The DC Traveler

While many think Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s official Independence Day, it’s not. That’s celebrated on September 16th.
May 5th is the anniversary of the Mexican victory over 6,000 French troops at the battle of Puebla in south central Mexico, in 1862.
France’s Emperor Napoleon was looking to expand the French empire and establish a French output to among other things, support the Confederate South during the U.S. Civil War, so he sent troops to Mexico in 1861. After numerous French victories, the French were defeated attempting to conquer the city of Puebla. Upon hearing the news of the defeat, Napoleon sent …read more

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Built in 1936, The State Theatre in Falls Church, VA operated as a popular movie and was the first theatre on the East Coast to be centrally air-conditioned.
In the late 1990’s, the theater was restored into a live music venue keeping the original stage and 200 seats in the balcony. Part of the main floor is open for standing and dancing near the stage as well as reserved dining.
The State offers a full service in-house restaurant and four bars that usually serve food as well. You can reserve a dining table ($10 for 2-person table, and $20 for a 4-person …read more

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Unlike traditional thoroughbred horse racing, the steeplechase is a 2-4 mile cross-country horse race with about a dozen jumps over 52-inch fences, hedges or railings along the route. Jockeys are larger than the flat track counterparts, usually in the 140-160 pound range, versus their 110 lb. counterparts.
The horses are the same, most being former thoroughbred racers from flat track racing, that been converted due to their speed and ability to jump. The race starts not from a gate, but in an open line or from a walk.
In it’s 82nd,year, the always popular running of The Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase race …read more

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will visit the DC area during a U.S. visit between May 3rd and 8th for among other things, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
Read the full press release and visit the Queen’s official site for her schedule while in the U.S.
She’ll visit Richmond, Williamsburg, Jamestown, William and Mary College, Andrews Air Force Base, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, the Children’s National Medical Center, the World War II Memorial, the White House and the British Embassy/Ambassador’s residence.
The Queen has visited the U.S. four times before - October, 1957, July, 1976 for the U.S. Bicentennial, …read more

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That’s what the newspaper headlines read across America on April 27th, 1861 when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus.
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in the confederate border state of Maryland (also a slave state) due to the fear that Maryland might secede from the Union. If secession occurred, it would result in Washington DC being completely surrounded by Confederate states.
His action was challenged in the U.S. Circuit Court in Maryland and overturned, but Lincoln ignored the court’s ruling. In 1866 (5 years later), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to suspend …read more

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Jane Seymour is best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe awards and for television and movie roles including Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, A Marriage of Convenience, Live and Let Die, and War and Remembrance. But she is also an author and painter.
As an artist, she produced a greeting card series to support her charities. One of her watercolors was featured on a Discover credit card Card and raised $25,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Another painting sold for $20,000 at a fund-raiser. She also asked designed a special edition champagne bottle for Korbel, and a Escada silk scarf.
Working in oils, …read more

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Live jazz, wine from 18 local Virginia wineries, views of the Potomac at sunset and candle lit tours of George Washington’s Mount Vernon home and the rarely seen wine cellars are part of the Spring Wine Festival and Tour.

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway - 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121
Dates and Times - Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 20, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. nightly
Tickets - $30.00 and are available online. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.
Note - No outside food or beverage …read more

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Some of the other b5media travel writers have posted some great art stories on their blogs recently.
Some interesting “reverse glass” paintings is on display at the Croatian Native Art Gallery and Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Mary Jo, the writer of Fly Away Cafe (who also writes The Seattle Traveler) explains the question…“How do they do that?”.
On The Seattle Traveler, she also writes about the Seattle Wing Luke Asian Museum (the only pan-Asian Pacific American museum in the U.S.) and a current exhibit entitled New Years All Year Round, which tells the story of how immigrating Asians brought many of …read more

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Take a dash of Rodgers & Hammerstein, a pinch of Stephen Sondheim and add some Andrew Lloyd Webber and you end up with a musical play that parities some of the great Broadway musical creators.
The Musical of Musicals, (The Musical) uses a simple story about an ingénue who is unable to pay her rent. Other characters includes an evil landlord who’s trying to take advantage of her, the female mentor and the young man to the rescue. Take that basic premise and create five mini-musicals, each in the style of legendary theatrical creators.
If you enjoy an occasional trip to New York’s …read more

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P.D.Q. Bach was born in Leipzig in 1742, the son of the famous German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. Music was in his blood from an early age, but unfortunately, talent was not.
At the age of 13, P.D.Q. worked as an apprentice with the inventor of the musical saw. When his father died, the only possession left to him was a kazoo. By 28, he began writing classical music, mostly by stealing melodies from other popular composers.
His unique musical style incorporated “instruments” not often found in other classical orchestras. He wrote pieces for the tromboon, an instrument that combined the “worst” …read more

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