It’s Now or Never Many folks visiting the Cathedral these past few years, and even some working there, have lamented the “disneyization” of the place. First they started charging to enter. Then they locked the doors to ensure no one was sneaking in to God’s great house free. Next came the multiple gift shops, some […]

Upturned Everything and Azerbaijan It’s been a gusty few days here in the Capitol, I was walking up 22nd st. Friday evening when a howling wind stopped me in my tracks. Thankfully, the temperature has been not so bad making the wind, its longevity and speed, more of a curiosity than anything. But, to be […]

DC Sites: History and Background Many folks know I have been a licensed DC guide for nine years. As a way of thanking my brother and sister IAFF members for their hard work, I will lead three free tours during the conference. Tour One will be of Arlington National Cemetery. Tour Two will be of […]

When a Fifth-Grader Gets It Retired Marine General and Trump chief-of-staff John Kelly said recently that, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was  “an honorable man who gave up his country to fight for his state.” Kelly’s statement tells us much about how he personally views the concept of honor. The idea of honor is anchored […]

And the Laugh’s on Zuckerberg Well, the Fall guiding season is in full swing in our Nation’s Capitol with adults here to see the sights and visiting eighth-grade students here to prevent them from doing it. Just kidding. Sort of. I have guided adult mid-westerners on a retirement getaway, perhaps even from the grand children, […]

Watering Washington Montgomery Cunningham Meigs, Quartermaster General of the Union Army during the Civil War, was the brains and driving force behind the creation of the 12-mile long Washington Aqueduct system which supplies water to the city to this day. The 9-foot diameter brick and mortar conduit begins near Great Falls on the Potomac river […]

A basic tenet of guiding is that, with a few exceptions, if the client wishes to venture forth, we do. Many is the day I have looked outside from my glassed-in porch and breathed a sigh of relief that I was not “out there in that.” Friday was not, unfortunately, one of those days. In […]

The Vietnam Veterans Wall, opened in 1982, is a shade under 500 feet long with over 58,000 names of those killed or missing etched into its shiny black panels. While other war memorials also list names, the Wall stands alone for its enveloping design and enormity. The names take center stage, a tidal wave of […]

This past Wednesday was a glorious day here in Washington with the sky cloudless and the temperature a sweet 75 degrees, a superb day to be out and about. Those familiar with DC will know that the city is full of trees and lushly landscaped with special spring and summer plantings and a huge variety […]

I toured with fifth-graders and their parents the other day and we concluded with an evening visit to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. (The Pentagon was struck by a commercial jet on that day and 184 people were killed either in the building or on the aircraft.) With the attack now 16 years ago, it is […]