The DC Traveler

On a bike ride yesterday, I passed what is normally a quiet broom that is usually just over ankle deep.  After all the recent rains recent, it’s now more like a fast running stream.
 
While it’s not as dramatic as the change at Great Falls, I was surprised to see how deep and fast-flowing it’s become.
But I least I was able to enjoy the muddy bike path.  But I’m now thinking that perhaps a rear wheel fender might be appropriate, base on what the back of my shirt looked like after my ride. 
Images - from personal collection   © …read more

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Join about 300,000 other patriotic music fans on the lawn of the Capitol as we honor America’s fallen heroes at the annual National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC.
This year’s list of musical entertainers include one of my favorite female vocalists, the always entertaining Grammy winner, Natalie Cole. I saw Natalie sing last summer at Wolftrap and she puts on a great show.
Also on the list of singers is Josh Turner, who has recently toured with George Strait and Carrie Underwood, jazz singer Jane Monheit and R&B vocalist CeCe Winans. 
Rounding out the show will be the always popular …read more

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I recently walked by NIDO, a cool Georgetown boutique that specializes in women’s jewelry, handbags and accessories. Most of the items are one-of-a-kinds and just about everything is hand made.
Jackie, the friendly owner of NIDO (nest in Spanish), studied design at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She opened the small store about a year and a half ago by first, traveling the globe to find suppliers that fit her one-of-a-kind niche. Then, as word spread, artisans started to find her, some by simply walking into the store with a case of their samples.
The store excels in unique purses. …read more

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Once again, Washington, DC area drivers were ranked the fifth worst in rudeness and hostility on the road.
Sadly, I must agree with the latest AutoVantage Road Rage survey.  A large portion of our area drivers have become overly aggressive, drive as if the speed limit is as fast as you can go until a car blocks your way and assumes that using a turn signal is not an indication of intent, but results in a God-given right to force their way over without looking.
Another trend that seems to be growing exponentially is texting while driving, especially among younger …read more

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From this….

To this…

With all the rain that we have had recently, Great Falls literally disappeared.
Visiting now will give you a rare perspective on the falls, that you only see after massive rain storms.
Here’s a quick clip of the falls from Tuesday afternoon (May 13, 2008)

Great Falls Park
9200 Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike (Route 193)
McLean, VA 22102 (map it)
Days and Hours – Open daily, 7:00 a.m. until sunset.
Entrance Fee- $5.00 per vehicle, individual passes (on foot, horseback, bicycle or motorcycle) - $3.00, annual pass - $20.00
Nearest Metro subway station– West Falls Church or Dunn Loring - Orange line. Then a …read more

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Interested in aviation and flying?  Then this weekend is for you.
It’s the best air show of the year in the Washington, DC area. Everything from vintage bi-planes to the military’s most aggressive fighter jets will perform a FREE airshow at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland, this weekend.

Some of the highlights will include:

Blue Angels (Navy)
Golden Knights Parachute Team (Army)
Vintage warbirds and current fighter jets, including the vintage WW-II P-51 Mustang, AV-8B Harrier, F-104 Starfighters, F-15 Strike Eagle, and the aggressive 1,325+ mph F-22 Raptor
C-17 Globmaster
Red Bull Air Force

The other major air show near Washington, DC …read more

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Did you know that Washington, DC has more than one professional baseball team?
Besides the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles, and 5 other mionor league teams, the Potomac Nationals, of the Carolina League, play home games in nearby Woodbridge, Virginia, just 40 minutes from Washington, DC.
The Carolina League formed in 1945 with just a couple of games in southern Virginia. Currently it has seven other A-level minor league teams, besides the Potomac Nationals, representing the Orioles, Pirates, Royals, Indians, Braves, White Sox, and Astros.
A few Hall of Famers have come out the Carolina leaguers, including Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, …read more

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Here are a few photographs I took at this year’s running of the Virginia Gold Cup.

Special thanks to Jimmy and Sonya for the invite.
Images - from personal collection - © 2008 - Jon Rochetti
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Are you good at solving brain teasers? Do you finish the Sunday crossword puzzle in record time? Are you the next Jeopardy rock star?
Then you might want to participate in the first Washington Post’s 2008 Post Hunt.
The hunt is an urban safari consisting of puzzles built into the DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood, home to countless restaurants, Madame  Tussauds Wax Museum, the International Spy Museum, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the National Portrait Gallery.  The hunt should take teams on an interesting neighborhood tour while hunters search for cues and answers to a series of brain challenging …read more

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I searched the web for all kinds of Mother’s Day trivia.
Here’s what I came up with:

The percentage of women with 4 or more children - dropped from 36% of American women in 1976 to 11% just 30 years later. 
The number of new moms each year - 4 million, with 11% being teen mothers and 2.5% accounting for moms over 40+ year old. 
Percent of births occurring in a hospital - 99+%.
Number of Mother’s Day cards sent annually - 155 million, the 3rd highest of any holiday.
Dollars spent on Mom on Mother’s Day - just under $100 …read more

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