Tomorrow, I take off on yet another solo trip; this time, to Washington, DC.  Not for business, not to rant and rave at politicians, but to return to the place of my birth.  I was actually born within the confines of the District of Columbia (how many people can actually say that?), although raised in nearby Arlington, Virginia. Nothing lifts my heart, and makes me feel like I have come home, like getting off the Metro at Smithsonian, coming up the escalator at the Mall exit, and seeing the museums on either side of me, with the Capitol in the distance. I turn around…and there is the Washington Monument. Amazing architecture, in a city that I love, yes, even with all its flaws.

I try to get back once a year or so, as I still have family there, and it’s important to touch base. And, I go back to revisit the old haunts….the old schools have changed, many friends have moved (although some have stayed or come back–see you soon!), but I go back to see the museums, the homes, the places where history came alive for me as a child.

Part of that history is very controversial right now, and some of my wandering through the museums and historic homes will be to look at it with fresh eyes. As the wife of a historic interpreter, I want to see how that history is being interpreted in our nation’s capital. Washington was pivotal during the War of 1812, and of course, during the Civil War. In light of recent events, how has the interpretation changed? Has it? Is it too soon for the programming to have changed? Do the museums and historic homes need more time to plan and execute programming?

So come wander with me as I stroll through museums and historic sites, take driving trips out to the hinterlands (some kind of adventure always happens when I get behind the wheel in the DC Metro area!), and shoot great food photos; Washington is becoming a foodie paradise, and I intend to partake as much as possible!

Have you had your own adventures in the DC area?  Let me know in the comments section!