Soak in the Memorials and Music...
Often overshadowed by the admittedly impressive Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial is extremely affecting in its own right.
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As you look to your right at the granite wall highlighting the names of those lost, the reflection doubles the amount of soldiers you see to 38 - symbolizing the 38th Parallel and the 38 months of the war. You also see a reflection of yourself--for a moment, putting you in the midst of the soldiers that fought over 50 years ago.
A stark departure from the typical presidential tribute, the FDR Memorial is actually more of a park--made up of four sections that correspond with Franklin Roosevelt’s 4 terms of office. Covering over seven acres, the memorial is as much a retrospective on America during the period of 1933-1945 as it is a tribute to the 32nd President. Made up almost entirely of massive red granite, it includes fountains, statues and artist depictions of the American experience during the Depression and the Second World War. If you are sick of walking, take a cab over to the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Visitors can enjoy a free performance every evening--from jazz to ballet to family theater performances--in the grand foyer of the Millennium Stage. No tickets are required; simply show up (shows usually start at 6pm) and enjoy the show. Past performances have included Norah Jones, Rhett Miller and Patti Smith.
Now that you are a fully cultured, learned and enriched citizen, it’s time to drink with the plebeians…..
Stop by the Hawk and the Dove on Capitol Hill to absorb some libations and political discourse. Many Hill staffers from both sides of the aisle numb their frayed nerves at this bar only feet from the seat of legislative power. Located on the fringe of Dupont Circle, The Brickskeller is a subterranean den with a decidedly colonial-era feel. It's real claim to fame, though, and the reason people from around the world know its name: Beer. The Brickskeller has over 1000 different beers on the premises; a list of which looks more like a novel than a menu. It may be the only place in DC that's mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records.
If you are looking for the kind of place that doesn't care whether you are Republican or Democrat, stop by Dan’s Café in the Adams Morgan section of town. Nurturing a windowless, dive-bar feel that is quaintly disgusting, this bar dispenses their drinks in an unusual way. If you order a rum and coke, for example, the bartender will give you an empty glass, a can of Coke, a pint bottle of Rum, and a small bucket of ice. Luckily, you can mitigate the effects of this nearby--at Pizza Mart, where you will wait in a brief line for a tasty slice of pizza the size of your average kite.
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