Parks

The District is home to many large parks that offer hiking and biking. Many of the downtown parks are crowded with soccer, football, rugby, kickball, baseball, and ultimate frisbee players. Most parks are covered in their respective districts (see especially the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens), with the exception of the following three very large parks:

Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park, ☎ +1 202 895-6070 (fax: +1 202 895-6015), [29]. Rock Creek, if you look on a map, is evidently the district's central respiratory system, bisecting the district north of the Anacostia River, and covering nearly 2,000 acres of thickly forested hills. It's a national park, full of deer (who overpopulate, due to lack of predators), squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, birds, and even a few coyotes. The paved biking/running trail is one of the nation's best, and it extends all the way from the Lincoln Memorial way out into Maryland (it also connects with the Mount Vernon trail in Northern Virginia. But there are tons more paths, from the hiking trail network to bridle paths, to be enjoyed. edit

To see the Rock Creek Park in greater detail, the official map is available here.

• Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium, 5200 Glover Road, NW, ☎ +1 202 895-6070, [30]. W-Su 9AM-5PM. Deep inside the park, the Nature Center offers hands-on exhibits, guided nature walks, an "observation beehive," and a full planetarium. All free.  edit

• Rock Creek Golf Course, 16th St & Rittenhouse St, NW, [31]. dawn-dusk daily. 18 holes of golf in Rock Creek Park. 9 holes: $16, 18 holes: $23.  edit

Archibald-Glover Park

Jefferson Island

Festivals

There are plenty of regular festivals throughout the year, many of them on the National Mall. Some highlights include:

• National Kite Festival (springtime)
• National Cherry Blossom Festival (late March/early April) [32] Note that Washington's cherry blossoms do *not* necessarily bloom during the festival -- the bloom varies every year, depending on the winter weather. When the blossoms are out (and they don't stay out for long -- a good rain will wash them away), Washington is at its very prettiest. The best place to enjoy the blossoms is around the Tidal Basin. You will pay top dollar to visit during cherry blossom season.
• A Capitol Fourth [33] (July 4th) A day of parades and other events, capped off by fireworks over the Potomac River and a large orchestral concert on Capitol Hill.
• Smithsonian Folklife Festival [34] (late June and ending around July 4th) This annual festival normally has three topics: a country, a region of the USA and another subject, which varies from year to year. Previous festivals have featured the country of Oman, the ancient Silk Road and music in Latino culture.
• Political Protests (year-round)
• Screen on the Green (Mondays, July and August) Classic films, often with a political angle, are shown for free on the Mall. Watching 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' with the capital dome in the background is classic D.C.

If you are sightseeing, chances are you are on The Mall. The National Mall is a unique National Park, filled with an intense concentration of monuments, memorials, museums, and monumental government buildings instantly recognizable to people all over the world. The White House, the US Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Gallery of Art, the Air and Space Museum, the National Natural History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the International Spy Museum, the National Portrait Gallery—just a few of the top national attractions here, all within walking distance of each other. The tourist-designated sights are just half of the attraction here, though—to walk down the National Mall is to thread the halls of world power in the modern era. Here the world's most powerful politicians their staffs fill the grand neo-classical buildings of the three branches of US Government, where they make decisions every day that reverberate in the remotest corners of the world.

There are ample maps along the Mall, especially by metro stops, but the place is so jam-packed with things you'll want to see, you should probably take a map with you to avoid missing highlights, obscured by other highlights. For a more detailed & larger map than the Wikitravel version, print out the official National Mall map. The Mall is deceptively large, and a walk from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial or the Tidal Basin will take a while and may wear you down a bit. Plan ahead what you want to see and concentrate your activities in one section of the Mall for one day. The eastern section, home to the majority of the museums is covered in the Penn Quarter article, the White House, Washington Monument, and West Potomac Park are all located on the West End, the southernmost museums and the Tidal Basin are on the Waterfront, and Capitol Hill gets its own article.

While the Mall has more than enough sights to keep a traveler busy for a while, the city itself has plenty of big attractions for a visitor who wants to leave behind the sandy paths and flocks of tourists and pigeons of the Smithsonian. The National Zoo in Woodley Park is one of the nation's most prestigious; the nearby National Cathedral is an awe-inspiring mammoth. Embassy Row is an impressive stretch of some 50 foreign-owned historic and modernist mansions along Massachusetts Avenue throughout Dupont Circle and Woodley Park. The historic neighborhood of Georgetown is another great sightseeing destination, full of beautiful old colonial buildings, the 300+ year-old Jesuit campus of Georgetown University, a pleasant waterfront, and the infamous Exorcist steps. By car (i.e., taxi) you can get to some of the capital's more far flung and less frequented attractions, like the magnificent Catholic National Shrine in the Northeast, the National Arboretum in the Northeast, or the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in northeastern Anacostia.

