DC Like a Local

photo uploaded to flickr by the Smithsonian InstitutionSo when my wife asks me what I did today, I honestly have no idea. Probably because I've spent way too much time pouring over the photos of old DC landmarks the Smithsonian released this week. (Smithsonian)

The big local news this week, of course, was the short-lived hostage crisis at the Discovery Channel Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, just outside DC. Fortunately, no one was harmed except for the poor crazy bastard who was responsible for the whole thing. (TBD)

And oh no! My absolute favorite Smithsonian exhibit will be dragged into modern times, kicking and screaming. Western Cultures, 2nd floor of the Natural History Museum, will be closed starting September 26th. The exhibit, which was delightfully dated, was originally designed in 1978, and is looking increasingly out of place as the Museum rapidly upgrades around it. Fine, I guess. Minister Cox and I will just have to find somewhere else to hang out. (WaPo)

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Last Friday, I wandered down to the Mall to see how our Tea Party friends were making out taking in all Washington has to offer. As I exited the Smithsonian Metro, I, like so many visitors before and to come, was immediately accosted by a gentleman offering to help me out.

Repeat visitors to DC are no doubt familiar with what I'm talking about. These guys hang out at the top of the Smithsonian Metro, sell maps, and offer directions. After they give their pitch, they give you a song and dance about trying to raise money for their shelter or some such nonsense, and you're on your way.

Now, I should note that these guys were not here for the Tea Party rally, on the remote chance you might have thought so. Perhaps they were just more visible Friday, as they are uniformly African-American and the Tea Partiers were uniformly not. But these gentlemen appear whenever a large gathering is expected, or for that matter, busy Saturday afternoons. I've walked by them so many times I don't notice them.

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photo by M.V. JantzenPenn Quarter Living details a bit of the bait and switch of the National Aquarium here in DC. The title says it all: “Don’t Go For the Fish.” I agree, I’ve seen pet shops with more intriguing displays. Although the history of the Aquarium is pretty interesting.

A Maryland based firm has been tasked with the $30.7 million dollar contract to rebuild the Reflecting Memorial. Besides the fact that the Pool is slowly sinking into the muck that is West Potomac Park, the Reflecting Pool is plagued with numerous longstanding problems. Chief among them, the lack of circulation of the potable water in the Pool causes some truly impressive and disgusting algae blooms every year. A National Park Service spokesman did take the time to caution that the Pool will not become a swimming pool simply because it will get a new filtration system. Which is sad. (Hometown Annapolis via GGW)

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So, it looks like we're going to get a few visitors this weekend that will want to visit the Lincoln Memorial. They're about to find out what legions of previous visitors have found: it's pretty darn hard to get to.

Sure, if you want to disregard our advice and drive, feel free, but parking is limited at best. For every lucky person that finds a spot along Ohio Drive, there are a dozen frustrated out of state cars circling around. And just assume you're going to get a ticket. I live here, and barely understand the enforcement of parking regulations on the Mall.

The Park Service has some handy tips from their website: "It is highly recommended that you make use of the efficient public transit system (Metro rail and Metro bus) as well as Tourmobile, the official interpretive visitor transportation service for the National Mall and Memorial Parks."

Well, great. Except that the Tourmobile costs $27 and generally sucks. And don't get me started on their ridiculous government sponsored monopoly that the Park Service gave them that hinders the "efficient public transit system" that the Park Service speaks so highly of.

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