Intelligent Travel

Passport DC

Whenever I need a surefire way to impress an out-of-town visitor, I head to D.C.'s Massachusetts Avenue for a stroll along Embassy Row. The fascinating architecture makes for lovely eye candy, plus, it's a great glimpse of global culture in our nation's capital. Most of the year the sites serve uninformed passersby merely as stand-offish spectacles to gape at from the sidewalk. But in May, the diplomatic community props open its doors for the two-week-long Passport DC. This year, 60 embassies (and the European Commission Delegation) are participating, from Angola to Venezuela, as well as 24 cultural institutions.

Passport DC kicked off last weekend and will last through May 17, culminating with an Around the World Open House—showcasing authentic culture at 24 embassies from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas—and the National Asian Heritage Festival. In the middle, the International Children's Festival takes place Saturday, May 10, with tyke-friendly activities showcasing 16 countries, from Lebanon to Brazil. Best of all, the majority of the events and open houses are free of charge (yes, Europe can still be affordable!), though the ticketed events present intriguing offerings (Czech bagpiping, French cinema) and  generally draw more intimate crowds.

Gettysburg Going Green

Don’t judge a building by its exterior is the lesson learned at the all-new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, which opened April 14. Despite being designed to "blend into the rural Pennsylvania countryside" according to the National Park Service's website, the brand new center is packed full of modern multimedia, and has been designed to meet LEED certification at the silver level. Yes, Lincoln's Gettysburg is getting up to speed and going green.

Located in the Gettysburg National Military Park, the center includes interesting features to accompany the obligatory walk in the battlefield itself. Visitors can explore the center’s 11 exhibit galleries, watch a short film (narrated by Morgan Freeman) that highlights the significance of the 1863 Battle at Gettysburg, peruse 300,000 Civil War artifacts, and check out the expanded museum bookstore for souvenirs. I know I will when I continue my travels through Colonial America.

History lessons and environmental friendliness: What more could this earth conscious history junkie ask for?

Photo: Gettysburg National Military Park

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Maryland Day

NatGeo Traveler researchers are always looking for weekend fun that's authentic and free (see our Free Cities! library), so when senior researcher Meg Weaver spotted this notice about the University of Maryland's annual Maryland Day (Saturday, April 26, from 10 to 4), she emailed it instantly to the rest of us. Kristen Gunderson, a loyal U. Maryland grad, responded with enthusiasm and regret: she's heading off to New York on the Chinatown bus, but she left us some tips for enjoying this festival:

MARYLAND DAY IS SO MUCH FUN! I am so sad I will be missing it this year...if I had remembered, I would have stuck around here this weekend.

Some highlights:
Ice cream from the UMD dairy - UMD is famous for this stuff. It's delicious. There are also rumors that the ice cream is so fatty that it doesn't meet USDA standards and that's why it's only produced on campus and not sold anywhere else. And why it's so gosh darn tasty.

Also, the Maryland cows have windows in them. Yes, that's right. The Ag students cut holes in the sides of some of the cows and installed little portals so that you can actually watch the process of digestion in action in their stomachs. And, on Maryland Day, they open the portals and you can actually stick your hand inside (with a glove, of course). I have never done it. But it's one of our famous attractions.

And there's all sorts of free buttons, stickers, maps, etc. and tons of fun games, music and events. Plus, the campus is gorgeous, especially at this time of year. Get some lunch and eat it on the mall or by the chapel.

From the College Park Metro station there is a free UMD shuttle that will take you right to the heart of campus (the Stamp Student Union). At the Union, don't miss the memorial statue of Jim Henson talking to Kermit the Frog - UMD was his alma mater, where he created his own major: Puppetry. Also downstairs in the Union is the Co-op, which sells delicious free-trade, organic/vegan, sustainably-produced foods. Anyone can volunteer here for food credit. I practically lived here my last year on campus.

So yes, definitely go if you can. :) Eat some ice cream for me.

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See D.C. Culture With Your Feet

Washington, D.C., is a great town for walking, although tourists making the long trudge between the Jefferson Memorial and the Capitol on a broiling summer day might disagree. If you're in D.C. this weekend, though, you can take advantage of our brief, glorious spring and visit some fascinating neighborhoods beyond the Mall. On Saturday April 26, and Sunday, April 27, Cultural Tourism DC is hosting its annual WalkingTownDC weekend, offering free walking tours of 18 different neighborhoods, with 80 free guided walks, and guided bike rides too, led by experts who know these neighborhoods inside out.

