Cyndy's Bottom Line: A hidden gem out in plain sight…read more... The Chinese Hackberry Tree (Celtis sinensis), is a beautiful shade tree with branches that cascade out in dramatic form. It was planted around 1905 on the grounds of what was then the U.S. Patent Office Building. The tree has slowly grown as the city has developed and transformed around it. The Chinese hackberry has witnessed the relocation of Chinatown from its original site on Pennsylvania Avenue; burning during the 1968 riots; the opening of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum. If only the tree could speak and tell stories of the past....

The national mall is a must. If you are visiting DC it is a really cool part of history and a…read morelovely place to walk around. You can make it a few hours, a whole day, or just take a morning jog around the park. There are so many open spaces to picnic or let the kids play. There are also many iconic restaurants and museums near by. You can't miss this stop if you are in DC. My pictures are only a few of the highlights. There are so many iconic spots you have to check out.

The National Mall in Washington, D.C. is a must-see, packed with iconic landmarks and museums all…read morein one walkable area. It was amazing to see so much history packed into a surprisingly easy to walk and navigate area. The monuments, the museums, the historical sites and buildings. The rich history of our nation, packed into one day trip. It's a once in a lifetime experience.

Friendship Arch in Chinatown [Washington, D.C.]…read more C ultural attraction H istoric neighborhood I ntersection of H Street and Seventh Street N ational Register of Historic Places A bustling neighborhood for nightlife, shopping, and entertainment T he Capital One Arena helped revitalize the neighborhood O ne of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting DC W alking distance from the National Mall N ational unity G ateway structure A rchitectural arch T he Friendship Arch was built in 1986 E xpect plenty of foot traffic Review #3654

Chinatown is always in the US major cities. DC one is one of them. It was relatively small. Even it…read moreis smaller than Houston's one. DC is the capital city of the USA. Judging from the importance of politics, China and Taiwan governments spend more money on DC Chinatown. I used the Metro subway and enjoyed good access to the town. I ate ramen noodles at Daikaya, a Japanese restaurant. Just like this, I couldn't see a lot of Chinese restaurants and businesses. There is a concert and sports arena near Chinatown. Hope to visit an NBA game in the near future.

I'm an executive branch alum, so I give the EEOB five out of five bald eagles. Sure, the United…read moreStates Capitol houses TWO chambers, and the Supreme Court Building allegedly has a basketball court at the top. But can you bowl a perfect game at the legislature or the judiciary? NOPE. President Truman was a visionary for having this bowling alley installed. Truly ahead of his time, making sure pins could fall while democracy stands strong. Absolutely worth getting a job in the executive branch to sign up for a chance to bowl here. Oh, and there's other stuff in the building too, but bowling in the basement is what really drives good government.

I love visiting this building more than the White House. It has such a history and great people…read morewatching. Try to contact your Congress person to get a tour.

A free and excellent view of Downtown Washington DC can be viewed from the Old Post Office and…read moreClock Tower, which is the 3rd tallest structure in DC. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it was completed in 1899. This is attached to the (now) Waldorf Astoria, however the Tower is manned by the National Parks Service. The entrance is in the back of the hotel, and the elevator looks out into the hotel's atrium. When you reach the open air top floor, you'll look out for a 360 degree view. One lonely park ranger is up there, and they are there year-round. When we visited, it was completely empty and we had the space to ourselves (and the ranger).

Actual rating: 3.5/5…read more Ok so in fairness, I have never cared for panoramic views. I came here with my friends on a day trip to DC after seeing a post about this place on social media. The entrance to the this place to see the views is incredibly tricky to access. The Waldorf took over and shut down the way to access through the building so you'll have to walk around and find the nearly completely hidden from street view entrance. For ease, I have linked the approximate location from Apple Maps below. There is a small historic background museum when you enter following the bag search and this is part of the National Parks stamping service so if you collect those speak with the nice ranger on duty. There are two elevators to travel to get to the top, the first takes you up to see views of the Astoria and the second will show you the rooftop from the Old Post Office Tower. This view is obscured by bars that make photography challenging. Would I, who does not like views, come again? No. But!!! If you are into views this is quite nice and free so I would recommend.

