I'm an executive branch alum, so I give the EEOB five out of five bald eagles. Sure, the United…read moreStates Capitol houses TWO chambers, and the Supreme Court Building allegedly has a basketball court at the top. But can you bowl a perfect game at the legislature or the judiciary? NOPE. President Truman was a visionary for having this bowling alley installed. Truly ahead of his time, making sure pins could fall while democracy stands strong. Absolutely worth getting a job in the executive branch to sign up for a chance to bowl here. Oh, and there's other stuff in the building too, but bowling in the basement is what really drives good government.

I love visiting this building more than the White House. It has such a history and great people…read morewatching. Try to contact your Congress person to get a tour.

What's prettier than the White House, the Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian put…read moretogether? Yes, Ariana Grande is a good answer, but I was looking for the Executive Office on 17th St! A long time ago, the love of my life used to say that this building was the highlight of her trips to DC, and I can see why. I remember walking with her in the pouring rain next to it, and taking pictures of her exposing herself in front of it. Times change... But this building never did. It's glorious and resplendent. It reminds me of something in France, but better kept, perhaps. It looks palatial. If the White House is a little underwhelming then this executive office is completely awe-inspiring. It's level with the Capitol as my favourite building in the DC area, and is the easiest 5-star rating I've given since my Cousin Daniel got drunk and showed me the ropes.

Didn't really have a lot of time to roam around Pennsylvania Ave. And my friend and I, being…read moreslightly less than ignorant didn't know that the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE would be on Pennsylvania Ave. ** Not impressed** So our pictures we're not exactly anythng to brag about. So we decided to take pictures in front of the Executive Office of the President where the FRONT of this architecture was much more impressive than the BACK of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. Still a great experience to roam DC and take in the history and political side of the US. (You don't get much of that or appreciate it as much coming from the west coast. Hence, the ignorance of the FRONT vs the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE. =X)

The Blair House is where many foreign leaders stay while visiting the White House. It's basically…read morejust across from the White House and well worth taking a minute or two to check out.

I tried finding this place on two occasions. My first attempt was unsuccessful because I Googled…read more"Blair House" and the address in Google took me to was in a really ghetto neighborhood which was apparently the Blair House DC Shelter, not to be confused with... the Blair House, guest accommodations for The President. Also, the picture on here submitted may be deceiving, this is not a stand alone building it is actually sandwiched between two red bricked edifices. It is disappointing that there are no tours and when I went they were restoring the front of it so it was hard to even see that I was in the right place with all of the construction frame and fencing around it. I was mostly there just to get a picture standing in front by the plaque but wasn't even able to accomplish that. You could tell there was a significant amount of security "interest" on the premises because there were cameras and officers standing closely nearby. Since I couldn't go in, and couldn't get a decent picture I'm rating this place just A-OK, it does, after all, have some serious historical significance.

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

Calming park in the middle of all the hustle and bustle…read more Great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon with its large trees providing shade and the sound of the fountain. Seems like lots of people come here to enjoy there lunch. Plenty of seating with built in bench seating along the inside and outside perimeter. Lots of restaurants nearby, especially fast casual.

I have been going to D.C. for most of my life. Typically it's once a year visit. Even though I'm…read morenow in Austin, Texas it's still once a year. Though travel is quite different than it was from Pittsburgh. Gone is that option to do an hour flight or a four hour drive. But, I digress. You're reading this for my thoughts on Dupont Circle. I absolutely love this part of town and find myself spending a lot of time here. It is in close proximity for the reason of my visits and quite often is part of such reasons. It's a beautiful area with a roundabout (as Arlene M. mentioned in her review...RIP Arlene, you were a great human!). You can easily walk to embassies and monuments. The fountain is glorious though it is hit or miss when it is on (usually by spring). The parks are incredible. Great shops and restaurants. A pleasant and exciting area to take in. Easy on and off Metro stop.

Immediately noticed this memorial statue while on a walk through the neighborhood near Scott…read moreCircle. Samuel Hahnemann is the founder of homeopathy, a medical approach that has proven that a substance that causes symptoms of a disease or ailment in healthy people can also cure similar symptoms in sick people, also described, in short, as "like cures like". This monument is the first erected in Washington DC of a foreign born person that was not associated with the American Revolution. Dr. Hahnemann was born in Germany in 1755.

The Eisenhower Building is also called the "Wedding Cake Building" by DC locals because the outside…read morelooks like a wedding cake. It's one of DC's best architectural designs and it houses the more administrative positions serving the White House. If you have a friend who works at the White House, they probably work here. The inside isn't as fancy as the outside since it's just rows and rows of offices, but you can get a tour if you are on a White House West Wing tour.

Back for a meeting at EEOB yesterday. There's a new annex where the Secret Service guys issue…read morebadges and do the security check. Much more efficient than the old jury-rigged operation. There are loads of well dressed, purposeful young people rushing around the building from office to office. I think I finally figured out the difference between the Bush Administration EEOB staff and the Obama Administration EEOB staff. In the Bush Admin the women wore pointier shoes with higher heels. Other than that they look to be clones of each other. Extra credit point: EEOB has the cleanest restrooms in DC. At least the mens rooms are.

Is there anything better than visiting the White House on our 250th anniversary?! Of course not!…read more People visiting from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds all coming together for one amazing weekend celebrating our nation's 250th birthday Absolutely amazing! Happy 4th of July!

We were very fortunate to be on a visit to the nations capital when the spring garden tour was…read morehappening at the White House. This is a once a year event for only two days that is free to the public that allowed us to get an up close look at the White House Gardens /grounds and the outside of the White House to include a chance to see the presidential limousine "the beast". The grounds were absolutely beautiful and it was a real treat, possibly once in a lifetime, to be so close to the White House. NICE!!! As this trip was with our grandkids it gave us a great deal of satisfaction of being able to share such a memorable and lifelong memory with them. it is truly nice to see times like this when our government offers up such unique viewing opportunities to the general public.

I've been to the Washington Monument several different times in my lifetime but, have only been to…read morethe top once when I was a teenager. There are several ways to get to the top - purchase a ticket in advance from the website, try to get one on site (I don't recommend that), or you can use a tour site like Viator or Get Your Guide. It's something I believe everyone should do at least once, but it's cramped and there are small windows at the top that aren't the cleanest, so, it was somewhat disappointing from what I remember. Walking around outside the monument and enjoying the lawn and surrounding area are 1000% a must and worth it.

The Washington Monument immediately becomes the focal point of the entire National Mall once you…read moreget close to it. I found the structure itself surprisingly simple, but that simplicity is what makes it feel so massive and recognizable against the skyline. The huge open lawn surrounding it gives the area a spacious feeling, and from almost every angle I could see other major landmarks lined up around it, especially the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol in the distance. Even with large crowds moving through the area, the space never felt too compressed because everything around the monument is so wide open. Going up inside the monument completely changed my perspective. The elevator ride was short and smooth, and once I reached the top, the observation windows gave me a panoramic view over all of Washington. Looking down at the Reflecting Pool, the National Mall, and the rows of museums made the city layout feel incredibly intentional. I visited around sunset, and the views became even more dramatic once the monuments and streets started lighting up across the city. The atmosphere around the monument constantly shifted throughout my visit. In the morning there were runners and quieter crowds walking through the grass, while later in the afternoon the area filled with tourists, school groups, and people sitting around the lawn. Even with the steady activity, the monument still managed to feel calm because of how open everything is around it. Seasonal festivals and events nearby also made the space feel active without taking attention away from the monument itself.