Itineraries

• Washington (D.C.) in four days

By plane

Washington, D.C. is served by three major airports.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA), [2] located in Arlington, Virginia on the west bank of the Potomac River just south of the city, is the closest and most convenient. Walkways connect the concourse level of the B and C terminals to the Washington Metro rail platform; the walk from the A terminal to the metro takes 5 to 10 minutes. To get downtown (10 minutes), take the Yellow Line toward Mt Vernon Square/UDC. For destinations to the west, take the Blue Line toward Largo Town Center. A taxi trip to downtown costs about $15.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IATA: IAD), [3] is located at Dulles (pronounced Dull-ess), Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown D.C.. To get into the city, the most convenient option may be the Washington Flyer coach [4], which operates every half hour to and from the West Falls Church Metro (Orange Line). It takes 20-25 minutes and costs $9 one way or $16 round trip. The Metro rail service from West Falls Church to downtown D.C. takes another 20-25 minutes. The cheapest option is the 5A Metrobus, an express bus which makes stops at Herndon, Tysons Corner, Rosslyn (Blue and Orange Lines) and downtown L'Enfant Plaza (Green, Yellow, Blue, and Orange Lines). It generally departs every 40 minutes on weekdays and hourly (though not on the hour) on weekends and takes 50-60 minutes to the city; the fare is $3 each way. Ask the people at the information booth in the lower level of the airport terminal, near the baggage claim, which bus will be coming sooner. They also can direct you to the bus stop. (5A timetable and map (pdf): [5]) A taxi trip to downtown costs about $50.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (IATA: BWI), [6] is in Maryland and is 30 miles north-east of D.C. and 10 miles south of downtown Baltimore. Metro operates the hourly B30 express Metrobus to the Greenbelt Metro Station (Green Line). It boards on the lower level outside the International Pier. The fare is $3.10 each way and it takes about 30 minutes. The driver does not provide change. The Metro rail service from Greenbelt to downtown takes another 25 minutes approximately. There are also train services from BWI Rail Station (see next section). A taxi trip to downtown Washington costs about $60.

By train

Amtrak services arrive from all over the country, particularly the Northeast Corridor (Boston-to-Richmond). All stop at downtown Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, on Metro's Red Line -- a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol steps. A few lines also stop in adjacent Alexandria, VA, very close to King Street Metro, on the Yellow and Blue lines. If you are coming from the south, it might be easier to stop there, depending on your destination.

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) [7] also provides rail from the southwest, starting in Virginia suburbs of Manassas and Fredericksburg, for those who do not wish to drive into the metropolitan area.

Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) [8] provides rail from the north on weekdays, all the way past Harpers Ferry and Baltimore. Two lines run to separate parts of Baltimore with limited reverse service from Washington. The MARC Penn line shares trains, tracks and ticketing with Amtrak on the high-speed Northeast Corridor between Washington Union Station and Baltimore Union Station, which also serves New Carrollton and BWI Airport. Only Amtrak runs on weekends.

From BWI Airport, a free "Amtrak/MARC" shuttle bus runs from the airport terminal to the BWI Rail Station. MARC [9] local rail operates weekdays to New Carrollton (Orange Line) for $5 each way, or Washington Union Station (Red Line) for $6. Amtrak [10] provides access to Union Station (from $13; 30-35 minutes) and to nearby Alexandria, Virginia near the King Street Metro station on the Blue and Yellow lines (from $27).

By car

Washington, D.C. is primarily served by I-95 from Baltimore, MD or Richmond, VA. I-95 South is particularly bad on Friday afternoons and any time people are likely to be going to the beach. Other interstates of note are:

• I-495 is the D.C. Beltway (or simply "the Beltway"). The Beltway is reviled across the nation for its traffic congestion (particularly during rush hour, when it rivals the Cross-Bronx Expressway in New York City as the most miserable highway in the United States). On the East side of the city, I-495 follows I-95. Particularly bad spots include:
  • the inner loop (clockwise) between I-66 and I-95 and also approaching the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the morning rush (Virginia)
  • the outer loop (counterclockwise) between I-95 Springfield and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge during the afternoon rush (Virginia)
  • the outer loop (counterclockwise) in Maryland between I-95 and I-270.

Again, only travel on the Beltway during rush hour if you absolutely, positively cannot leave your car and walk.

