The two time-consuming "must sees" left were:

The National Archives, displaying the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, 1297 Magna Carta; and

The Supreme Court. The Court is only in session for approximately two weeks each month. Visitors can only view the Courtroom when it is not in session and listen to a brief lecture. You can also see historical exhibits and watch a movie describing the court. The Supreme Court is charged with ensuring American people the words written above the main entrance, "Equal Justice Under Law."

Continue reading "Washington, DC -- Finishing Up..." »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The United States Holocaust Museum had just opened. It is a place that everyone, regardless of faith, should visit. You can write for the free, timed passes in advance (there is a small charge for processing) or get your free passes at the Museum on the day of your visit. As part of your free pass, each visitor is given a small card, with a photo and story about one of the millions of people who perished during the Holocaust.

J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is one of the most popular sights in Washington. The free tour has exhibits depicting famous past cases and illustrates the Bureau's fight against crime. There is a live-ammo firearms demonstration at the end of the tour but, unfortunately, the building is closed for renovation at this moment. Check to see if it has reopened before you go.

Continue reading "More Washington, DC "Must-Sees"" »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Readers of "Travels With Sheila" (and close acquaintances) will probably go into shock over my recommending a visit to Washington DC. Washington is a great destination. It may not be Timbuktu but several friends recently took my advice, spent a long weekend in DC and had the same wonderful experience as we.

Some of you may have had a chance to visit Washington on an organized spring break school trip. I did, but husband, Steve (known as the "ex-Marine") never had. With this in mind, we decided that a trip exploring DC would probably be much more informative and fun as adults...but nothing really prepared us for how wonderful and emotional it would be.

You can drive, train, bus or fly, and it's easy to fly into either Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD from almost anywhere. Check out fares into both places, sometimes it is cheaper to fly into Baltimore, only 30 miles out of DC. From Baltimore, you can take a train, taxi, SuperShuttle (shared ride van service) or BWI Express bus into the city. If you fly into Reagan National Airport (as we did), again you can take a taxi, Metrorail or SuperShuttle.

Continue reading "Revisit Washington, DC As An Adult" »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)