Blogs from Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States, North America

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We are here in Washington DC. We have been here twice before for long weekends with the kids. We took an Uber from the airport to our Airbnb in the Capital Hill area. Our Airbnb is across the street from Lincoln Park. Our first order of business is finding a store to buy cereal and milk for breakfast. We find a store a short walk away. DC takes some planning, contact your representative 90 days in advance for free tickets to the Capital and White House. We only started planning 60 days in advance. We got tickets to the Capital and on the waitlist for the Whitehouse. A few weeks before we arrived we found out we got tickets to the White House. The Smithsonian Museums are free but some need reserved timed tickets. So figure ... read more
Capital tour
White House
Capital desert


Written in 2012 We hoped to hit the cherry blossoms at their peak this year. We missed out a few years ago. We were too early in Japan, and too late in Washington, DC. The blossoms arrived early this year due to mild weather. We missed it again! (We did hit peak bloom day in Washington, DC a few years later!!) The photos above prove it. We hit the cusp of the Cherry Blossom or sakura in Japan last year in March (2009). We were probably about a week early. Though we caught a glimpse, here and there, it is nothing like we are expecting in Washington, DC this week. So, I will load up on my allergy pills, nasal spray, and eye drops in preparation for the onslaught of beautiful pink and white blossoms that ... read more
The Blossom bus.
Bridge lights


From the Points Guy: The Transportation Security Administration has seen a huge surge in the number of travelers enrolled in its expedited security checkpoint screening program — through TSA PreCheck directly and through other programs like Global Entry. There are no signs of the trend slowing, either. In fact, the agency wants more travelers to enroll. At the beginning of 2022, there were 27.4 million known travelers in the system, the TSA told TPG. That number includes travelers enrolled in all U.S. Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler programs, the vast majority of whom are members of a program that provides them with TSA PreCheck access. How do the current numbers compare to pre-pandemic times? In 2019, there were 18.9... read more
PreCheck is helpful most of the time


Experts says we will spend about $70 for our July 4th cookout or barbecue. It seems a little low. First, some barbecue basics: ... read more
A1 sauce
The traditional BBQ


From the Washington Post: Across the country, pollen season is starting earlier and intensifying because of rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations. url=https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnas.org%2Fdoi%2Fepdf%2F10.1073%2Fpnas.2013284118&data=04%7C01%7C%7Ccd8a3fe91e1c4e5843d008da157cc41d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637845922869621352%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=Rezk6uZgpPnzLAsEfNGprTTj1Ku%2FLyOWtMUophxe7zI%3D&reserved=0Previous research showed that pollen season lengthened by 20 days over the past three decades across North America, while pollen concentrations increased by 21 percent. The most affected places were the U.S. Southeast and Midwest. Yes, my seasonal and year around allergies are worse than ever. Lexi too! I use the f... read more
I love DC


I have always loved visiting our nation's capital, Washington, DC. Last spring was my first visit with the new President. It was not pretty (post trump), with security and fencing surrounding both the White House, and Congress. The Smithsonians were still closed. But now, I hope DC is back to normal, though we are now in the middle of an awful war. I guess we hit the trifecta of trump, covid, and war. We need to move beyond this as soon as possible. One of the main reasons for my visit is the viewing of the cherry blossoms. Peak bloom will be March 23-25, so I will miss it by over a week. The same thing happened to me last year. Obviously, the early bloom is the result of global warming. The other reason is to ... read more
Black Lives Matter!!!
DC Union Station
Cherry blossom time


From Inside Hook: Set to be held in person in 2022, the District celebrates the blooming of our cherry trees with a month-long festival commemorating the gift from the mayor of Tokyo to Washington, DC. in 1912. The festival includes formal events all around DC, including the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, the Pink Tie Party and more. And, of course, lots of cherry tree peeping not only around the Tidal Basin but throughout the entire District. url=https://cherryblossomwatch.com/peak-bloom-forecast/#:~:text=T... read more
A previous visit
Lovely


Our President, Joe Biden does not drink alcohol. The first photo is part of the White House wine cellar. But how many Americans drink alcohol, and how many drink wine? Fifty percent of adult Americans don’t drink wine. According to the latest Wine Market Council Alcohol Consumer Report, a fourth of the U.S. adult population abstains from alcohol completely, mostly due to religious reasons. Another 26% of adults choose to drink beer and spirits over wine. Only about 14% of U.S. adults consume a majority of the wine in the country, even though the U.S. is the third-largest importer of wine by volume in the world. Hard to believe! According to Winespeed.Speaking of drinking, never underestimate (per Winespeed) Costco. Alcohol sales at Costco in 2020 were $5 billion, nearly double the amount ten ... read more
Wine barrels
More wines


DC Free While many east coast cities, namely New York, and Boston, can be quite expensive, Washington, DC is more affordable. Why? Because many attractions in the city are free, easily accessed by public transportation, and appeal to wide range of ages. Here are a few to consider on your next trip to our nation's capitol. The National Mall, and all of the monuments and memorials are free. You can visit President Biden at the White House, if you make arrangements through your US Senator or Congressman. All of the Smithsonian Museums are free. I love them! The Kennedy Center has free tours, as well as free daily concerts. The Library of Congress does not require a library card! It may be difficult to get into the US Capitol Building after the trump inspired insurrection, and ... read more
Eastern Market
High security
Fencing Around Lafayette Park


Now that we are flying again to far off places, jet lag has reared its unwelcome head. Nobody talks about it, since we are consumed with vaccines, masks, and which countries are open to Americans. It does seem that as I get older, I am more susceptible to jet lag. Also, flying west to east is a bigger issue than east to west. At least it makes European travel better once I return home. What is jet lag? I like the Mayo Clinic and their explanation. Jet lag occurs because crossing multiple time zones puts your internal clock (circadian rhythms), which regulates your sleep-wake cycle, out of sync with the time in your new locale. And because it takes a few days for your body to adjust, your sleep-wake cycle, along with most other body functions, ... read more
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Stay calm!




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