• I-270 connects from I-70 in Frederick, MD to I-495 in Bethesda, MD
• I-395 connects downtown with the I-495/I-95 interchange in Northern Virginia.
• I-295 connects downtown with I-495/I-95 at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Southern Prince George's County, MD.
• I-66 starts at the western part of downtown and goes 75 miles west, ending near Front Royal, VA.
• Route 50 traverses the city from east to west, heading east toward Annapolis, MD and Ocean City, MD (the latter by way of the Bay Bridge), and west across the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge into Northern Virginia and parts west.
• The Baltimore-Washington Parkway (also "B-W Parkway") starts at I-295, crossing central Maryland, passing near Baltimore-Washington International Airport and terminating in Baltimore.

Inside the beltway, I-66 is HOV-2 only eastbound from 7AM to 9AM and westbound from 4PM to 6:30 PM. The HOV-2 restriction applies to the entire highway, not just specific lanes. US-50, US-29, and the George Washington Parkway are the alternatives.

Interestingly enough, while MD/DC 295 (the Baltimore-Washington Parkway) will take you from Maryland right into the city, it doesn't allow you to directly connect to the Southeast-Southwest Freeway westbound. You can exit at Pennsylvania Avenue Eastbound and follow the throngs making illegal u-turns to then be facing westbound (towards downtown) or proceed to Howard Road and then cross the Anacostia River on South Capitol Street, which takes you to the Southeast-Southwest Freeway. I-295 Northbound does connect to the Southeast-Southwest Freeway Westbound. The converse is also true: the Southeast-Southwest Freeway Eastbound does not connect to DC 295 Northbound- it only connects to I-295 southbound. To gain entrance onto DC 295 Northbound, stay left on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway and exit onto Pennsylvania Avenue, which will then let you turn left and enter 295 North.

By bus

• Greyhound, [11]. The stop for Washington, D.C. is at 1005 1st St NE, which is a few blocks north of Union Station (where you can catch the Red Line Metrorail). Current fares are around $20 (or $35 for a return ticket) from New York City. Please note that these prices require a 3 day in advance purchase. There are other Greyhound stations located in Silver Spring, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia.

• Apex Bus, [12]. The stop for Washington, D.C. is on 610 Eye St. NW. Prices are $20 ( or $35 for a return ticket) from New York City. No advance purchase is required.

• Megabus [13] provides service from New York City; fares start at $1 when ordered far enough in advance. Buses arrive and depart from the rear of Union Station, at the Gray Line area in front of the parking garage.

• BoltBus [14] provides service from New York City; fares start at $1 when ordered far enough in advance. Buses arrive and depart at 11th St NW and G St NW, near Metro Center.

• Goto Bus, [15]. You can search several carriers through this site. Sometimes discounts are given from this site.

A number of independent bus companies [16] run between New York City and Washington D.C..

City layout

The city is split into four quadrants centered on the Capitol Building: NE, NW, SE and SW. City roads are laid out in a grid, with east-west streets named for letters (to "W", then alphabetically two-syllable words, Adams - Webster, then three-syllable words, starting with Allison) and north-south streets named for numbers, all going "up" as you travel outward. For example, there is an M Street on the north side of town, and another M Street on the south side, both crossing from the east side to the west side. Likewise with 6th Street, running from north to south on both the east and west sides. The boundary lines between the quadrants are as follows: North Capitol Street between NE and NW, East Capitol Street between NE and SE, South Capitol Street between SE and SW, and the National Mall between SW and NW. To identify which side of town and which end of the street, the quadrant is included at the end of any proper street address. Addresses are also usually very specific to the grid, and rarely have custom names. For example, the White House is properly "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW". The Northwest quadrant is the largest and home to most items of interest to visitors, although a few major tourist locations fall into the other three quadrants (e.g. Union Station and the Supreme Court fall in NE, the Tidal Basin and Bureau of Engraving and Printing are in SW and the Library of Congress is in SE)

Speaking of avenues, these are named mostly after the 50 states, and cut at various angles across the grid (several of them lining up on the White House or the Capitol, to draw attention to these democratic symbols). Many major intersections, especially those involving avenues, meet at circles named after historical figures.

The grid has a few peculiarities which are the legacy of Pierre L'Enfant's 18th century plan for the city. There is no J Street, since at the time L'Enfant considered the letters I and J to be essentially the same letter and not two distinct letters as they are today. (It is a myth that he had it out for statesman John Jay.) In the English language, the use of the letter J began to take its modern form in the 1600s but remained commonly interchangeable with I until the mid 1800s. Addresses on I Street are often written "Eye Street" to avoid confusion with the number "1". Addresses on the first block of cross-streets crossing North, South or East Capitol Street are referred to as being on the "unit block" of those streets. Certain of the streets reflect the courses of present-day waterways: rivers (the Anacostia Freeway), creeks or creek valleys (Rock Creek Expressway, Beach Drive), and canals (Clara Barton Expressway [traveling along the C&O Canal], MacArthur Boulevard [running over of the Washington Aqueduct]).

