Right away: the people who complain about no furniture in the cottage . . . you have no…read moreimagination and lack vision. I've done almost all the history/nerdy stuff in DC. This is one of my favorites so far. First, I like the fact that there is little furniture in the cottage. For one, The Lincolns didn't furnish the cottage separately; they brought the furniture from the Whitehouse every trip. So the foundation has no idea of knowing how the cottage was set up, even if they wanted to buy reproductions (and really, why are we impressed with reproductions?) Secondly . . . the fact that they cottage is mostly empty, you really get to envision Lincoln, the man . . . you can form a picture in your head of what happened here, who he was . . . ESPECIALLY with the help of the knowledgable, passionate guides. This is not a 20 or 30 minute tour. You're going to be here at least an hour. Our tour was a little over an hour. Our guide, Haley, was enthusiastic and painted Lincoln clearly for us. She relayed multiple anecdotes and examples of how Lincoln was a man of the earth, a man of the people. A man who liked to tell stories and jokes. I was the only American from the US on our tour, and Haley related to everyone. Involved everyone. Challenged everyone to think about the various stories and scenarios she presented. And the house is GORGEOUS. I wish I could live there! I loved my visit. When I headed to the gift shop, the staff there were awesome too! (I wish I had gotten her name, but she had the coolest outfit on--a chunky sweater, a kerchief on her head, a Harriet Tubman tee-shirt, and colorful pants). Aside from her rad style, she was so enthusiastic and engaged with me and another group about area history. This isn't flashy. If you need bells and whistles, this isn't for you. If you really love history and those who have enthusiasm for it . . . this IS for you Again, one of my favorite things so far . . . if not the favorite thing.

I'd been meaning to visit Lincoln's Cottage for years and finally made the trip from downtown…read more Unfortunately, it really wasn't worth the time. We arrived just as a tour was starting so the check-in person hurried us outside, pointing to where the tour group was walking to the "cottage" ( actually a nice-sized home). We hustled to get there and reached the front door just as it was about half-closed. I stopped it and we stepped inside. The tour guide, Francisco, was just inside. I told him we'd been told that we should join his group. He told me, "Ok, but next time it would be better if you knocked." Huh? I said, "what do you mean? The door was open." "Well it was almost closed so you should knock." Uh ... ok. Once on the tour, Francisco didn't speak very clearly, so I got about 75% of what he said. His pitch, which may have been a script, was also very odd. We started in a room empty of furniture. F starts with "I'm curious: what kind of furniture do you think you would put in this room?" That turned out to be his favorite phrase, and he used that "I'm curious, what would you do" approach in just about every room of the house. But I didn't go there to learn how the other tourists would furnish a house. I came to learn about Lincoln. All in all a big disappointment.

A lot of buildings around here are historic. In Georgetown is the oldest. The Old Stone House is…read morethe oldest building built in the city and preserved in the original state. It has a small gift shop inside. There's a large garden outside. It appears to be the oldest building in the city. It was built in 1765, while it was in the then separate town of Georgetown. This was also believed to be a place visited by George Washington. Even though it was proven that it wasn't true, this building was still an important piece of history. This was saved from destruction because people thought Washington came here, and so it accidentally became a museum. It doesn't lake long to look at. The museum also has a nice garden that has benches and it a popular place for people to sit and read. It's also cool the admission is free. There's not a whole lot to see inside but it's interesting looking around and seeing what it was like being in this. It often closes for several months. Renovations often seem to occur regularly. The admission is free so that's more than enough reason to make a visit.

Ive seen this place so many times in my life but almost everytime I have ever passed it, it was not…read moreopen. But, recently, while in Gtown on a nice day around 5:30pm, and strolling down M St, I saw the door was open to this place, and was pretty excited to check it out! I do like NPS sites and wil make every effort to stop at a site when I can. However, this place was a bit lackluster for me. I think the West has truly spoiled me as this place didnt do much for me. I get that its the oldest building in DC and that George Washington was mistaken to have slept here, but only the 1st floor was open and not much to see except a fireplace. The 2nd floor was also closed. The front room mainly had a bunch of souvenirs for sale. I bought a few postcards to support NPS. I didnt get a chance to visit the back yard as I have heard thats the best part of this visit. Ill try to visit this on another visit. I also thought that the front sidewalk could have been better paved and think more work can be done on sidewalks of M St to make it more appealing. Overall, a disappointing visit and experience but I was glad I finally saw the inside.

Went to Harper's ferry for the first time today! It was Memorial Day so pretty packed with limited…read moreto no parking (so I would recommend making reservations ahead of time if you can). Lots of beautiful stores and a nice 1 mile trail that's dog friendly. Mind you, I recommend hiking shoes and not just sneakers since a lot of it is uphill. Would love to visit again and maybe stay in town just for a weekend getaway. People were very friendly and it's a good break from city life.

