Tourist in Your Own Town

We all would like to fit more travel into our busy schedules, but time and money limits when we can take a getaway. So why not spend the weekend exploring the places you love in your town or city? There are always museums, restaurants, parks, and other places we wish we had more time to revisit.

I'm fortunate to live in Washington, D.C. where there is never a shortage of something cultural to do, and I don't know of any other place that has as many free museums. Here are some things I did this weekend when summery weather hit, and some other options in case you want to visit!

No matter where you live, I'm sure there are great places in your city or town to plan a weekend itinerary.

Sunny and 85 degree weather was enough to make me brave the tourist crowds on the National Mall. I visited the East Wing of the National Gallery to check out some modern and contemporary art. The architecture of the building is as enjoyable as the art, and the huge Calder mobile never disappoints. The Philip Guston exhibit in the tower gallery has a handful of paintings spanning his career.

The most enjoyable exhibit was installed in the underground passageway leading from the East Gallery to the West Gallery. The metal ceiling and walls were covered in 41,000 LEDs that changed patterns as you rode along the moving sidewalk. Very cool! At the end of the walkway is the museum's cafeteria, gelato and espresso cafe, and probably one of the best museum bookstores I've seen.



After leaving the museum, I grabbed an iced coffee and walked up to the Gallery Place neighborhood. This revitalized neighborhood also includes Chinatown, and is a popular destination for its many restaurants surrounding the Verizon Center, where the Washington Capitals play hockey and many concerts are held. The central focus are the conjoined buildings housing the Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery. The newly-completed courtyard should not be missed.

From there I took a long walk through Metro Center, where a lot of downtown shopping is located, and past the White House. I walked up 17th St. to the Dupont Circle neighborhood, which is still the center of the GLBT community. 17th between P and T streets has many restaurants and bars. JR's and Dupont Italian Kitchen are old standbys. We opted for dinner at a mexican restaurant off the circle and drinks late that night at Nellie's Sports Bar.