Please also note that a few streets are one-way for specific hours of the day, in order to accommodate rush-hour traffic, and others will repurpose lanes during rush-hour periods for the same purpose.

Public transportation

WARNING: Disabled people (particularly wheelchair users) may find the Metro a difficult and frustrating experience. Broken elevators and escalators plague the system. While the transit authority is required to provide bus service to the nearest metro station with a working elevator, rest assured that this extra step will add a lot of time and hassle to your trip. Definitely check the WMATA web page for notices on broken elevators.

In WMATA, [17] D.C. has one of the best public transportation systems in the country. The hub-and-spoke rail system is integrated with an extensive bus system, with all lines converging in downtown D.C. A car is often a hindrance in the District, particularly for tourists; public transportation is often the fastest way to get around.

New, red "DC Circulator"[18] buses provide the cheapest way ($1) to travel crosstown along D.C.'s major axes: East-West from Union Station past the Convention Center to Georgetown and North-South from the Convention Center through the National Mall to the Southwest Waterfront.

For more extensive coverage, use the "Metro". Its five intersecting "Metrorail" subway lines stop in most major neighborhoods, with the notable exceptions of Georgetown and Adams-Morgan. Since parking downtown can be scarce and expensive (up to $15/day) and parking violations AGGRESSIVELY enforced, many attractions recommend using the Metro, and WMATA publishes a pocket guide indicating which line and stop to take for various landmarks. Most parts of the Metro system are extremely safe, reliable, and amazingly clean, particularly the areas where there are tourist or government activities. Late at night, trains may run only every 20 minutes, but the stations and trains remain quite safe (while the streets around the stations may be less so). Interestingly, the locals never refer to it as the "subway" or "underground", as is customary in the cities of New York and London, respectively, instead preferring the term "Metro". Calling it anything else is guaranteed to earn you strange looks from any Washingtonian in earshot.

Since the Metrorail system is built either deep below Washington or on elevated tracks outside the city, the average rider must take at least two escalators to reach a train. To allow for the safest and most efficient travel on the escalators, it is an unwritten law that one must stand on the right side of the escalator to allow others to pass on the left side. Those who fail to do so will often draw dirty looks and rude comments from local commuters, who may be in a hurry (or who at least think they are). Standing on the right and allowing others to pass on the left can prevent a potentially dangerous backup of people attempting to leave the platforms. Visitors should be sure to keep walking when leaving a train so that others behind them may also exit safely in the short amount of time that the doors remain open. Note that the doors of Metro trains do not automatically open when they strike something, as do elevator doors. Attempting to hold the doors open can result in significant injury, particularly to children. Holding the doors open can damage them, causing the train to be pulled from service, resulting in extensive delays and inconvenience.

The cleanliness of the Washington Metro is something in which its riders take considerable pride, to the point that rules regarding such are usually self-enforced. If you should happen to board the train with a cup of coffee or a sandwich, don't be surprised if someone asks you to toss it out at the next station. The police will normally simply ask a person to dispose of any food or beverage, although they are empowered to cite those that violate those rules.

• Red Line — forms a long "U" from suburban Montgomery County, Maryland through downtown. Attractions on the Red Line include the Union Station, the Verizon Center, the National Zoo, the National Basilica and Cathedral of St. Matthew Our Apostle. The Red Line's Wheaton station boasts the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere.
• Yellow Line — links the Washington Convention Center to Alexandria via the Verizon Center, the 14th Street Bridge and Reagan National Airport. On weekdays between the hours of 9:30AM-3PM and 7PM-close, as well as all day on weekends, the Yellow Line will go as far north as the Fort Totten station.
• Green Line — forms a "C" which swings through Prince Georges County from Greenbelt (and its BWI Airport shuttle) past the University of Maryland, the gentrifying U Street and Columbia Heights districts, the Southwest Waterfront, and historic Anacostia.
• Blue Line — an "S" that meanders from Largo Town Center near FedEx Field (home of the Washington Redskins) to RFK Stadium (home of the Washington Nationals and the D.C. United), under the Potomac to Arlington National Cemetery, and south to Reagan National Airport and Alexandria.
• Orange Line — Runs from Fairfax County suburbs (and the Washington Flyer Dulles Airport shuttles at West Falls Church) along the Wilson Boulevard entertainment corridor, through downtown, and out again past RFK Stadium to New Carrollton (with onward connections to MARC and Amtrak).

Metrorail's hours of operation are as follows:

• Monday-Thursday: 5AM to Midnight
• Friday: 5AM to 3AM
• Saturday: 7AM to 3AM
• Sunday: 7AM to Midnight

When riding late at night, it is advisable to be aware of when the last train leaves each particular station (this will be clearly stated at each station and is also given on WMATA's website), and make sure you do not miss that train (you must also take into consideration any transfers you will need to make). However, unlike in some other systems, all trains continue to the end of their respective lines (usually until well after Metro's stated closing time), so you need not worry about a train stopping before it reaches your destination.