For most tours, all you need to do is show up at the right time at the designated starting point, but for some you need a reservation. Check the detailed schedule and pick the walk you want. In Northeast D.C., walk the history of Brookland, a one-time trolley suburb. In Northwest, find the 19th-c. village vestiges of Old Mount Pleasant, now a vibrant multi-ethnic melange. Stroll Logan Circle, "the city’s only unaltered Victorian residential district." Explore the alleys of D.C. with Richard Layman of Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space blog.

The very popular DC Green Buildings EcoTour on Saturday is already full, but if you register you'll be on the waiting list for the next one (they run roughly five times a year). This is a bike tour that visits ten local LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified green buildings. Led by Scott Pomeroy, the environmental programs manager for Downtown DC BID, the tour begins and ends at our own National Geographic Society headquarters (our campus was the first to gain LEED certification in the city). Reservations required; go to www.WholenessforHumanity.com or call 202-686-9813 to get on the waiting list. This bike tour meets and ends at National Geographic's blooming courtyard (check out the Trash People display), and includes a free eco-friendly lunch. Need we say more?

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Funky Brunch in Pittsburgh

I finally got a chance to eat brunch in an antiques shop. My daughter Lucy, who's an engineering student at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, had been trying to arrange it, but each time I visited I had to leave before this once-a-week event occurred. The antiques shop is called The Zenith, and it's located at 86 S. 26th Street, on the eclectic, artsy South Side of Pittsburgh. It's right along the Monongahela River, just across the wonderfully named Hot Metal Bridge (a former railroad bridge that reopened in the fall for bike and pedestrian traffic only).

Every Sunday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Zenith serves an extremely popular vegetarian brunch for $10, which includes an entrée, a huge array of homemade salads, delectable all-you-can-eat desserts, plus coffee or your choice of 75 different kinds of tea served in wacky teapots. The teapots, as well as the glassware, plates, silverware, tablecloths, lamps, artwork on the walls, and even your chair are all for sale. Zenith specializes in 20th century collectibles and vintage clothing, and they have chairs and baby carriages hanging from the ceiling as well. We lucked out with the big table near the window that we snagged without a wait (very unusual), despite having a large group. The food was so good I didn't realize until later that it was vegan, and I'm happy to report the dish did not run away with the spoon, at least not while we were eating.

Photo: Lucy Terrell

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New York's Most Famous Cab Ride

We at IT were particularly excited when a former Traveler staffer told us she was going to appear on Cash Cab, an on-the-move game show that takes place in an unassuming New York taxi cab. She gives us scoop on her TV debut.

When I moved to New York City to become a writer, I never thought I'd end up on television. But that's what happened recently, when two co-workers and I wound up on trivia series called Cash Cab, sort of a moving game show.

After we got into the yellow taxi cab, multicolored lights above us flashed, and we learned that we had the opportunity to appear on the show. My work buddies and I agreed to give it a whirl, and the cab headed from Midtown to H&H Bagels on the Upper West Side. I'm a huge trivia buff, so I was excited to put my useless knowledge to work.

Host Ben Bailey asked us questions on a variety of topics, ranging from sports to literature, and I'm pleased to say we did pretty well. We didn't miss any questions, but we did resort to using a shout out to some folks on the street. A girl who was carrying a cello and eating a bagel (we viewed this as a good sign!) helped us get the correct answer.

Now that the episode has aired, I can say that we won $1,050. At the end of the ride, we had the chance to double our money by answering a video question, but we decided to walk away. After all, you can get a lot of bagels for $1,050.

Click here to see just what types of questions these three New Yorkers were challenged with, or watch a clip of the video after the jump. Be sure to watch out for the Cash Cab on your next trip to New York City.

Extra! Extra! The Newseum is Making News!

Today is the official grand opening of the Newseum, D.C.'s newest museum which is dedicated to outstanding journalism.   The Newseum was formally housed in a smaller space across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, but now rubs elbows with the Capitol building and the popular Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in its new and improved location at 555 Pennsylvania Ave.

A few Traveler staffers got the opportunity to visit the Newseum before opening day and came away yearning for another visit.

The first thing that struck me was design of the fantastic glass and metal building, which was planned by the same architecture firm that designed the Holocaust Museum.  The vast central atrium, called the Great Hall of News, soars seven levels high and comfortably contains not only a 40' x 22'  news screen, but managed to make a Bell 206B Jet Ranger III news helicopter look petite.  I have to admit I felt a bit overwhelmed.  How was I to see 14 galleries, 15 theaters, and a host of other displays in one day?  I promised myself I would return to see whatever I missed and thus calmed, hopped in the elevator for a lift to the top level. 

