Spring is nearing an end, but tourism in Washington, D.C. isn’t slowing. With the passing of great events like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, DC Tours and attractions continues to thrive. By visiting some of Washington’s top attraction sites, you can find spectacular package rates on various accommodations.

Our nation’s capital is one of the most spectacular places to visit because of the enveloping aurora around its monuments and landmarks. There’s a substantial amount of history and knowledge to be uncovered by visiting Washington and viewing some of their greatest DC Attractions. As Memorial Day approaches, parks are blistering with festivities and exhibitions.

Some of the greatest events occurring on or around Memorial Day are as follows:

• PBS’ National Memorial Day Concert, opening at 5 p.m. on the West Lawn(Sunday, May 30^th)
• National Memorial Day Parade, beginning at 2 p.m. and proceeding from Constitution Avenue and ending at The Whitehouse (Monday, May 31, 2010)
• Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally, departing from the Pentagon at 12 p.m. (Sunday, May 30^th)
• GI Film Festival (May 12-16^th)
• Arlington National Cemetery Tour, beginning at 11 a.m. (Monday, May 31^st)
• Navy Memorial, beginning at 11 a.m. (Saturday May 29^th)
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial, beginning at 1 p.m. (Monday, May 31^st)
• WWII Memorial, beginning at 9am (Monday, May 31^st)
• Air Force Memorial, beginning at 9 a.m. (Monday, May 31^st)

Although, The Memorial Day festivities are a sliver of what you can find in D.C.; there is plenty more. Other than simply visiting let’s say, The Washington Monument, or Lincoln Memorial, there’s a large amount of actual activities and/or tours to engage in. This includes Ford’s Theatre Tour, Ghost Tours, Lincoln Assassination Tour, and Old Town Alexandria Tour; all of which are walking tours. Before, during or after, you may also want to check out places like The Capital Visitor Center, Whitehouse Visitor Center, or The U.S. Capital Building; all of which are highly popular amongst tourists.

Washington also has a plethora (over 150) of museums. Some of their most popular include The Smithsonian National Museum(s), The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Newseum, Mount Vernon estate and Gardens Museum, and lastly The National Museum of Crime and Punishment, which exhibits excellent depictions of historically famous crime scenes. In addition, there’s a multitude of sightseeing.

There are also some newer establishments/museums that may be of interest including:

1. The German-American Heritage Museum
2. Ford’s Theatre
3. The Capital Visitor Center
4. The National Museum of American History (renovations)
5. Lincoln’s Cottage

For a thorough list of things to do in DC, feel free to check out the Things to Do, where the list everything from government buildings to parks and recreation! Also, be sure to check out some rates on accommodations and travel at http://www.wdcahotels.com/. A trip to Washington, D.C. may not be the most lavish of all your vacation expenditures, but it’s certainly one that you will not forget.

- Guest Blogger: Erik Braunitzer

cities, Towns, travel usa america, usa, washington dc

While travelling across the United States, it no longer comes as a surprise when we stumble across giant Vikings, wheel-rim constructed turtles, concrete dinosaurs, wacky “World’s largest” objects, two-storey outhouses and creepy, though slightly intriguing roadside museums.

In fact, we are actually more taken aback when we pass through towns that DON’T offer something off-beat and wacky!

Our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. tends to tone it down a little when it comes to strange roadside attractions. While they offer their fair share of “big things”, they have kept the “strange factor” PG rated (which in some cases is a very good thing).

However, we did find a few “out there” attractions that are sure to draw in those tourists who are hungry for a dose of weird, wacky and wonderful.

1. One-Time World’s Largest Chair: Washington DC

No US town or city is complete without a landmark that attempts to claim “World’s Largest” status.

The folks at “Guinness World Records” must be working overtime thanks to the amount of wannabe “big things” small towns’ claim they have.

Washington DC has followed this trend and claims to be the home of the “One-time World’s Largest Chair”. The chair stands at 19-feet tall, which is in-fact just 1-foot shorter than the actual “world’s largest chair”.

Looks like they missed out by just one!

2.  National Museum of Crime and Punishment

Aiming to glorify crime-fighters rather than criminals, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, tries its hardest to document the best of America’s crime history. However, this wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as looking at the replicas of the nation’s most notorious criminals, now would it?

What is commonly referred to as “gangsterabilia” now frequents the hallways and rooms of this museum, with everything from Bonnie and Clyde’s movie death car to Ted Bundy’s Volkswagen Beetle.