Parking is available at many suburban stations, particularly at the terminus stations, and costs a flat rate of $3.50 (as of January 3, 2006) at most lots, though a few cost slightly more. It is important to note that weekday parking at a Metro lot requires a "SmarTrip" card, which is a special rechargeable debit card. Cash, credit cards and checks are not accepted for parking. One must purchase a SmarTrip card for $10 at a vending machine (SmarTrip machines are located at all stations with parking). The card itself costs $5 and it is dispensed pre-loaded with $5 in value (hence the $10 cost). The SmarTrip can also be used to pay Metrorail and Metrobus fares, and to make paperless transfers from one to the other. If you park at a Metro lot on a weekday, make sure you purchase a SmarTrip card and not a regular farecard. Only the SmarTrip cards with microchips will be accepted by the parking gate. Parking on weekends and holidays is free.

As stated above, for ease of use, one can use the same SmarTrip card to pay for both the Metro trip and parking. In fact, at a few stations (though certainly not the majority), you can only get the reduced Metro customer parking rate if you use the same card (specifically New Carrollton, White Flint, and Twinbrook). Unfortunately, use of a SmarTrip card currently precludes customers from taking advantage of unlimited ride passes (which are mentioned below), though Metro has plans to eventually enable unlimited ride capabilities via SmarTrip.

If you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing throughout the city, the Metrorail One Day Pass is a great deal - for a flat $7.80, you are afforded unlimited rides throughout the Metrorail system (the pass is valid after 9:30AM on weekdays or all day on Saturdays and Sundays until closing (on Fridays and Saturdays, this means 3AM of the following day). A "short-trip" 7-day pass is $26.40, but restricted to $2.65 rides during peak hours. An unrestricted and unlimited 7-day pass is $39.00. Note that you can only buy unlimited ride passes at the blue Passes/Farecards machines in each station, and not from the standard brown Farecards machines. Likewise, the blue machines are the only ones that accept credit and debit cards, but you can buy any farecard or pass type from these machines (including adding value to SmarTrip cards), so there is no real reason to use the standard brown machine unless you need to skip a long line. Furthermore, unlike in most other transit agencies, Metrorail passes are not valid for travel on Metrobus (nor is the fare structure identical).

Metrorail fares are based on distance, starting from $1.35. Peak fares are in effect on weekdays from 5:10AM to 9:30AM and 3PM to 7PM, during which time the maximum fare is $3.90. At all other times, lower fares are in effect, with a maximum of $2.35. Because the fare is based on distance, each passenger must have his or her own farecard (whether paper or SmarTrip) and use it both when entering and exiting the system. If the value on the card is insufficient to exit, it can be recharged using "Exitfare" vending machines. If the cost of your fare exceeds the amount you have on your SmarTrip card, the fare will be deducted from the existing amount on the SmarTrip card and a negative balance will remain. You will be allowed to leave the station with a negative balance, but it must be paid prior to entering a station and taking another trip.

If you have rented a bicycle, you can also take your bicycle on Metrorail outside of peak hours (weekdays from 7AM to 10AM and from 4PM to 7PM), but you must use one of the end doors of each car (the center doors have stickers with a reminder for bicyclists to use other doors). All buses in the Metrobus system are also equipped with bicycle racks on the front.

The "Metrobus" system has a flat fare system of $1.25 for most routes, (with SmarTrip - $1.35 if paying with cash) or $3 for express routes ($3.10 if paying with cash). Certain routes feature discounted fares. Metrobus accepts SmarTrip for payments and transfers, but does not accept Metrorail paper farecards or passes. There are weekly unlimited passes available for Metrobus for $11. To save money on your metrobus trips, you can also get transfer slips from other Metrobuses or from Metrorail (at your station of ENTRY) that allow you to take another bus within a two hour period at a discounted rate.

Taxi

As of May 1st, 2008, taxicabs of Washington D.C. have shifted from a zoned fare system to standard taximeters. Base rates start at $3.00 for the first 1/6th of a mile and 25 cents for each additional 1/6th of a mile.

There is no longer any rush hour surcharge, although an additional $1.50 is charged for each additional passenger.

During declared snow emergencies, D.C. taxis are permitted to charge 25% additional fares.

For taxis to/from D.C. suburbs, it is often better to call a suburban taxi service from where you're going to be picked in D.C. (if time permits) than to use a city cab. This is because D.C. taxi drivers are not always familiar with suburban directions or how much to charge to locations outside of the city. (See local phone books for suburban options.)

