course) for $165. I was in Georgetown so I took a taxi to the Rosslyn station across the bridge in Arlington, VA. That cost $10 with tip and that was with traffic. I hopped on the blue line train to Reagan National (DCA); fares are $1.35 on weekends, $1.85 during the week. It took 10 minutes and four stops. The one thing that's different about these machines is that you need to put the ticket in the machine and then take it with you so you can get out of the turnstile at your destination. It was my first visit to DCA in a while and they did a fantastic job with the R terminal. What a great airport.

D.C.
There's so much to see and do that I will need to go back and spend a month there. Besides the memorials and a tour of the White House and Capitol, I really wanted to see the National Air & Space Museum and The Newseum. I also want make a visit to nearby Mount Vernon to see where George Washington made 11,000 gallons of unaged rye whiskey.

VIDEO
Here's a Johnny Jet video of my trip to Washington D.C.. We also have all the other Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, we'll probably go to some far off land but you'll have to stay tuned to find out the exact location!

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*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

Note: This trip was sponsored in part by SATW and Destination DC.







Copyright 2009 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pictures From

The Trip

 

Georgetown

 

Back In Time

 

Kennedy Center

 

Cherry Blossoms

 

Gift From Japan

 

CVC

 

36 Feet Underground

 

Below The Capitol

 

The Capitol

 

Library of Congress

 

Tour

 

Gutenberg Bible

 

Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit

 

Going to Lunch

 

Art Smith

 

Ford's Theatre

 

Where Lincoln Was Shot

 

Petersen House

 

Where Lincoln Died

 

The National Museum of American History

 

Julia Child's Kitchen

 

Star Spangled Banner Flag

 

The National Mall

 

Next Week

 

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