A Colonial America Trifecta

A very special out-of-town friend and I were having a hard time deciding what to do with our lone weekend we would have together while he was in D.C. I just moved here from the Kansas City area, and he was on a short leave from his teaching job in France. Our limited knowledge of attractions within driving distance left us with an empty Saturday slate. We did, however, agree on the general theme: History.

I suggested Williamsburg; my mom had often told me about the "magical" Thanksgiving experience she had there when she was in her 20s. Jamestown piqued both our interests, although neither of us knew how much there was to do there to full up an entire day. My friend thought Yorktown and its battlefields could be interesting. Or we could head north to Gettysburg and see where President Lincoln delivered his resonating "Four score and seven years ago…" speech.

Being that I work within the National Geographic Society, I have access to many a map. I decided to do a wild thing and actually look at the placement of these cities before any "planning" went any further. Lo and behold, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg are all within an hour's drive of each other. No decision had to be made, which was perfect for my indecisive self and my nonchalant pal. Minus Gettysburg, we could do it all!

We started out that morning a little later than anticipated, but by 10 a.m., we were on the road. The wet, slippery road. But we weren’t going to let the torrential rain deter us. We were determined to see the shores where America was born, come rain or shine. And we did.

Tour Guide: Biking the Underground Railroad

For history buffs out there (you know who you are), the Adventure Cycling Association has a great tour that combines U.S. history lessons with plenty of exercise.

The 48-day, 2,100-mile Undergound Railroad tour takes 14 cyclists from Mobile, Alabama, through the Deep South and the Tennessee River Valley, across the Ohio River, and up through Buffalo, New York, all the way to Owen Sound, Ontario, just like escaped slaves would have done in the 19th century (minus the bicycle, of course). Along the way, cyclists will stop at historic sites, share cooking responsibilities, and camp.

The Adventure Cycling Association is partners with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health, which helped create the UGRR route. To get an idea of what the tour is like, check out Joan and Mike's entry on the Review the Ride Registry, who also have a very detailed blog with lots of photos from last year's trip.

The Association has heaps of other multiweek tours, like the brand-new, 79-day Great Western Loop, as well as shorter trips, like the 7-day Cycle Montana route.

For more information about the group's self-contained bicycling trips (you carry your own stuff) and supported tours (they transport your luggage for you), check out their website.

Photo: Adventure Cycling Association/Dennis Coello

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America's "Distinctive Destinations"

Every year since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has added 12 places to its list of "distinctive destinations" in the U.S. These destinations "offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes, and a strong commitment to historic preservation and revitalization."

This year's destinations include: Aiken, South Carolina (for its varied history, from the first pottery made by Native Americans to being one of the first railroad towns); Apalachicola, Florida; Columbus, Mississippi; Crested Butte, Colorado; Fort Davis, Texas (for having no traffic lights or chain stores); Friday Harbor, Washington (pictured left); Portland, Oregon; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Red Wing, Minnesota; Ste. Genevieve, Missouri (for its French colonial architecture -- the most found in the U.S.); San Juan Bautista, California; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Coffee with an $11,000 Price Tag

As I deliberated over coffee beans in my neighborhood grocery store, the guy next to me struck up a conversation. It was run-of-the-mill small talk at first, but soon he was swooning over Grape + Bean, a combo wine-and-coffee shop that had just opened in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. Clearly still on a caffeine high from his visit, he was positively rapturous over the “best cup of coffee he’d ever had.” Intrigued, I pressed for details—after all, anyone who knows me at all understands coffee is my true love (sorry, Noah). And a couple of weeks later, I hopped on D.C.’s Metro on a pilgrimage to check the place out for myself. 

Just off bustling King Street in Alexandria’s adorable Old Town, Grape + Bean beckons with a cozy-but-classy feel (hardwood floors, exposed brick walls) and a friendly barista manning the coffee bar’s coveted gem: the much-buzzed-over Clover, only one of about 200 such high-end machines scattered throughout the world that brews coffee (not espresso) on a cup-by-cup basis. Produced by a small Seattle company, the machine costs a mean $11,000 and is for the bean connoisseur, or, really, anyone who’s willing to shell out more than $3 for a cup of joe. Sort of like a French press, the Clover precisely micro-manages each variable of the brewing process (temperature, time, et al), ensuring each cup’s quality is consistent. At Grape + Bean, each cup steeps for 44 seconds, though you can request longer or shorter if you know what you want.

Slate’s Paul Adams managed to get his hands on a Clover to tinker with the brewing process. In his words: “I'm sure I'm not the first Clover user to experience a quick flashback to a vivid childhood memory—watching, horrified, as Darth Vader lowers Han Solo into his carbonite freezer.”

Global Eye: Washington, D.C.

