.

By: Lindsey Gibbs

Location

Famous For

Food

Attractions

Museums

Festivities

Language

Schools

Local Holidays

Weather

Culture

Sister Cities

Sports

Economy

Airlines

Best time to go

Travel Tips

Transportation

Climate

Metro Bus

Map

The End

Location• total area of 68.3 square miles• 61.4 square miles is land • 6.9 square miles (10.16%) is water.• The District is no longer 100 square

miles due to the retrocession of the southern portion of the District back to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1846.

• The District's current area consists only of territory ceded by the state of Maryland.

• Washington is therefore surrounded by the states of Maryland to the southeast, northeast, and northwest and Virginia to the southwest.

• The District has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River and its tributaries the Anacostia River and Rock Creek. Tiber Creek, a watercourse that once passed through the National Mall, was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s.

Famous For

• Sweet Onions• Cherry Blossoms the

National cherry blossom festival; celebrates the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington DC in 1912

• Barbecue Battle is Safeway's annual barbecue battle; America's national barbecue championship

• Army ten miler is a sixteen kilometer foot race; winds past the Lincoln memorial, the capitol, and the Washington Monument

Food• These are some cheap places to

eat in D.C.• American City Diner 5532 Connecticut

Ave., NW. Washington, DC (202) 244-1949. Casual American food served 24 hours. Classic diner offers

a wide variety of dishes and is great for families. • Baja Grille 1133 20th St. NW. Washington,

DC. (202)659-4136. The locally owned restaurant and carryout offers fresh Mexican food at cheap

prices. • Ben's Chili Bowl 1213 U Street, NW

Washington, DC (202) 667-0909. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Ben's Chili Bowl, is famous for it's Half-Smoke and is a Washington landmark that dates back to 1958. The specialty is chili dogs and French fries, but there are also some healthier options like veggie burgers and vegetarian chili. This is Bill Cosby's favorite place to eat in DC.

Attractions• Arlington National Cemetery - in Arlington,

Virginia is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House,

• Capitol Building - is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the Federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall

• Lincoln Memorial - is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and was dedicated on May 30, 1922.

• Supreme Court - is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate

Justices, who are nominated by the President • The Mall - is an open-area national park in downtown

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. • Washington Monument - is an obelisk near the

west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington

• White House - is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.

Museums• National Air and Space Museum - is a museum in

Washington, D.C., United States, and is the most popular of the Smithsonian museums. It maintains the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and spaceflight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. Almost all space and aircraft on display are originals or backup crafts to the originals.

• National Museum of American History - Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

• National Museum of Crime and Punishment - is a privately owned museum dedicated to the history of criminology and penology in America It is located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C., half a block south of the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. The museum, which opened in May 2008, was built by Orlando businessman John Morgan in partnership with John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted,

Festivities

• National Cherry Blossom festival - is a spring celebration in Washington, D.C. commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington. Mayor Ozaki donated the trees in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and also celebrate the continued close relationship between the

two nations. • Washington D.C. Green

Festival - At the Washington DC Green Festival, a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America, we’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—across the District, Maryland and Virginia—for people, for business and for the environment.

Language

• English is the dominant language spoken here. There are many foreign dignitaries coming and going. The main tourist areas are saturated with English speakers. Acquiring a second language to the point of fluency is not a wide practice.

Schools

• Washington D.C. has 84 elementary schools. Some are elementary campuses.

• 35 Middle Schools

• 17 Senior High Schools

• 43 Multi-Grade/Specialized Schools

Local Holidays

• Washington's birthday (3rd Monday in February)

• Discoverers’ day (November 11)

Weather

• Washington DC has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons. If you hope to see snow when you visit during the winter months, you are likely to see some, as Washington receives an average snowfall of 16 inches. Spring and fall are relatively mild with low humidity and can be prime times to visit. Summers are often hot and humid due to the close proximity of water and often tend to get thunderstorms.

Culture

• Washington, DC is a city with both Northern and Southern cultures - from the food to the music to the people, it's a mix of both.

Sister Cities

• Washington, DC has signed relationships with 10 cities around the world. They are: Bangkok, Dakar, Beijing, Brussels, Tshwane (Pretoria), Paris, Athens, Seoul, Accra, and Sunderland.

Sports

• Professional • DC United (MLS) - District of Columbia • Washington Redskins (NFL) - District of Columbia • Washington Mystics (WNBA) - District of Columbia • Washington Wizards (NBA) - District of Columbia • Washington Capitals (NHL) - District of Columbia • Washington Sentors (MLB) – District of Columbia

Washington DC High School, College, League, and Professional SportsCollege •American Eagles - District of Columbia •George Washington Colonials - District of Columbia •Georgetown Hoyas - District of Columbia

Economy• The following is a summary of data regarding the Washington, D.C.

metropolitan area labor force for December 2004 (annual average figures unavailable).