This is a low-key memorial that is dedicated to the brave men and women of law enforcement who have…read moremade the ultimate sacrifice. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance. It is right across the street from the Law Enforcement Museum and the DC Court of Appeals. On the other side of the memorial, you will find the Building Museum. The memorial was designed by architect Davis Buckley and dedicated on October 15, 1991. It sits on three acres of federal park land. It has a water feature. However, it was dry during my visit. I looked like they were doing some maintenance on it. The Memorial also features two curving limestone walls along its perimeter, each over 300 feet long, with the names of more than 24,000 officers who died in the line of duty etched on them. The walls are a part of the memorial, along with a line of trees, called "pathways of remembrance". You will find a pathway on each side of the memorial, and each entrance is marked by a powerful statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. The sculptures are the work of Raymond Kaskey. They symbolize the protective role of law enforcement officers and convey the strength, courage, and valor that are hallmarks of those who serve and protect. The people being honored date back to the first known death in 1786. The memorial is ever-changing. New names of fallen officers are added to it each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week. I did not see much seating at the memorial, but this place is not a park. It is meant to honor. It does have a peaceful effect, even with the Metro elevator right in the middle. This is not a destination spot, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

I visited a lot of law enforcement museums, and this is the best one I have ever been so far. This…read moreis not a free museum, but it worth the money you spent. They offers law enforcement and student discount tickets. Security and staff were very friendly. My favorite were the use of force demonstration and driving stimulator that visitors can experiences how police officers handle certain situations. There was an instructor, who had 30+ years experience coaching us throughout the experience. I enjoyed that a lot. I will come back again if I happened to be in town.

I am so glad that this theatre is still in operation…read more Also contains a first rate museum in the basement that includes the gun used to kill Lincoln and a pillow that still has dried blood on it So glad that I went!

The famous for theater has become more of a museum nowadays than an active theater, but it still…read moreholds some performances today. It's the historic theater that Lincoln was shot. There's plenty of memorabilia to Lincoln's life and life back then within the theater. It's a very cool historic site that is worth the ticket to admission! Being in the same room and looking up at the box that Lincoln sat in where he was assassinated was a very interesting and also somber experience !

Didn't do the tour this time. Like the White House, the interior isn't worth the wait (we didn't…read moresee the chambers of the deliberative bodies) Glad I did I it before though. My rating is for the building. This is architecturally the most breathtaking building in our great country. Worth going up to take a picture or just take it in If a natural beauty site can be five stars why can't this sublime building? Sigh

The United States Capitol is one of those places that is hard to put into words even after I have…read morebeen there. Standing in front of it for the first time, the scale and the history of what the building represents hit differently than any photo or textbook ever prepared me for. The exterior alone was worth the trip, but stepping inside was where it really got me. Tours are free and worth booking in advance through my representative's office if I wanted a more personal experience, though the general public tours are well organized and cover a lot of ground. Security moved quickly and the process for getting in was straightforward. The viewing gallery pass system is a separate step that felt a little clunky, so I factored that in and did not expect it to be seamless. Inside, the dome area is the centerpiece and genuinely one of the more impressive architectural spaces I have walked through in this country. The statuary hall has pieces representing every state, and the artwork throughout the building carries a lot of the same weight I would expect from a place this tied to American history. It did not feel exactly like a museum, more like a building that happens to have centuries of context built into every room. I would plan for a couple of hours at minimum to take it in properly rather than just moving through. Weekdays tend to feel calmer and the guided tours give a lot more context than wandering on my own would.

BLUF: The beloved Lincoln Memorial is even more of a show stopper with the addition of exhibits, a…read moregift shop and restrooms in the undercroft. Of all the times I've stood at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, I've never once wondered what lay beneath it. Like everyone else, I was focused on climbing the iconic steps to see President Lincoln. But after more than a century, visitors can now explore what has been hidden below all along. Known as the undercroft, it's essentially the memorial's basement or a massive structural space built to support the monument above. Its 65-foot-tall concrete columns were engineered to keep the memorial standing firm on the soft, swampy ground near the Potomac River. Today, the undercroft features a film, exhibits, restrooms, and a gift shop, but the real showstopper is the opportunity to look through glass panels and see the monument's enormous structural supports up close. It's a fascinating reminder of the hidden infrastructure of DC. The exhibits were neat and included features on what it took to design and build the memorial as well as the various historic events that have taken place there. I also liked the exhibit that debunked myths about the statue of Lincoln. There are only a handful or so of exhibits but they are all well curated. There is also a brief film, currently more of a teaser for a film coming in 2027, about Lincoln and the monument. But still, it is the views into the undercroft that have me in awe. The Lincoln Memorial is probably one of the most visited sites in DC. For a little more peace, consider visiting in the evening or early morning. Popular activities here include sitting on the steps to enjoy the views of the reflecting pool and Washington monument as well as posing for photos with the Washington Monument in the background. There isn't an easy way to get to the Lincoln Memorial. Because parking is limited and the closest metro stop is probably a mile away, it's best reached via walking or as part of a tour that will drop you off at the site. Many people rent scooters and bikes but I am fuzzy on whether or not those are actually allowed on the sidewalks in this part of town and I don't think it's safe to ride in the street. Plus, if there are crowds, you won't be able to ride through them anyway. Definitely no riding anything on wheels within the monument sites.