"Jefferson Surrounded at Night"

Photographer: Philip Yabut, Arlington, Virginia

Getting the Shot: Despite having had this camera for more than a year at that point, I was still learning how to shoot with it. I had taken many daylight cherry blossom photos over the years, and I decided to experiment with nighttime shots with the flash. I played with the aperture and exposure settings all evening and got a mix of good and bad results. Luckily, I picked a calm night, which gave me motionless cherry trees and still water in the Tidal Basin. A few cherry trees lining the walkway have branches that lean over the guardrail, allowing for nice photo-ops with the Jefferson Memorial.

The Details: Pentax *ist DL set at ISO 200, f/13, 10 second exposure.

With the National Cherry Blossom Festival in full swing, we couldn't resist featuring a local photo. And although the festival ends April 13, you can always find more ways to seek out Japan in D.C.

Photo: Philip Yabut via Flickr

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Even More Places a Dollar Can Get You

Calling all Dollar Menu lovers… or just fellow travel cheapos – the BoltBus, which recently launched $1 bus trips between Washington, D.C., and New York City, just announced that it is expanding its $1 service to Philly and Beantown as well.

Beginning April 10, the $1-each-way trips will be available between New York City and Philadelphia, and service between Boston and New York will begin two weeks later on April 24. Tickets for New York-to-Philadelphia are already on sale, and tickets for New York-to-Boston will go on sale on Monday, April 7. As part of the promotion for the new routes, tickets to and from Philadelphia on April 10-13 are $1, as are all trips to and from Boston April 24-27.

Just like the D.C.-New York trips, prices per seat will start at $1 (plus a hefty 50 cent booking fee) and go up to market value (currently about $20). BoltBus will offer six daily round-trip schedules between New York and Boston and nine between New York and Philadelphia.

The BoltBus will pick up and drop off passengers at 30th Street and Market Street in Philadelphia and stop at either 34th Street and Eighth Avenue or Canal Street and Sixth Avenue in the Big Apple. Service between New York and Boston will be at Boston’s South Station and 34th Street and Eighth Avenue in New York near Penn Station.

As I’ve mentioned before, BoltBus has free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and extra legroom. And, once you take eight trips on BoltBus, you get a free ride. If there's anything better than a $1 bus ride, it's a free bus ride.

Image: BoltBus

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Fields of Green

We blogged last week about D.C.'s new baseball stadium, Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified ballfield in the country. Well, this weekend I had a chance to check out the park myself, heading over to the Navy Yard section of town for Saturday night's exhibition game. And let me tell you, I was impressed. It's not just the idea of being one of the first people to see the park, but the, ahem, intelligence with which it was designed.

From the way the concession stands are set up in the outer circle of the concourse, so you can still watch the game as you walk around, to the huge, huge High-def scoreboard (which was mesmerizing) you could tell that despite the 22-month turnaround, quite a bit of thought had gone into the building process. But even better are earth-friendly touches that abound. Recycling containers are everywhere.  There's not a lot of parking, so it pushes people to opt instead for mass transit, or even better, to use the free bike valet. Beer is poured in biodegradable cups made from corn, and when you're done with a few rounds, you can head to the low-flush toilets. And though the lines for the locally-sourced food were long, having a Ben's Chili Dog at a ballgame was certainly worth the wait.

Fortunately for fans everywhere, Major League Baseball is working to bring these green innovations to stadiums across the country. Teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council, several parks began implementing greener practices in the past few years. Fortune reports that the Seattle Mariners recycle paper, plastic containers, and food waste; the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox are installing solar panels to cut energy costs; and the Pittsburgh Pirates are using corn-cups, 100% recycled toilet paper, and are sending their scouts out in hybrid cars.

We're glad that MLB is stepping up to the plate for sustainable practices, as it's certainly something that we can root, root, root for.

Photo: Janelle Nanos

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Finding Japan in D.C.

This weekend's Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. plays host to thousands of tourists looking to get a taste of Japan. But former Traveler intern Amy McKeever offers a selection of Japan-inspired locales that are available in the city year round.

If the idea of dropping a grand on airfare has been keeping you from taking that trip to Tokyo, then April is your lucky month. Each spring, a little bit of Tokyo blooms in Washington, D.C., during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Over a million visitors descend upon D.C. to marvel at thousands of pink blossoms lining the embankment of the Tidal Basin, take in live music from local artists, and watch the parade. But the most popular event of the festival is the sakura matsuri, Japanese street festival. Pennsylvania Avenue transforms into Tokyo where visitors can sing karaoke, read manga and, of course, eat deliciously authentic Japanese dishes.

But if you look hard enough, it's possible to make your own Tokyo in D.C. any time of year—nearly as good as the real thing.