• Size of nonagricultural labor force: 673,800• Number of workers employed in . . .• construction and mining: 12,000• manufacturing: 2,500• trade, transportation, and utilities: 28,800• information: 23,100• financial activities: 30,400• professional and business services: 143,800• educational and health services: 93,700• leisure and hospitality: 51,800• other services: 59,200• government: 230,900• Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing:

$16.73• Unemployment rate: 8.8% (December 2004)

Airlines

• Continental Airlines - Setting the standard for in-flight and customer service, Continental is one of America's longest established airlines.

• AirTran Airways - is committed to providing affordable air travel to consumers. and has just become the world's first operator of the brand new Boeing 717 jet

• Hawaiian Airlines - America's 12th largest airline, Hawaiian Airlines carries 6 million passengers yearly

• Midwest Express Airlines - Since it commenced service in 1984 Midwest Express had rapidly expanded and now serves most areas of the US. It has established a reputation for providing excellent service

• American Trans Air – 10th largest passenger airline• Alaska Airlines – Based out of Seattle• Mesa Airlines - Offering departures to 165 cities in 45 states, the District of Columbia,

Canada and Mexico, Mesa Airlines also operates as America West Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express under contractual agreements.

• Air Canada – provides air service to and from many destinations in the United States• American Airlines – Provides service to North America and throughout the world• Delta Airlines – Serves major visitor destinations including Europe, Africa, Asia, and North

America• American West Airlines – covers most states and several destinations in Canada and

Mexico• Frontier Airlines – Low cost service to increasing number of cities

Best time to go

• October is probably your best bet. Unfortunately, with the crazy weather the last couple years, it's been a little hectic, but any time during that month would probably be ideal.

I wouldn't wait until November though, as another poster said, as (at least where I live) most of

the leaves have turned brown and fallen by then.

Travel Tips

• Avoid driving. Legend has it that French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed Washington's

streets to confuse and frustrate enemy troops who might attack the city. Anyone attempting to navigate this city will understand why the legend persists. The city is divided into the four quadrants of a compass – NW, NE, SE, SW. The U.S. Capitol sits at the center of the quadrants, even though it is not at the center of the city, so Northwest is the largest area. The boundaries of each quadrant are North Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, East Capitol and the National Mall. That's where the street addresses start and become numbers and the letters of the alphabet. The lettered streets run east and west and numbered streets run north and south. To add to this directional befuddlement, the city also has many diagonal avenues (most of which are named after states) that run through a series of white-knuckle-inducing traffic circles. And beware the freeway ramps that appear out of nowhere and may take you across a bridge to Virginia before you know it.

• Mind your manners. The D.C. transit system prides itself on being one of the cleanest and most orderly in the country. A few simple dos and don'ts will help you navigate the metro with ease. When on the escalator, do stand to the right and walk to the left, letting those in a hurry pass by. Don’t eat or drink on the metro. Do stand aside and take a moment to figure out where you are going. The direction a metro train is going is determined by its final destination. For example, and Orange train heading west will say, :Orange line to Vienna.” There are large, clear maps in each station, so you should be able to figure it all out. Don’t stop in the entry of the metro car, but move completely into the car.

• Consider fall. Visitors flock to Washington between April and August. The city can be unbearably hot and humid in the summer, which makes trekking around to all those outside monuments a sweltering affair. Remember, D.C. is lovely all year round – especially in the fall.

Transportation

• There are many ways to get around in Washington D.C. and the surrounding metro areas. They have a metro bus system, some people drive cars, some ride bikes. The most used means of transportation there is the Metro bus.

Climate• While the city of Washington DC's weather is highly seasonal with

extreme variations between summer and winter; it has been known to be unpredictable too. Summers tend to be very hot and humid, the conditions exacerbated in the heart of the city with its concrete and steel. Fall and spring are the best seasons, when chilly but bright, perfect days are the norm. Sudden rain or snowfalls are possible though. In winter the city is subject to heavy snowfalls, averaging 17 inches (43cm) a year, and sudden arctic blasts or frozen rainstorms.

Metro Bus

• The metro bus is very useful. They have many stops. When you ride this metro you can pretty much get within a mile of your destination. It doesn’t cost much only .25 cents every time you enter the buildings where you catch the bus. They have fare cards that you put a certain amount of money on and every time you have to pay you just put that in the little slot and it takes it off of your card. The card is very handy because you can reload more money after you run out.

This is a map of the metro.