There are a few taxis still without meters; they have until July 1st to install meters or face fines from the City.

By car

Downtown Washington's roads are well-signed and organized on a relatively predictable grid, but driving in the District is somewhat of a challenge even for native Washingtonians. The streets were laid out by Pierre L'Enfant as "multiple-sourced diagonals on a grid with interspersed circles for good measure". This layout was initially conceived not only for aesthetic reasons, but also as a defensive measure to confuse invading armies. Many major intersections are formed into circles. The larger circles can be harrowing for inexperienced drivers—Dupont Circle links five roads running in ten directions with two traffic rings (with Massachusetts Avenue NW running in the inner circle) and an underground bypass for Connecticut Avenue NW. The situation is compounded by some of the nation's consistently worst traffic. Roads are often closed depending on time of day, level of security, threat level, parades, etc. Some roads change direction partially or completely based on the time of day, and may only indicate with a simple sign, rather than the signal lights that accompany many direction-change lanes in the U.S. The Metro system is an acclaimed public transport system that serves the majority of popular sites within and around the city and can be a much more rewarding experience. At triple intersections of streets, there is usually a traffic circle or roundabout. (Note: traffic may or may not flow through these circles like in a roundabout, depending on the particular circle in question, so don't try to drive them that way. Dupont Circle is notoriously confusing, with inner and outer rings, and Connecticut Ave underneath.)

Additionally, the city is the capital of the United States. Motorcades wisk through traffic at their own whim, every hour of the day - from short ambassadorial motorcades to the 12+ car Presidential Motorcade. Any time between 6:45AM until usually around 9PM or 10PM, expect to see a fleet of motorcycle police and limousines attempting to usher everyone off the roadway. Travel on the historic Pennsylvania Avenue in the morning hours - any time between 6:30 am and 9:00 am is notoriously bad, as that is usually the route taken to bring the Vice President and others in to the White House and other downtown office buildings in the morning.

Weekday parking can be scarce and expensive, up to $25 for the day. The city RUTHLESSLY enforces parking regulations to a near-comical degree. Don't think you can ignore tickets if you're a tourist from far away; the city has hired collection agencies in the past to go after unpaid tickets and threaten the credit records of folks who ignore citations. Fines double or increase by a $100 late fee if not paid by the stated due date (usually 15 days). Park in a garage, for street parking often expires at rush hour. Parking in a rush-hour lane is a $100 fine, if you are lucky, or you may be towed. Neighborhood parking is often available as well, although D.C. has parking zones, and parking in a zone for more than the alloted time (2-3 hours), will also result in a ticket. Parking patrols either chalk the tires, or will record license plates to enforce this.

Partly as a means to combat heavy rush hour traffic, a significant number of intersections and other locations are monitored by traffic cameras--either for red-light violations or for speeding. Drivers may wish to make note that some tickets around federal buildings, embassies, and parks, if issued by police other than the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, are federal violations. In addition to the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington D.C. also has Secret Service Police, FBI Police, Park Police, Capitol Police and D.C. Protective Services that can stop and issue citations.

Driving in D.C. can be summed up in one word: Don't. Parking tickets, direction changing streets, congestion, backups, delays, red-light and speeding cameras, parades, protests, etc, are all good reasons to take Metro. Saturday and Sunday are a bit better. The memorials are open 24 hours; museums are open on weekends too; however, Metro does run fewer trains on the weekends, so expect to spend a little more time with a few more people.

Local opposition prevented the construction of interstate highways through Washington; the two freeways that feed into the city from Virginia, I-66 and I-395, both terminate quickly. Washington and its innermost suburbs are encircled by the Capital Beltway, I-495, which gave rise to the expression "Inside the Beltway."

Also, be aware that several of the Washington D.C. area roadways have one-way restrictions during certain times of the day.

Rock Creek Parkway has one-way restrictions during:

• Traveling Southbound from Connecticut Avenue is one way from 6:45AM to 9:30AM on weekdays.
• Traveling Northbound up to Connecticut Avenue is one way from 3:45PM to 6:30PM on weekdays.

Canal Road has one-way restrictions during:

• Traveling Southbound from Maryland from M street is one way from 6:45AM to 9:30AM on weekdays.
• Traveling Northbound up to M street from Maryland is one way from 3:45PM to 6:30PM on weekdays.

Washington boasts several scenic drives:

• Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street NW toward the Capitol
• Rock Creek Parkway, which follows Rock Creek, then the Potomac to the Lincoln Memorial
• Reservoir Road from Georgetown to the Clara Barton Parkway, continuing to the Capitol Beltway
• Embassy Row, Massachusetts Avenue from Scott Circle to Wisconsin Avenue
• the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which follows the Potomac on the Virginia side

Please note: cellphone use while driving inside the District of Columbia (without hands-free equipment) is subject to a $100 fine for the first offense.

