DC Jaunts http://dcjaunts.com Walking Tours In and Around Washington, D.C. Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:21:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/dcjaunts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-cherry-blossom-logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32 DC Jaunts http://dcjaunts.com 32 32 145117098 It’s Almost Cherry Blossom Time Again! http://dcjaunts.com/2019/03/01/its-almost-cherry-blossom-time-again/ Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:21:19 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=443 D.C. month-long Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off on March 14 this year, although the peak of the cherry tree bloom might not occur till late March or even as late as mid-April (varies every year). To follow the bud reports, peak bloom predictions, and coming events–like the big annual parade, kite festival, 10-mile Run, and the rest, visit nps.gov/cherry and nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. To see the blossoms, the Tidal Basin is the place to be! Or contact DC Jaunts and we’ll take you there on a tour of the great memorials, or to some of the lesser known sites that are also excellent for blossoms, but away from the crowds!

]]> 443 WWII Memorial http://dcjaunts.com/2019/03/01/wwii-memorial/ Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:10:54 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=441 Be sure to visit the WWII Memorial at night! The fountains are turned off in the winter, but at other times, the lighting is almost surreal. In fair weather, you’ll find plenty of company here and at the Lincoln Memorial nearby.

]]> 441 U.S. Capitol Walk http://dcjaunts.com/2019/03/01/u-s-capitol-walk/ Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:06:38 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=439 For a great pre-sunset walk at the Mall, try a stroll from the reflecting pool near the U.S. Grant Memorial then up and around the U.S. Capitol Building. Once you’re on the high side of the Dome (East Plaza), amble over to the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. All of these awesome buildings gleam brightly in the afternoon light.

]]> 439 Lincoln Memorial at Night http://dcjaunts.com/2019/03/01/lincoln-memorial-at-night/ Fri, 01 Mar 2019 17:58:42 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=437 Be sure to visit the Lincoln Memorial at Night. A stroll from there to the WWII Memorial is hard to beat for stunning scenery!

]]> 437 Lockkeeper’s House is Looking Good http://dcjaunts.com/2018/07/01/lockkeepers-house-is-looking-good/ Sun, 01 Jul 2018 16:11:16 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=273 The historic, stone Lockkeeper’s House, at Constitution Ave and 17th St NW, is back in business after a major restoration, and worth a visit. The grounds and plaza are well laid out, and the building has reclaimed its former glory, with exhibits inside and out to explain the history of this unique structure. (I’ll post a photo shortly.)

The oldest building on the National Mall, the Lockkeeper’s House was successfully moved about fifty feet last fall. The ambitious move took nearly a year just to get everything set up, then a breathless half-hour to actually wheel it a few yards.

It might seem a little odd to spend the big bucks to move it such a short distance, but its former location (now outlined on the sidewalk) was very close to the curb. The building sorely needed a restoration. The site also offered a unique opportunity to tell the story of the C&O and Washington canal system that once provided a primary means of transporting goods both within the city and beyond the city.

It’s hard to imagine, but the Lockkeeper’s House, dating to the 1830s, also stood at the edge of the Potomac River back then. The west end of the National Mall, more or less from Washington Monument to Lincoln Memorial, is mostly fill material from dredging the river in the 1880s.

So the setting offers a unique view into D.C.’s past and an attractive entry to the Mall from downtown D.C. As someone who, admittedly, was a little skeptical of moving the fragile, old building, I have to offer kudos to those who imagined and engineered the whole affair. Nicely done.

]]> 273 Tumultuous Great Falls at flood stage http://dcjaunts.com/2018/06/06/tumultuous-great-falls-at-flood-stage/ Wed, 06 Jun 2018 15:38:56 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=247 With all the recent downpours, we had to go check out Great Falls yesterday, an incredible torrent just above flood stage. I’ve posted a couple of images below and will add a short video shortly.
Great Falls
At Great Falls, Virginia side

We’d seen the falls before at 70,000+ cubic feet per second (10,000-20,000 cfs is much more common this time of year), but it was obvious that yesterday’s flow was far greater than that. I guessed double, or roughly 150,000 cfs. A lucky guess. When I later checked the online gage for Little Falls, I saw the flow was closer to 160,000 cfs.

We learned that the river was actually running a bit higher the previous afternoon, high enough that water was splashing onto the overlook and park staff had to close it. The peak flood occurred in the wee hours of June 5th, apparently the highest since 2010. Glad we got to see it!

Great Falls
Standing waves and turmoil at Great Falls

]]> 247 Great Spring Walks! http://dcjaunts.com/2018/04/22/great-spring-walks/ Sun, 22 Apr 2018 14:52:58 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/2018/04/22/great-spring-walks/ Hey, check out my feature article on a dozen Great Spring Walks in the new May issue of Washingtonian magazine–just hit the newsstands!

https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/04/20/may-2018/

Ken

]]> 164 Women’s Equality National Monument http://dcjaunts.com/2018/04/22/womens-equality-national-monument/ Sun, 22 Apr 2018 13:22:21 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=151 We enjoyed an excellent tour this week with Mannie at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, just up the street from the U.S. Supreme Court (Capitol Hill area). What an incredible fight it was for women to win the right to vote in America nearly a century ago. I highly recommend the tour!

]]> 151 Southwest Waterfront http://dcjaunts.com/2018/04/15/southwest-waterfront/ Sun, 15 Apr 2018 17:21:50 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=128 A massive redevelopment project called The Wharf essentially reinvented D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront over the past few years. A people-friendly waterfront promenade gives access to several piers, creature comforts, boat harbor and a host of restaurants, hotels and other businesses. The oldest operating fish market in the U.S. is close by. Expect plenty of company along the waterfront on weekends and holidays.

You can access The Wharf from the National Mall at the east end of the Tidal Basin. Just follow Maine Ave eastward past the fish market. Or hop off the Metro at the Southwest Waterfront station and walk a few blocks west on M St (becomes Maine Ave). You can’t miss it.

]]> 128 National Building Museum http://dcjaunts.com/2018/04/15/national-building-museum/ Sun, 15 Apr 2018 17:09:50 +0000 http://dcjaunts.com/?p=126 This Civil War frieze surrounds the National Building Museum adjacent to the Judiciary Square Metro station’s north entrance. Inside, giant columns, tiled floors and hundreds of busts are sure to impress. Exhibits highlight a range of architectural and urban themes. A docent-led tour inside (for a nominal fee) is a popular diversion, but a walk around the outside is also worth the ogling.

More info here.

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