Happy Juneteenth, 2026!…read more Do you believe that all people should be treated equally? If half of the people who lived in our country believed your perspective was wrong, would you still stand up for what you believe? Would you be willing to put the entirety of your reputation or even your life on the line for something you strongly believe, like the right to freedom or equality? The belief that black people should have these rights too was strongly advocated by Abraham Lincoln, clearly showing his high ethical character. When I was a little boy, I read a small children's book about Abraham Lincoln. This book provided several interesting facts, like that Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky (which was actually really small), and that he was self-educated. Information like this really inspired me as a young boy because it showed me that even a man that did not inherit wealth or a prestigious family status, like me, could become a great man if he was self motivated and had a respectable work ethic. This little book also explained how Abraham Lincoln was instrumental in freeing the slaves in America, something I could not really understand as a young boy. Although this country still has a lot to accomplish before attaining complete equality, we certainly would not have made the great strides that we have made without Abraham Lincoln's direction, and Juneteenth would not even exist. It amazes me to think how hard Abraham Lincoln had to work to lead this country toward racial equality. If you would like a great reference on this, please see the movie "Lincoln," made by Steven Spielberg in 2012. One thing that is surprising to me is how long it takes society to embrace a direction that the government leads, like equality. Consider this: Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech from these very steps, at the Lincoln Memorial, one hundred years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King Jr. was clearly addressing the social and legal biases that still existed against black people, over one hundred years later. One of the things I've learned about equality and discrimination is that someone does not truly appreciate equality until they have been treated unequally, and someone does not truly understand discrimination until they have been discriminated against. Most people would look at me, me being a white male, and ask me 'what could you possibly know about experiencing inequality and discrimination?' Unfortunately, a few different types of inequality and discrimination still exist in this country, one of which is focused on parental rights. And, most people would ask me this question because they are oblivious to the discrimination and inequality that most fathers experience after divorce. There is nothing worse than having your own children taken from you when you know that you are a loving parent who is also an intelligent, ethical, honorable, and admirable individual as a role model for your children. Sadly, the U.S. legal system and society as a whole still treat fathers as inferior to mothers, simply because of their gender. That is not only discrimination, but that is also a blatant inequality that STILL exists in this country. It is perplexing to me to think how much this country has strived for equality, and 250 years later, we still have a blatant inequality and discrimination against fathers at a governmental and societal level. (Reference: If you want more information and clarity, watch "The Red Pill," a 2016 documentary.) So, in addition to the ongoing racial inequalities, this is just ONE of the many other inequalities that unfortunately still persists in this country. In conclusion, I'm incredibly happy that the Lincoln Memorial was created, in 1922. I'm also happy that I was finally able to visit this memorial for the first time in my life this year, and show my respects for one of the greatest presidents this country has ever had. The Lincoln Memorial is a wonderful reminder of Abraham Lincoln's strive for racial equality, as well as a beautiful example of the way that the U.S. government and everyone in society should treat ALL PEOPLE -- equally.

What's prettier than the White House, the Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian put…read moretogether? Yes, Ariana Grande is a good answer, but I was looking for the Executive Office on 17th St! A long time ago, the love of my life used to say that this building was the highlight of her trips to DC, and I can see why. I remember walking with her in the pouring rain next to it, and taking pictures of her exposing herself in front of it. Times change... But this building never did. It's glorious and resplendent. It reminds me of something in France, but better kept, perhaps. It looks palatial. If the White House is a little underwhelming then this executive office is completely awe-inspiring. It's level with the Capitol as my favourite building in the DC area, and is the easiest 5-star rating I've given since my Cousin Daniel got drunk and showed me the ropes.

Didn't really have a lot of time to roam around Pennsylvania Ave. And my friend and I, being…read moreslightly less than ignorant didn't know that the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE would be on Pennsylvania Ave. ** Not impressed** So our pictures we're not exactly anythng to brag about. So we decided to take pictures in front of the Executive Office of the President where the FRONT of this architecture was much more impressive than the BACK of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. Still a great experience to roam DC and take in the history and political side of the US. (You don't get much of that or appreciate it as much coming from the west coast. Hence, the ignorance of the FRONT vs the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE. =X)