- Visit DC in the spring (especially when tthe Cherry Blossoms are in bloom) If you hate crowds, visit DC during December and January. its cold and snowy but there are NO crowds.

- Find your Senator They have several VIP tour options for you and if you go by their office they'll provide you with passes to see them in action  in the Senate or House chambers.

- The National Mall looks spectacular after dark so plan to spend an evening strolling the capitol building and Lincoln Memorial.

- Allow time for travel out of the DC area - for those of you that are Civil War fans, Gettysburg, Manassas, and Antietem each make a great day trip!

- The most common visitor comment is thinking the Smithsonian is just one museum. It is THIRTEEN museums.

- The Air and Space Museum has another location to explore its out by Dulles Airport (a shuttle bus runs from the Museum on the mall to Dulles).

- The fireworks on July 4th, are the best in the USA! The National Symphony at dusk and the fireworks minutes later are awesome!

- Attend a play at Ford's Theatre (sic). This is the place A. Lincoln was killed on 4-14-1865. The theatre is as it was that night (flag draped box, etc.). Get your tickets in the afternoon and listen to the Park Service rangers or volunteer describe that tragic event. A basement museum has artifacts related to the assassination and the House where he died is also open for you to explore!

- Here are a few tips to get you started: The District of Columbia is 67 square miles and is divided into 4 quadrants: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast. The US Capitol building marks the center where the quadrants meet. Numbered streets run north and south. Lettered streets run east and west (there are no J, X, Y, or Z streets), alphabetically becoming two syllable names, then 3-syllable names as you travel out farther from the center. Avenues named for US States run diagonally, often meeting at traffic circles and squares. There are also great guided tours of the city to get you oriented.

- ADAMS MORGAN: The intersection of 18th Street and Columbia Road is where this buttoned-up city goes to let its hair down. Long a multicultural hub, today its restaurant scene is a veritable global village ranging from Ethiopian and Thai to Mexican and Indian. By day, urban adventurers leisurely stroll the heritage trail and take in colorful mural art while ducking into present-day coffee shops, boutiques and bookstores. By night, festive crowds that get younger as the evenings get older fill the streets, nightclubs and bars. Metro: Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan and walk, or take a taxi. Parking is challenging at night.

- Crime rates may fool you, as crime is typically centralized to certain bad areas that are easily avoided. There is a significant homeless population, but they typically keep to themselves. The Metro provides easy transportation anywhere in the city, but driving can be confusing and stressful.

- If you are going to the Zoo go early in the Day; we found out most animals are put up at 5pm even though the zoo technically is open until later.

- Be prepared to get up early and stand in long lines in the summer for the Washington Monument (if you want to go up) as tickets are sold out quickly.

- ANACOSTIA: Follow the 11th Street Bridge across the Anacostia River to what was Washington's first planned suburb, Uniontown. Now the Anacostia Historical District, the neighborhood retains its late 19th century architecture and working class feel. The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass made his home here at Cedar Hill. His residence is now a National Park Service site open to the public. Also explore African-American history and culture at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum located in this Southeast community.

- Brookland neighborhood is nicknamed “Little Rome,” and for good reason. It’s home to more than 60 Catholic institutions, from the solemn grandeur of the Franciscan Monastery to the reflective beauty of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Catholic University of America and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center also make their home in this Northeast neighborhood. And North America’s first and most comprehensive bonsai museum can be found at the U.S. National Arboretum, a 446-acre natural paradise that features enchanting landscaped gardens, fascinating seasonal displays, intriguing aquatic plants and a unique, two-acre herb garden.