Be sure to look for these while in Rock Creek Park but be prepared to look awhile. It can be hard…read moreto find. The Capitol Stones are exactly that. Leftover stones from renovation of the Capitol Building. Somewhere there's a big pile in the woods. Finding these can take awhile. If you don't know where to go of course. The first place to head towards is the horse stables. After you get here go along the trail east. The stones are off to the side of this trail after a ways. Look for a do not enter sign. When you see this enter there. Ignore what the sign says and just go. The stones are in a few piles. It doesn't seem like much to look at. Just a lot of stones that are piled high. These are of course more than that so it's worth a visit.

Visit the hard-to-find Capitol Stones, hidden in the wilds of Rock Creek Park; easy to find if you…read moreknow where to look. We wandered the foot paths of the park for an hour, and even with the help of Google Maps (which showed the wrong location), we couldn't find the famous pile of discarded sandstone and marble sections that were removed the original US Capitol during the 1958 renovation of the West Front, until someone told us where to look. Park at the Rock Creek Park Horse Center, 5100 Glover Road. Walk over to the horse barns adjacent to the Horse Center's office. Locate the walking path near the southeast corner of horse barns. Follow that path in an easterly (ENE) direction, downhill. In 100 feet or so you pass a building on the right side of the path, beyond the trees and foliage. Continue along the path for another 400-500 feet, past the buildings visible on the right. On the right side of the path, past trees and foliage you will see a cyclone fence. There are two narrow dirt foot paths from the main path to the cyclone fence. The second one was much easier to traverse the day we were there. The Capitol Stones are piled up inside the fenced area. From outside the fence, it doesn't look like much. But there is a break in the fence, on the south side, and it is well worth climbing through to wander among the piles of discarded building blocks from the old Capitol building. You will come across carved pieces like the one shown below, sometimes stacks of them. The history of our city and country, discarded like trash in a landfill. A poignant bookend to every visitor's tour of the monuments.

Meander along the historic canal…read more Pleasantly designed brick path along the canal. Sure, the canal can use some love, but it's an old fella and doing its best even after so many years. It is best to just take a walk rather than go on a tour.

The ride is certainly relaxing. You ride on the canal for an hour, but the narration is only about…read morehalf the time. They narrate based on the history, but it would have been great to inter space the downtime with info about Georgetown or something. If you have never done it, worth doing once.

I missed this memorial the past couple times I came to DC, so on my third time I wanted to visit…read moreit. It's very large when you see it in person. Not nearly as crowded as the others. Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist from Germany. He's one of the greatest and influential scientists of all time. People from all over have probably heard of his special relativity equation E=mc2 (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). On the statue, you'll see that he's holding a piece of paper. The paper shows his 3 most important contributions to science: photoelectric effect, theory of general relativity, and equivalence of energy and matter. When we came here, there was a couple taking 50 pictures, but if you're decent at picture taking you don't need 50 to get a couple good shots. It was located by a hot dog stand. There are benches by the statue to sit and eat.

E = McEvoy something or other bit seriously close to the museums a nice commemorative statue to sit…read moretake a break , people watch , or enjoy your lunch.

For night photography of this spectacular building, position yourself in front of the Capitol…read moreReflecting Pool, near the General Ulysses Grant Memorial, down the hill, on the west side of the U.S. Capitol Complex. That way, you'll capture the reflection of the whole Capitol Building in the water, provided there's enough moonlight and it's still outside, meaning not a lot of wind. Since it's named "Capitol Reflecting Pool" officially, you understand its true purpose, right?! It kinda took me a while to get it myself. I recommend going on a night when there's a full moon--and arrive there ahead of the moon's rise, to be prepared to shoot once it does. The moon doesn't stay near the dome of the Capitol for very long. The moon is your best friend to provide optimal light, so take advantage. Just shoot away, don't play it safe. Conditions can change quickly. You might have 5 minutes; might have an hour or so. Obviously, clear skies are needed--pray for that. You'll have company, too, as pro photogs will be shooting at this very spot. Since you're already on the National Mall, might as well walk it at night. So beautiful. I prefer to see the sights at night anyway, rather than in daytime. And it's safe. One of the most patrolled areas of DC, 24/7. I do this a lot.