3. National Museum of Health and Medicine

No museum combines the best of wacky and wonderful better than this National Museum treasure.

Be prepared for the words “eww”, “yuck” and “gross” to escape from your lips, as you uncover stomach-shaped hairballs, pieces of Abraham Lincoln’s skull and the gangrenous human foot.

The museum has even gone so far as to include an interactive computer terminal which allows visitors to play Lincoln’s Deathbed doctor. Unfortunately, all doctors arrive at the same prognosis: that Lincoln is in fact dead!

4. Martha, Passenger Pigeon: Washington DC

The US was once a country that enjoyed the company of millions of passenger pigeons. But somehow this population dwindled down to a mere one!

The last passenger pigeon known to any American citizen was Martha; a trustworthy bird, born and raised in the Cincinnati Zoo.

The spirit of her being has since been captured in a bronze statue, which has become a National Historic Landmark that is nestled in a quiet corner of her earthly home.

5. Owney – Canine Friend of the US Postal Service

If there is something Washington DC does well (besides being the government centre for the United States) it is document the history of their useful animals.

wney was a globe-trotting mutt, who pawed his way into the hearts of everyone that came across him. This unofficial postal system dog mascot eventually had to be put down but was lovingly stuffed and now rests in the National Postal Museum, adorned with the many medals he deservingly accumulated over his lifetime.

- Chrissy

Been to Washington DC lately, or heading there soon?  Let us know about your trip!

America The Strange, Attractions, Fun, strange, travel, travel usa america

True, Tripadvisor, Frommer’s and the Lonely Planet are some of the best online travel communities going, but they’re far from the only ones amongst the greats. So go on, expand your travel community horizons and check out our 7 Best Off The Radar Travel Communities:

1. Travelistic From Youtube to Hulu to Yahoo, were a video obsessed bunch. Travelistic has cleverly taken this to head and created a travel community wholly centred around video.

Log on and you’ll find over 10,000 user submitted travel videos, to view, comment on and inspire your future travels. Want to visit the Great Wall? Journey to the top of Everest? You can do it all on Travelistic, without ever leaving home.

2. Igougo A masterful all in one travel community, where you can plan your trip, compare flights and hotels and share your travel experiences with the world.

Just type in a destination and you’ll be instantly connected to a plethora of photos, reviews and users who have traveled or reside there. When you’re ready to go, create your very own trip journal and give back to the community by sharing your own travel experiences.

3. Trip It Less of a travel community and more a travel service, Trip It is perfect for the organization nut in all of us. Just enter your flights, hotel stays and destinations and let trip it create an optimized travel itinerary for you in seconds. Never miss another plane or train again.

For those who truly want it all, upgrade to the pro version and Trip It will automatically alert you if there are changes or delays in your travel plans. That means less time at the airport, and more time at the beach.

4. Dopplr Create a map with the dates and location of your travels; share it with the Dopplr community, check out other’s maps, then meet up with those whose travel plans overlap with your own. If you’d like to keep your location a secret from some (mom, dad, a raging x), don’t worry, you can control who can and can’t see where you are.

Along the way you’ll get a wealth of location specific travel information, so you’ll always know where to stay, where to eat, and what to do. Taking the thinking out of traveling, we like that.

5.  Travbuddy Travbuddy’s got all the ingredients that make for a killer online travel community; helpful forums, honest reviews, stunning travel photos and a dedicated membership 1.5 million strong.

Travbuddy ups the ante by giving you your very trip blog, allowing you to easily post your stories, pictures and reviews as you go. There’s even a built in mapping feature that builds a map of your travels as you venture across the earth.

Wherever, you’re headed, this is one buddy you don’t want to leave behind.

6.Travellers Point Besides being a great place to plan, book and share your next trip, Travellers Point has hands down one of the best travel resources on the web; wiki travel guides.

These 100% user created and edited travel guides, give you the collective wisdom and travel experiences of over 250,000 members, right at your finger tips. From country and city guides, to travel health and safety information, you’ll find everything you need to get in the know, before you go.

7. Travel DODO Travel DODO takes travel reviews and puts them into a fun, easily digestible format, Travel Do’s, and Travel Don’ts.

Want to find out which restaurants, hotels and attractions are best avoided in France? Just click on the location on the interactive map, and you’ll be given a list of places to cross off your list (travel don’ts) , so you spend your valuable vacation time wiser.

Frankly, you’d be a DODO, not to check up here before you GOGO.

-Sam

Come across any great off the radar travel communities of your own? Don’t be shy, please share them with us in the comments below.

resources, travel