Sightseeing Companies

Washington D.C. has a number of sightseeing tour companies. Taking a tour is a good alternative to taking on city traffic and parking hassles. These companies are:

• Old Town Trolley [19]
• Tourmobile[20]
• DC Ducks [21]
• Monuments by Moonlight [22]
• Bike the Sites [23]
• Capital Segway [24]
• City Segway Tours [25]
• Washington Walks [26]
• Washington D.C. Party Shuttle [27][28]

Upscale

The Chevy Chase shopping district is Washington's upscale fashion district found near the Friendship Heights Metro stop, straddling the D.C.-Maryland border within two blocks of the Red Line station of the same name. It is home to many high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Dior, and Versace in and around the Mazza Gallerie and Chevy Chase Pavilion shopping centers, as well as a concentration of day spas.

Georgetown [54] is well-known for its variety of mid-range to high-end retail shops that line M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The Georgetown Business Improvement District's website (noted above) has the most comprehensive list of retailers.

The Shops at Union Station [55] include a variety of retail operations selling clothing, stationery, and shoes, among other things.

The downtown Verizon Center/Chinatown area has experienced a recent boom of late. Along 7th Street, NW between H Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, numerous new restaurants and stores have opened creating a bustling shopping district. Adjacent to the Verizon Center, a new bowling alley and multiplex cinema have also opened.

Tourist Items

Around the Capitol Building and the White House, there are shops that sell souvenirs (postcards, t-shirts, etc.). There are also many street vendors near the tourist destinations, such as along the National Mall, which will hawk similar items.

The Smithsonian museum shops sell many souvenirs that are more upscale and diverse than those sold by street vendors and tourist shops, but they are usually more expensive, as well. The National Building Museum's shop has a notable shop that focuses on modern design.

Books

Kramerbooks [56] and Lambda Rising [57] are notable local bookstores and Dupont Circle institutions; the Dupont Circle area also includes numerous art galleries and lesbian/gay/bisexual oriented retailers. Second Story Books [58] carries used books, prints, and music in its Dupont Circle store; it also has two stores in Maryland.

Olsson's Books and Records [59] is "Washington D.C.'s oldest independent book and music stores," with six stores, including locations in Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter, and National Airport.

Chapters [60], located downtown near 11th and E Streets NW, describes itself as "A Literary Bookstore" that "caters to serious, uncommon readers."

Capitol Hill Books [61] is located next to Eastern Market. It is housed in a small, old rowhouse, but is jam-packed with used books on every imaginable subject. For a delightful surprise, be sure to open the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Politics & Prose [62] is a notable bookstore with frequent lectures and book signings, but it is located about a mile north of the Van Ness-UDC Metro Station, far from most tourist sites.

The two major national chairs, Borders [63] and Barnes and Noble [64], have a number of locations. Of most interest to visitors are the Barnes and Noble downtown at 12th and E Streets NW, the Borders near the White House at 14th and F Streets NW, and the Barnes and Noble in Georgetown on M Street.

Eclectic & Vintage

Along the U Street corridor, many independent boutique stores, vintage clothing shops, home furnishing stores, and antique retailers have sprung up. Most shops can be found along U Street, NW between 12th and 18th Streets, with a few south of U Street along 14th Street.

Adams Morgan is better known for its nightlife, but it has an active shopping scene during its daylight hours. Included among the small shops are vintage clothing shops, cooperatives of independent local designers, international grocery stores and importers (especially catering to the Central American and African populations), shoe stores, and antique home furnishings. To make an afternoon of it, stroll from the U Street Metro (stopping by the shops that line the U Street Corridor) to 18th Street, then head north (uphill) into Adams Morgan.

Eastern Market [65] near the Capitol is open every Sunday for antiques dealers, secondhand book dealers, and local artists, photographers, and craftspeople to showcase their wares. It also hosts a local farmers' market and indoor food vendors selling fresh meats, pastas, produce, and cheeses sporadically throughout the week and every weekend.

Nearby Bethesda and Takoma Park, Maryland are known for eclectic, locally-owned shops, mostly hidden away on side streets. Likewise, Virginia's Arlington [66] and Alexandria [67] neighborhoods are just across the Potomac and feature their own shopping, nightlife, and historic hot-spots.

Washington has a little bit of everything, from really good inexpensive ethnic takeout (no problem getting Ethiopian or Afghani or Jamaican food here) to high-dollar lobbyist-fueled places that will cause your credit card to burst into flames.

Most of the high end cuisine is available in Penn Quarter, Georgetown, and Dupont Circle—all offering dining experiences from steakhouses packed with powerful suits to a science-powered, six-seat restaurant offering a $120, 30-course meal.