Daruma: Tucked away in a little shopping center in Bethesda, Maryland, Daruma is a gourmand's delight. Stop by and stock up on frozen dumplings, Kirin beer or your favorite brand of wasabi. If the shopping whets your appetite, order a meal at the back counter—my Japanese teacher swears by their miso ramen. You might even run into diplomats from the Japanese Embassy.

Sushi Taro: This well-known restaurant in Dupont Circle is where the Japanese journalists based in D.C. order their meals during late nights. This family-owned joint offers some of the best sushi in town and, more importantly, it offers a broad menu of other Japanese specialties. After all, even the Japanese don't eat sushi every single day.

Veg Out in New York City

Friend of IT Marissa Bea, a theater student and recently converted vegan living in the Big Apple, knows that the foodie options in New York are endless. But where to start if you're looking for restaurants catering to the vegetable-conscious clientele? After six months of searching, Marissa gave us the low-down on some of her favorite vegetarian and vegan options in the city.

Candle Cafe (1307 Third Ave. at 75th St. 212-472-0970; pictured left) and more posh Candle 79 (154 East 79th St. near Lexington Ave.; 212-537-7179) both serve organic vegetarian food, from classic Caesar salads to the more innovative BBQ tempeh and sweet potato sandwich. Both spots also offer wide selections of beers, wines, and cocktails.

Marissa recently discovered New Hampshire-originated Curly's Vegetarian Lunch (328 East 14th St. between 1st and 2nd Aves.; 212-598-9998), a vegetarian diner (believe it or not) for "vegetarians, vegans, and sympathetic omnivores" that serves up "fakin'" (meat-free bacon) and veggie burgers. The NYC location opened in 2005 and has become a local favorite.

Chennai Garden (129 East 27th St.; 212-689-1999) is an all-vegetarian kosher Indian eatery that dishes up some of the best curry, chapati, and dosai in town. Says Marissa, "Their service suffers... but their food is awesome and really inexpensive."

Dancing with the Parks

Senior Editor Norie Quintos wonders exactly who leads when one dances with a national park...

Can a national park be interpreted into a modern dance, or a piece of music?

Wolf Trap—itself a national park dedicated to the performing arts—seems to think so. Over the years, the center, based in Vienna, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., has commissioned five original works inspired by such singular American destinations as Yosemite, Kitty Hawk, the Virgin Islands, Mammoth Cave, and most recently Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Think synchronized swimmers weaving through the coral reef and tethered aerial acrobats leaping on cliff faces. On-location footage and original music combine with stage performance to create the multimedia show that Wolf Trap president Terrence Jones says, “captures not only the natural beauty but the cultural heritage and spirit of our national parks.”

Want to see it for yourself? TIVo the PBS program “Dance in America: Wolf Trap’s Face of America” on April 21; it offers a 90-minute compendium of all the works performed thus far. Or, catch a reprise of its sold-out 2006 Hawaii performance at Wolf Trap on August 5 ($8 for lawn tickets; $38 for in-house seats). You can also do a YouTube search using the search terms “Wolf Trap” and “Face of America.”

The next park to get interpreted? Glacier National Park. Look for it in the summer of 2009.

Photo: Scott Suchman

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Destination: DC Dessert

Traveler Intern Catherine Pearson learned that sometimes the sweetest trip can be the one that you take without leaving your city. Ladies and gentlemen, we present you with a "Staycation."

Catherine and her roommate can always make room for cake...

We were bound for Niagara Falls. My roommate and I had never been, and it was her requested birthday celebration. Yahoo! and Google both estimated drive time as less than 8 hours from just outside Washington, D.C. Expedia pinpointed a hotel just north of the border. By our calculations, we were ready to go.

Then a glance at Weather.com froze us in our tracks: Winter snow advisory for the entire Northeast. Impaired visions of weighted-down windshield wipers and sealed-shut car doors chilled our revved-up plans. The perfect storm was toppling our last-minute birthday getaway.

Crestfallen, we dove deeper into the web to find a toastier weekend vacation. But prices skyrocketed as the latitude plummeted.

Admitting defeat, we hung up the mouse and went to bed. My roommate would have to settle for cake and ice cream without waterfalls. Revelation settled in overnight, like a silent snowfall. D.C. is a destination for travelers. Why not make it one for residents? Travel is my roommate's first love, but chocolate is a close second.  If museums and politics were the meat and potatoes of D.C., then we would partake in the capital's desserts.

Let's Play Ball!

 
Baseball season is almost here (which means it's getting warmer, too!), and our hometown Washington Nationals just got a brand new ballpark. But this year, in addition to serving traditional hotdogs and Miller Lite, Nationals Park is adding a bit of local flavor to its menu.