United States Capitol Christmas Tree is a holiday tradition I look forward to every year. There's…read moresomething timeless about seeing it glow against the Capitol backdrop--elegant, balanced, and beautifully understated. Unlike the White House tree, it isn't wrapped in heavy netting, which makes all the difference. The lights aren't overdone; they glisten just enough to feel festive while letting the tree look natural. The result? A classic, picture-perfect moment that never disappoints and not as crowded as the White House Christmas Tree. Simple, stately, and quietly magical--an easy win for a winter photo op and a reminder that sometimes tradition gets it exactly right

Along the Takoma-Brightwood border in Northwest DC is one of the country's smallest national…read morecemeteries on one acre of land. It was created and dedicated by Abraham Lincoln himself after the Battle at Fort Stevens. It was there that the Union stopped the attack on Washington, DC and the only time Lincoln came under direct fire from the Confederacy. 41 Union soldiers gave their lives that day and this cemetery honors them. The cemetery is easy to miss, but once you're through the gate, you won't soon forget it. Take time to read the signs about its history and walk through the grass remembering the soldiers who defended Washington, DC at Fort Stevens nearby. The cemetery is run by the National Park Service so entry is free.

One of America's smallest national cemeteries, specially commissioned by President Lincoln for…read moreUnion soldiers who fought at the Battle of Fort Stevens - the battle that saved Washington. 41 soldiers were eventually buried here; the last veteran was interred in 1936. The cemetery really is tiny; you'd never know it was here unless you happened to see it while driving on Georgia Ave. It's well maintained, although picnicking is discouraged. Fort Stevens - one of 68 Civil War forts that once surrounded the District - is only a short drive away, and worth a visit as well. In July 1864, these soldiers held the fort against a surprise attack from Jubal Early, who was hoping to scare General Grant enough to abandon the Union siege of Petersburg and rush to defend Washington. Early's plan didn't work, in no small part to their sacrifice. What's poignant about the casualties is some of them weren't 'combat' soldiers; Grant pulled most of Washington's garrison away from 'easy duty' guarding the forts into the Army of the Potomac, which was suffering heavy casualties. All that were left to defend the city were trainees, semi-invalids, and a small number of veterans, augmented at the last minute with reinforcements sent by Grant. Despite that, they fought off a larger enemy force. Had Early even temporarily captured Washington, it potentially could have caused Grant to end his siege, scared the northern public enough to sue for peace, and ended Lincoln's hopes for reelection. US history would have been different. So...respect.

Such an amazing memorial. This was our first stop on our DC at Dusk tour. It was very warm and…read morehumid when we went, but everyone was so respectful around the memorial. It's located right next to Arlington Cemetery, another place that can't be missed. We enjoyed a nice stop here to admire the memorial and learn some amazing facts about it from our tour guide. Wish it had been a little darker so we could have seen it when it is lit up at night!

I come year almost yearly with a student group and always appreciate America's history.read more

This is a fantastic place to spend a night or 2 and get a real taste of what life was like on the…read morecanal in the 1830's. No power or water at the lockhouse, so bring plenty of water and flashlights/lanterns. I spent my final night on the towpath here while bicycling from Cumberland to DC, and probably had the best night of sleep on the whole trip. The beds are wood frame, with rope to support the mattress. It's a lot more comfortable than you might think. Please note-there are no linens provided, and the mattresses are covered with vinyl sheets, so you'll either want a sleeping bag, or bring your own linens. There is a table in the sitting room with a guestbook that you can sign, as well as several books on the history of the lockhouse and the C&O Canal. There are cooking utensils and plates/glasses available, but the nearest water is 3 miles away at Swain's Lock, so I didn't use anything, just used the mess kit that I had been using the whole trip. But if you need to use them, they're there. There are also some games and toys from the time period. Jacks, checkers, and some others. This is a really peaceful place in a beautiful setting. I wish I'd had the time to spend another night here. Maybe another time...

Nice spot to start a walk along the towpath away from the crowds of DC. Along with an old…read morelockhouse, there's a gravel parking lot and an outhouse.

The bridge connects the monuments & the title basin with the entrance to Arlington National…read moreCemetery. From the bridge we had a view of the Kennedy Center, Washington Monument, Lincoln monument. There wasn't much to see & the walk wasn't worth the sights that were here.

If there is one bridge I abhor in the DC area it is this bridge. This bridge, regardless of how I…read moreapproach it, I always end up lost and confused. I really wish that there would be better makers to allow drivers to know which lane they need to be in before they end up on a highway in Virginia. I find driving to be a relaxing activity, but when I near this bridge my anxiety goes through the roof. Back to what I said about the lanes, no matter which lane I am in, I'm always in the wrong lane. Instead of being a typical DC driver and nearly cause an accident, I just keep going with the lane. I'm not going to detract from the beauty of the bridge, because it is beautiful. Depending on the way that you approaching it, you will be brought to areas that are equally beautiful scenes. Going towards Virginia you will end up in Arlington National Cemetery (if you are in the right lane). If you go towards DC you will end up in the National Mall area, Lincoln Memorial end. If you are fortunate to find a parking space in the National Mall area, you are able to walk freely about. But if it was not for the unfortunate traffic inducing bridge, I will not ever get used to this bridge. Please put better markings so I know where I am going.