This place is must visit. Beautiful historical town. Beautiful nature. A lot of free parking spaces.read more

The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial is one of the most impressive memorials in DC for location-specific…read morereasons. It sits between the Capitol Reflecting Pool and the U.S. Capitol building, making it a photography dream - great DC shots. This statue of Grant is the largest equestrian statue in the U.S. and the fifth largest in the world. If you're visiting DC for the first time or the 10th, it's a great memorial to include on an itinerary, because its location makes it a special one - even among all the great memorials in the city. Worth a visit for sure!

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial - This memorial pleasantly surprised me with its grandeur and remarkable…read moreattention to detail. Even from a distance, it looks monumental, and as I got closer, I noticed the many finely crafted details on the equestrian statues as well as on General Grant himself. I also appreciate its location near the National Mall with a view of the Capitol, which gives the entire area a unique and impressive atmosphere. During my visit, it was not overly crowded, so I was able to take my time exploring the different parts of the memorial and capturing some great photos. It is a fascinating place that I believe is well worth visiting for anyone interested in American history or who appreciates high-quality historical monuments.

A total gem. Have biked the entire trail, from DC to Cumberland, MD. To be clear not all in one…read moreday. 184.5 miles isn't a short trip. There have been some changes, as the trail goes more up to Pittsburgh area. Yet the canal originally from these areas, was supposed to be a major commercial success. It wasn't as trains came into the picture. Am glad it was built! The history on and off the trail are hard to beat. Some of the views are breathtaking. In many ways you can follow a lot of civil war events biking this. There are towns near the trail to get food and other supplies. The campgrounds are primitive. Yet a fire, quick dinner, and knocking out to sleep works for me. It is planned again. By all means this is a national treasure!

Meander along the historic canal…read more Pleasantly designed brick path along the canal. Sure, the canal can use some love, but it's an old fella and doing its best even after so many years. It is best to just take a walk rather than go on a tour.

Cool discovery of little Falls…read more Four miles north of Georgetown on the Potomac River. According to one website, Thomas Jefferson visited Little Falls several times. The canal was made to get around this rapids. There are other spots to view it (like a Chain Bridge). I found an awkward viewing spot just downstream.

For night photography of this spectacular building, position yourself in front of the Capitol…read moreReflecting Pool, near the General Ulysses Grant Memorial, down the hill, on the west side of the U.S. Capitol Complex. That way, you'll capture the reflection of the whole Capitol Building in the water, provided there's enough moonlight and it's still outside, meaning not a lot of wind. Since it's named "Capitol Reflecting Pool" officially, you understand its true purpose, right?! It kinda took me a while to get it myself. I recommend going on a night when there's a full moon--and arrive there ahead of the moon's rise, to be prepared to shoot once it does. The moon doesn't stay near the dome of the Capitol for very long. The moon is your best friend to provide optimal light, so take advantage. Just shoot away, don't play it safe. Conditions can change quickly. You might have 5 minutes; might have an hour or so. Obviously, clear skies are needed--pray for that. You'll have company, too, as pro photogs will be shooting at this very spot. Since you're already on the National Mall, might as well walk it at night. So beautiful. I prefer to see the sights at night anyway, rather than in daytime. And it's safe. One of the most patrolled areas of DC, 24/7. I do this a lot.

United States Capitol Christmas Tree is a holiday tradition I look forward to every year. There's…read moresomething timeless about seeing it glow against the Capitol backdrop--elegant, balanced, and beautifully understated. Unlike the White House tree, it isn't wrapped in heavy netting, which makes all the difference. The lights aren't overdone; they glisten just enough to feel festive while letting the tree look natural. The result? A classic, picture-perfect moment that never disappoints and not as crowded as the White House Christmas Tree. Simple, stately, and quietly magical--an easy win for a winter photo op and a reminder that sometimes tradition gets it exactly right

The Albert Einstein Memorial sits on the National Academy of Sciences grounds. Right along the…read moreNational Mall, near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Some people walk right by this and don't even notice it. I was one of those people as I have been in the area on multiple occasions, but never actually gone here. I rectified that recently. Attending the March on Washington I made a detour out of the Mall and over in this direction. It is a nice little place to distract yourself for a minute or two. Sitting in a elm and holly grove people can come and sit. The statue is made of bronze and depicts Einstein looking over some manuscripts. It was unveiled on his 100th birthday, April 22, 1979. There are two replicas of this stature. One being at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the other is at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

I missed this memorial the past couple times I came to DC, so on my third time I wanted to visit…read moreit. It's very large when you see it in person. Not nearly as crowded as the others. Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist from Germany. He's one of the greatest and influential scientists of all time. People from all over have probably heard of his special relativity equation E=mc2 (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). On the statue, you'll see that he's holding a piece of paper. The paper shows his 3 most important contributions to science: photoelectric effect, theory of general relativity, and equivalence of energy and matter. When we came here, there was a couple taking 50 pictures, but if you're decent at picture taking you don't need 50 to get a couple good shots. It was located by a hot dog stand. There are benches by the statue to sit and eat.