The 41,222-seat stadium, which officially opens March 30, will feature 11 local independent businesses, including favorites Ben's Chili Bowl, Noah's Pretzels (which will serve its pretzels in the shape of a "W"), Boardwalk Fries, and Dinger ice-cream sandwiches from Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy. Fans might even be able to ditch big-name beer for local brew from Capitol City Brewing Co. (negotiations have not yet been settled).

"Our offerings are going to be hard to rival," Nationals spokeswoman Chartese Burnett told the Washington Post. "I'm a vegetarian, and to be able to get sushi and veggie burgers at a ballpark? Come on. We'll have something for everyone."

Checking In: The Hotel Hershey Turns 75

Associate Editor Susan O'Keefe caught up with Brian O'Day, the general manager of The Hotel Hershey, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and is still as sweet as ever.

    

The Hotel Hershey when it opened in 1933, and the hotel today.

Hi Brian, Congratulations on Hershey Hotel's 75th anniversary. We've all heard Hershey Pennsylvania is the "sweetest place on Earth." Is it really true?

Absolutely! It's a great place to live, work and raise a family. There's always plenty to do here, yet it still maintains its small-town flavor and feel.

What's the story behind The Hotel Hershey?

The hotel had long been a dream that Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty shared. Mr. Hershey built his hotel in the 1930s, right in the midst of the Great Depression. It was his goal to ensure that nobody in town was unemployed during that time. He created 600 construction jobs, and the projects he developed are now called his "Great Building Campaign." The campaign was about building structures, obviously, but also about building hope that the country would recover and life would go on. The hotel is built on the highest point in the area—on top of what's called "Pat's Hill"—so it has the most spectacular view of the town below.

Can you tell us about Mr. Hershey, the inspirational man behind the brand? I understand he started a boy's school that continues to serve kids in the area?

It's an amazing success story. He gave his entire fortune (when he was still alive!) to establish a school for disadvantaged children. He built the entire town as an idyllic community. It's wonderful working for the hotel, because we're owned by the trust that Mr. Hershey established. So we're all working for a "higher purpose," as our profits are returned to the trust to help perpetuate the Milton Hershey School. Today there are 1,700 boys and girls living and learning in Hershey because of Mr. Hershey's generosity and foresight.

In what ways is chocolate used at the hotel?

We're very creative in our use of chocolate and try to incorporate it into our menus, themes and retail offerings. (Have you heard about our chocolate diamonds or chocolate pearls, which we sell at our Jeweler?) Naturally we use chocolate in our culinary programs; chocolate desserts are a natural. However, Ken Gladysz, our executive chef, also incorporates it into savory dishes and entrees. He uses it as a rub or in sauces. One of the most popular dishes in our Circular Dining Room is our Cocoa-Seared Scallops. We also serve chocolate butter (as well as sweet cream butter) to accompany our chocolate cherry bread.  And at breakfast you can't miss our famous chocolate bread pudding. I'm getting hungry just talking about it!

So what does a guest received at turndown?

Naturally...a goodnight Kiss!

Where a Dollar Will Get You

Here at IT, we like cheap transportation options. So we got especially excited when we heard about the new BoltBus (a division of Greyhound), which takes passengers between New York City and Washington, D.C., for only $1.

That's right. For as much as it costs you to buy a greasy hamburger off the dollar menu, you can travel about 230 miles from the country's political hub to the Big Apple.

Here's how it works: Ticket prices start at $1 (plus a 50-cent booking fee) and go up to market value, according to Dustin Clark, a Greyhound representative. Currently the market value is about $25. The earlier passengers book their tickets, the lower their fare will be. Passengers can book tickets up to six months in advance, and $1 tickets will remain available until the tickets sell out. Any extra seats can be filled by standby passengers on the day of travel, and walk-up tickets can be purchased for full price (market value). Ticket holders who purchase tickets online are guaranteed a seat, but BoltBus advises getting to the pickup point about 15 minutes before departure.

Logistics: The BoltBus will offer eight express trips daily from each city, picking up and dropping off passengers in Washington, D.C. (at Metro Center Station at 11th Avenue and G Street), and New York City (buses will stop at either 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue or Canal Street and Sixth Avenue).

Icing on the cake? The coaches have a few inches of extra leg room in each seat, and each provides power outlets and free wireless internet.

Services from each city begin on March 27, and tickets are currently available for purchase online.

