Last evening, the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, I found myself at Arlington National Cemetery touring with 8th-graders from Ohio. It was 6pm sharp, we were at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and the changing of the guard was underway. It being the day that it was, a sentinel was in charge rather than a […]

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 […]

Sunset, Saturday, March 4, 2017

MIA That’s Miami International Airport, not Missing In Action, though it could apply. I was walking through the airport yesterday, something I have done many times, when I (finally) noticed what is a very public war memorial, dedicated to Miami/Dade area soldiers who have died since 9/11 in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s right in the […]

Fly Me to the Moon After a slow Summer, guiding in D.C. has picked up with a mix of traveling adults and students arriving to take in the sites. My favorite place continues to be Arlington National Cemetery, a unique setting because of its sacred nature, beauty and history. It’s about to become a slightly […]

The President, the City and the War The museum shop at the National Archives has to be just about the best in a city with some pretty cool ones. They seem to have something for everyone. There with a group of eighth-graders recently, I made an impulsive purchase of a book because it was about […]

Things Must Be Slow Bookings must be way down if even I got a suite at the Hilton. Trust me, not complaining here. It’s a great hotel located about a ten-minute walk from the Wembley Park Tube station and adjacent to Wembley Stadium. And, Wembley is ten quick stops north(ish) of Bloomsbury, my hangout for […]

Drums in the Distance I live a stone’s throw from the “Hinkley Hilton” in Washington, DC, where the Jodie Foster obsessed assassin nearly murdered Ronald Reagan in 1981. This morning I awoke to the sound of beating drums and chanting; nearly as loud as when the Lubavitcher Jews are celebrating in the street on the […]

Make Way for the Elephant Robert Emmett, Irish patriot, was hanged, drawn and quartered in Dublin, Ireland, convicted of leading a failed rebellion for Irish freedom in 1803. He was 25 years old. Emmett was a protestant from a wealthy family, hardly the type to commit “high treason.” But he identified strongly with Catholics in […]

Washington National Cathedral To Charge Admission It’s official: beginning in 2014 Washington, DC’s iconic National Cathedral will begin charging a $10 admission fee. To wit, the top ten ways to cover their budget gap. 10. Baptismal Font Admission Lottery- The Font will be refit as a lotto-style ping pong blower with balls marked $5 to $25. Pay […]