For cheaper dining, there are endless options scattered around the city. The two most notable "ethnic" enclaves include wonderful Ethiopian food in Little Ethiopia, and some solid Chinese in what remains of D.C.'s now-gentrified Chinatown. Salvadorian food is near ubiquitous throughout the northern reaches of the city, with an unbelievable concentration of pupuserías in Columbia Heights (pupusa = thick tortilla stuffed with cheese, fried pork, refried beans, or all sorts of other things). But truly, you can find just about any cuisine you want in this city if you look for it—D.C.'s international might draws representatives from all corners of the globe, and they all need ex-pat cafes and restaurants to haunt. A few cuisines seem to be missing (notably Southeast Asian & Korean), but they are in fact just across the D.C. borders in Maryland and Virginia (see below).

But despite having cuisines from all over the world, D.C. seems to lack a cuisine of its own. The city, realizing this, went through a brief period of soul-searching, wondering why it lacked any unique regional culinary traditions, and realized it indeed has one: the D.C. hot dog stand. They're utterly ubiquitous, especially around the Mall, and sell the unique-to-D.C. half-smoke. No one can really provide a convincing explanation of why it's called a half-smoke. Despite vendors claims to the contrary, it's not possible to smoke meat "halfway," and in any rate, they're not smoked, they're grilled. And yes, they are sometimes split in half, but more often not. No need to worry about this too much though, it's a tasty grilled sausage, with a firm "snap" when you bite into it, on a hot dog bun, and often topped with chili. The hot dog vendors around the city tend to be a mere shell of the half-smoke greatness served out of aluminum shacks immediately post-WWII. If you want a true, quality half-smoke, you'd best visit Ben's Chili Bowl, which is universally understood to serve the best.

Also, night-owls staying in D.C. may find a dearth of late-night dining options.

Whichever bar or club scene you favor, D.C. has it aplenty. The hottest clubbing spots are in Adams Morgan around 18th Street, Dupont Circle, and nearby Logan Circle. Adams Morgan's scene is the edgiest (and likely most exciting) of the three, and draws a really young, diverse crowd. Dupont Circle's scene is probably the biggest and most established, with sometimes frighteningly upscale clubs catering to extremely wealthy foreign clientèle's, as well as a more happy-go-lucky gay scene. Logan Circle is less established as a nightlife hotspot than Dupont, but they otherwise resemble one another.

If these destinations are all a little too high-octane, you should definitely explore the clubs around U Street and 14th Street in Shaw, which cater to an older, diverse, and self-regardingly more sophisticated crowd. Shaw's also a fantastic destination for live jazz, with the echoes of Ellington ringing out from nearly every last restaurant, bar, and not a few world-class music venues on a Saturday night. Georgetown is another major nightlife destination, although the emphasis here is less on dancing, more on drinking. It's got tons of bars, most of which have a "privileged" & sometimes rowdy collegiate atmosphere. And back on the topic of live jazz, Georgetown is home to the city's most prestigious venue, Blues Alley.

But that's hardly the end of things. D.C. at the end of the 90s and into the current decade went from being one of the blandest, shut-down-at-ten-o-clock American cities to having a thriving nightlife scene pretty much city-wide. Aside from the north of downtown neighborhoods listed above, Barracks Row, Woodley Park, and Chevy Chase each have their own nice "strips," mostly filled with upscale bars, that are worth visiting. The downtown nightlife is lacking, to put it mildly. Foggy Bottom, despite the huge quantity of students, remains pretty quiet, K Street shuts down altogether, and the Penn Quarter is a den of tourist traps. If you're looking for nightlife downtown, research carefully.

Long lacking anything even resembling a bohemian neighborhood, a successful Adams Morgan club owner decided to manufacture one along H Street around the newly renovated Atlas Theater in the Near Northeast. The result is strange. It would at the least be very premature to call it "bohemian," but the Atlas District is plenty interesting. It's a poor, relatively rough neighborhood, and is dead quiet most of the week, but then there are a handful of crazy dining/clubbing options that fill the street on Friday & Saturday nights. The biggest attraction has to be the Palace of Wonders, a vaudeville/sideshow/burlesque bar with sword swallowing bartenders & a "museum of oddities," but there's also a pirate bar and a surprisingly cool rock club.

Gogo clubs (the funk/hip-hop genre, not dancing in 60's miniskirts) were probably D.C.'s most distinctive nightlife scene, concentrated in Anacostia, but today all indoor gogo performances have been banned in D.C. east of the river, due to a backlash at the staggering number of homicides occurring at clubs and events. If you're looking for live gogo today, look for big outdoor events, check to see whether Chuck Brown is performing (he performs all over the place), and maybe check out the Takoma Park Station in a homicide-free section of the Northeast.