Photo: BoltBus

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City Life: Hot Tickets

City Life Editor Amy Alipio is crazy about a lot of things: desserts, James McAvoy, satellite radio, and her new Honda Civic hybrid. But she admits being the geekiest of fans about theater. Musicals, dramas, pantomimes, obscure one-acts, whatever—if it’s a stage, she’s there, wide-eyed and giddy as a toddler. If she could jet around the world at will, here’s where you would find her this spring:

The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, National Theatre, London, now playing - through April 12
27 actors, 450 characters, and no dialogue. “Written” by the experimental and controversial Austrian theater artist Peter Handke.

August Wilson’s 20th Century, Kennedy Center, Washington DC, March 4-April 6
The full cycle of August Wilson’s ten plays about the African-American experience in the 20th century. Each play is set in a different decade (though Wilson didn’t write them in chronological order). The Kennedy Center’s staged readings start March 4 with the 1900s-era Gem of the Ocean.

The God of Carnage, Gielgud Theatre, London, opening March 7
Yasmina Reza’s new comedy, starring Ralph Fiennes, about two couples hashing over a playground altercation between their two young children. Reza is the author of the award-winning and much-staged "Art".

Nose to Bottlenose

Senior Editor Norie Quintos likes going nose to bottlenose with dolphins...

The Baltimore aquarium's new Dolphin Encounter program, which takes you backstage with the trainer and the marine mammals, is a close encounter of the interspecies kind. The 2 1/2 hour program includes reserved seating at the dolphin show and a short educational seminar. But the highlight is a play session at the edge of the pool with the high-diving creatures. It's hard not to anthropomorphize these clearly intelligent beings (They like playing catch! They're so happy!). I grew up watching Flipper reruns, see, and entertained dreams about become a marine biologist. But fulfilling one's fantasy doesn't come cheap. The program costs $195 and reservations are required. I'm not going to enter into a debate on the ethics surrounding the use of captive animals; suffice it to say that the aquarium follows best practices in the care and keeping of its charges, and focuses on education.

Read More: Learn about what's happening in dolphin's brains (and other animals as well), in the cover feature of National Geographic Magazine, "Animal Minds," in this month's issue.

Photo: Courtesy National Aquarium in Baltimore

Happy Birthday, Mr. Presidents!

George Washington snacks on his favorite hoecakes at Mount Vernon.

Most of us look forward to February's three-day weekend, in part because it's the last public holiday until Memorial Day in May (which right now, seems so far away...). But instead of lounging around for three days (ahem), we've decided to see how the nation's capital is celebrating this years' Presidents' Day.

February 12 was Abraham Lincoln's birthday. In 2009, he would have been 200 years old, and all over the country history buffs are preparing for his bicentennial. As we reported back in October, Lincoln's Cottage, just three miles north of the White House, will be opening to the public on Tuesday, February 19. Lincoln's 34-room summer home from 1862 to '64 will also feature the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center next door, which will have a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and plenty of exhibits detailing the President's life (tickets $12).

Just ten days after Lincoln's birthday is George Washington's birthday (February 22). Had the first President found the fountain of youth, he would be 276 years old. Regardless, George Washington's estate of Mount Vernon is celebrating all Presidents' Day weekend. And best of all, part of the celebration is free.

The Inn at Little Washington Celebrates 30 Years

From time to time Hotel Central editor Susan O'Keefe likes to check in with industry folks—from GMs to chefs and housekeeping staff—for a behind-the-scenes chat. She begins with a talk with Patrick O'Connell, proprietor and chef of the acclaimed Inn at Little Washington, an elegant English country hideaway in Rappahannock County, Virginia, tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about two hours from Washington, D.C.

At the end of this month (Jan. 28), the Inn will celebrate its 30th anniversary. A gala dinner will be held on April 9 in Washington, D.C. that will benefit YouthAIDS. Foodies can snag one of the 500 tickets at $575 per person (includes wine and gratuity). Guests dining at the Inn's five-star restaurant from now until February 8 (except for Tuesdays and Saturdays) will receive a gratis glass of Dom Perignon champagne and a $30 gift certificate compliments of Patrick and his staff.

Happy Anniversary Patrick. After 30 years and receiving nearly every award ever bestowed on a restaurant and inn, where do you go from here?

We just keep going and continue doing what we're passionate about. We're becoming a self-sufficient farmstead with the recent addition of our own agricultural area that includes an orchard of Montmorency cherries—a small but full-of-flavor cherry that will be used in our jellies and clafouti dessert in the restaurant. We're raising a colony of bees for pollination and for creating our own honey, we'll introduce sheep and llamas that will graze in a meadow. We've developed a network of local farmers who custom-grow vegetables that aren't the size of my leg—small zucchini and eggplant that are flavorful. Pathways to this area will link to the inn and cottages and allow guests to walk to the orchards, see what's growing in the herb and vegetable gardens—all featured in our dishes daily.

