The White House’s Office of Public Engagement and Office of Digital Strategy combined yesterday to host about 150 people for another White House Tweetup at the Old Executive Office Building, and upped the ante by providing with it a tour of the White House made up for Christmas. I was fortunate to be a late addition to the group, and Tiffany and I joined the audience for a program with a number of administration officials, from the pastry chef and the florist, up to the President’s CTO and the head of the Office of Digital Strategy.

The Red Room
courtesy of tbridge

The morning was spent in the South Court Auditorium deep within the OEOB. The crowd, which came from 15 states in all four continental time zones, was treated to 20-30 minute snippets with a diverse group of administration officials, highlighted by Q&A periods with each. After some quality time with Macon Phillips, Aneesh Chopra, Christina Tchen, and others, and a break for lunch (off-site, not at the canteen at the White House, sadly) it was off to see the White House’s Christmas decorations which went up in the week following Thanksgiving.

There’s a moment in the tour of the White House (and it would be different for each visitor, I suspect), when the place memory of the White House begins to settle in and you want to walk your way back to the beginning and see it all again. You take in the Vermeil Room, or the Green Room, or the Blue Room, and then suddenly you’re thinking about Eleanor Roosevelt having tea there, or Thomas Jefferson moving into the building for the first time in 1801.

For me, that moment came on leaving the State Dining Room. I looked up, with the choir singing a Christmas carol, and saw a bust of Lafayette in an alcove high above the fray. How the sculpted wig of a Frenchman brought me back to the earliest days of the United States and forward through two hundred plus years of history, I’m not entirely sure, but there I was, standing slack jawed in the Cross Hall.

White House Tree Bokeh 1
courtesy of tbridge

The beauty of the White House isn’t accidental. Men and Women work very hard, for very long hours, to put care and intention into every single object in every single room. Each medal on the tree in the Blue Room reminds us of those soldiers and sailors who will spend their holidays deployed in harm’s way. Each pillar of white chocolate on the four hundred pound gingerbread model of the White House reminds of the kitchen staff that started in September to build the confection model. Each carefully placed bough of pine and mistletoe is the work of one of many volunteers and paid staffers who keep the beating heart of Washington DC moving.

It’s been a rough year for me, and my relationship with this city has taken a harder turn. Where once I could see no wrong, the chinks in the façade have grown more and more prevalent, the result of scandal and proximity. This was the sort of uplift that I needed after a year of broken promises and frustrations. The holiday decorations at the White House to me represent the incredible care that people can demonstrate trying to make this city the jewel in the nation’s crown. Would that we could see more of it.

Below are some favorites, or you can peruse the whole of the set.

Bust of Lafayette
courtesy of tbridge

Recycled metal tree
courtesy of tbridge

Elyse with Bo
courtesy of tbridge

Cross Hall again
courtesy of tbridge

Entrance Hall Tree Closeup 2
courtesy of tbridge

The Laogai Museum may be small, but it packs a punch. Tucked away in the old Real World DC house off Dupont Circle, its one-floor exhibit explores the dark underbelly of Chinese labor camps and human rights policies.

“Laogai” means “reform through labor” and refers to oppressive tactics the museum claims China has used to punish political prisoners since 1949. Harry Wu, a survivor of the Laogai camps, founded the museum in 2008 as part of the larger Laogai Research Foundation. The museum moved into its current location last April, where they now offer free admission and guided tours.

Being such a young museum, it still has room for improvement. The stark red and black winding hallways can be a little confusing. I had trouble knowing where to start on my visit and in what order to look at everything. The first half of the museum feels one-dimensional, and the amount of text on the walls overwhelmed me a bit.

But it’s such a small space that getting through the information doesn’t take very long. The second half has more interactive features, including a series of films that gave some faces to the stories I’d just read and, frankly, made them more believable. The museum also has a model of a solitary confinement cell and garments worn in the Laogai.

‘Laogai Museum 2′
courtesy of ‘jcm_DC’

The most fascinating part of the exhibit for me was the section on products made by the Laogai prisoners. The list includes clothing, toys and even wine that allegedly come from forced labor by political prisoners. The Laogai Research Foundation starkly shows their biases in this part of the exhibit: while they want to raise awareness first, they also hope people will stop buying any products made in China (yes, that’s any) until the Laogai system ends.

The museum also includes educational space and a small bookstore with resources on human rights in China.

The foundation’s one-sided message may not suit everyone, and the space could improve with a few more creative features. Still, the Laogai Museum reflects that part of DC that always grapples with policy and makes you think. It would add new dimension to your tour around Dupont Circle and provide some great conversation fodder for a meal nearby.

Hours: M-F 10am-6pm and Sat 10am-5pm. Admission always free.
The Laogai Museum is located at 1734 20th Street NW. Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle (Red Line).