You added your kitchen ten years ago and designed it to look like the dairy room of Windsor Castle. Anything new being added to the Inn?

This past summer we added the Claiborne House—named for my good friend Craig Claiborne who was the food editor of the New York Times—a fabulous two-bedroom hideaway with its own dining room, a library filled with Craig's cookbooks, living room, media room, and formal garden created by Dutch landscape designer Guy Williams. Craig celebrated his birthday in this house. We also have added the Gamekeeper's Cottage, a two-story retreat that is a departure from the opulent interiors of the Inn, and features a decor that I call "elegant rusticity." It has limestone floors, a stone fireplace, a large soaking tub, and an outdoor dining pavilion with pastoral views.  Every detail looks as if it's been there forever. It will allow guests to have a closer connection to nature.

What are some of the signature elements of the Inn that a guest can expect during their visit?

The Inn offers a sense of place, but also a sense of personality. We gauge every guest's mood from the moment they set foot in the door, and make it our mission to make them happy and have their experience be life-changing. There are fresh flowers everywhere, our Dalmatian greets guests wearing a strand of pearls (appropriate since 30-year anniversaries are celebrated with pearls), tea is served daily in the library, breakfast can be brought to your room, if you prefer.

D.C.'s Staging a New Theater Scene

When Senior Editor Norie Quintos noticed a stack of ticket stubs piling up on her desk, she realized it was time to take another look at D.C.'s buzzing theater scene.

Washington, D.C., has always been a theater town to the cultural cognoscenti – an admittedly dedicated few – but a new crop of glam stages funded by infusions of cash from moneyed benefactors has finally awakened the average D.C. resident and suburbanites from neighboring Maryland and Virginia to the District's theatrical offerings.

The list of new or expanded theaters is almost too long to name. The most ambitious project has been the Shakespeare Theatre's construction of an entirely new building and addition of a second performance venue (the sleek, glass-enclosed Harman Center). We already had the Folger on East Capitol Street. Who knew our little city of 580,000 could support three Shakespeare theaters? Having caught recent productions of Hamlet and The Taming of the Shrew, I can tell you ye olde Bard has never been more relevant, and almost 400 years later seems to have no trouble packing the houses. 

Capitals Segway Tour

There's nothing quite like being a tourist in your own city. Or simultaneously being a tourist attraction and a tourist in your own city, for that matter. Late last month, Washington Post Sports Blog writer Dan Steinberg followed several of the D.C. Capitals hockey players as they took a Segway tour of the city—and proved that the jocks can be just as tough on their sidewalk-scooters as they are on the ice. 

Got your own way of exploring your city? Let us know in the comments below.

Baltimore's Miracle on 34th Street

I grew up in Charm City, the town in which many of director John Waters' ingenious films are based. Anyone that's ever visited Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood (the self-proclaimed "home of big hair") will tell you the area's brimming with characters. Never is this more evident than during the holiday season.

For as long as I can remember, the houses that line 34th Street in Baltimore have made a big to-do about Christmas. From late November to January 1, this tight-knit community transforms itself into a marvelous wonderland of kitsch and lights, where residents invite you onto their stoops and into their homes to see more model trains, dolls, Santas, and blow-up grinches than you thought existed in the universe. It's like a block party. In the middle of winter.

For 17 years (although residents have been stringing lights here for 60), thousands have traveled on foot (you can drive through, but hoofing it's more fun) through the tiny street of traditional rowhouses, resident "Mayor of 34th Street" Sharon Burke told the local television station in this video. Last year, 45,000 visitors came through, said Burke. This year, no less than 25 homes are lit up and plastered with holiday cheer. From the Christmas tree made out of hubcaps and angels made of National Bohemian beer cans, you're sure to find some holiday cheer in true Baltimore style.

While you're in the area, Hampden is also home to the cheeky, flamingo-covered Cafe Hon, where they sell all manner of tongue-in-cheek Baltimore memorabilia. They've even compiled an online dictionary of the Baltimore accent known as "Bawlmerese." After seeing the lights, warm up with a pastry and coffee at the New System Bakery, another Hampden institution, open until 10 p.m. all December long.

Photos: The Skipping Hippy, manahanwill

Tour Guide: A Presidential Christmas

Since it's increasingly hard to step inside the White House for a tour, we offer up two presidential homes just outside Washington, D.C. that have festive holiday tours every year.

Visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia, just two hours south of the District. The guided Holiday Signature Tour will take guests through the main house (designed and built by Jefferson himself) and includes a peek at the third-floor Dome Room, which is excluded from regular house tours. Construction on the mansion began in 1769 and was completed in 1809. Tours begin at 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on select