A couple years ago the Social Chair and I were sitting at a bar when the couple next to us asked us a question. They said they’d overheard our conversation with the bartender and were looking for a restaurant recommendation, since they were visiting from out of town and wanted to try something other than their usual haunts. We got to talking about where they were from (“Outside Toronto”), and we mentioned that we were leaving in a week to go visit family and friends both in and outside Toronto. It was at this point in a conversation with a Canadian that I would usually get to play my trump card, since my sister lives in a town even most Ontario natives haven’t heard of. But when we told them the name of the town (West Montrose), they got a little wide-eyed. And then they asked, “which house?”

It turned out that these strangers, from “Outside Toronto,” had almost bought that very house, and after they didn’t buy it their friends did. Their friends, in fact, were the couple who sold the house to my sister and brother-in-law (and since my sister’s family is moving to The Hague, it’s for sale again). In this city you never know who you might meet.

Judging by what I’ve seen on Twitter, and a stale rant that has been making the rounds again (which I won’t dignify by linking here), tourist season has fallen hard on some of you (the fact that it arrives at the same time as allergy season also doesn’t help, I’m sure). But I ask your patience as I make this heartfelt plea: please be nice to tourists.

It’s simple, really. There’s an argument to be made on economic grounds, since the taxes on tourist dollars help pay for essential services in DC, but that’s not my argument. There’s also a case to be made on political grounds, since the plight of a disenfranchised DC voter is often unknown to a tourist from the heartland, but I’m not worried about that either. Much.

I think we should all be nice to tourists simply because that’s what the members of a civil society do. I’ve been a tourist elsewhere, and I’ve had to stop people and ask for directions. I’ve also had people volunteer to help me figure out a map, or a tram network, or a train ticket system, or a menu, and it always brings a little light to my day to experience the reality that people everywhere are essentially good, and wow, I was totally on the wrong bus (San Francisco, twice). Or tram (Amsterdam).

There’s more than that. We are all, like it or not, ambassadors for our city. Every interaction any of us has with a visitor reflects on all of us. If you’re friendly and helpful, we look good. If you’re gruff or rude, you reinforce the stereotype of southern efficiency and northern charm. My own mother has said derisively that “everyone in DC works for the government” (for the record, neither the Social Chair nor I do), evidence we’ve got the deck stacked against us already. Why make it worse?

It’s too easy sometimes to forget that this city, this majestic capital, stands as a symbol of civic ideals. I chose to move here over a decade ago, and I consider the District my home. Every interaction any of us has with a tourist is a chance for the city — and possibly by extension the nation — to make a good impression. I experience discomfort every time I read a rant on one web site or another about tourists doing it wrong (this site has been guilty of that too). So somebody stands on the left side of the escalator in the Metro. What’s your hurry? The next train is in three minutes. Six, tops. If cooling your heels on a Metro platform for a few minutes is the worst thing that happens to you all day, you’re still having a good day.

So be nice. Give directions. Answer questions. Make room at the bar. Recommend your favorite restaurant. Smile. If you don’t do it for me, do it for the mom who raised you right. If you don’t do it for her, do it for DC. We’re not petulant jerks. We live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, where almost everything is free because those tourists pay sales tax while they’re here and most of them pay federal income tax when they’re back at home. I know I love it here, and I hope you do too. Share the love. You never know who that person you help will turn out to be.

Nestled in Northeast, you’ll find a time capsule from the past, where the remnants of Washington’s natural history of wetlands and rivers flourish. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is the hidden gem of the DC area National Park System and a excellent spot for DCers to escape to for a serene and educational respite.

In the late 1800s, Walter Shaw bought a piece of land along the marshland flats of the Anacostia River. Shaw, a Maine native, planted a few wild water lilies in a pond of this strip of land. The lilies took on like gangbusters and Shaw planted other lilies and varieties of flowers. When Shaw died in 1921, his daughter, Helen Shaw Fowler, expanded the gardens and made the location where U.S. presidents, their families, and neighbors would take day trips to.

‘IMG_4986b’
courtesy of ‘Allee574′

In 1938, with the tireless support of Helen Fowler Shaw, Congress authorized payment of $15,000 to buy the 8 acres of land with aquatic gardens, and the grounds were annexed to the Anacostia Park and the larger National Capital Parks-East. By way of saving this land, Congress created a park that filters the Anacostia River, reduces flood damage, and preserves the biological and cultural resources for present and future generations.

What makes Kenilworth is the symbiosis between the  aquatic garden and the marshlands. The flow between the sculpture ponds filled with water lilies and lotuses, and the wild grasses and reeds of the river is indistinguishable. Like the dragonflies that fly from one area to the other, the garden is one giant wetland oasis.

For photographers, and I’m an amateur, Kenilworth offers a rich palette. Wildlife abounds with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and beavers. The flora is diverse, colorful and vibrant. And the wetland and ebbing rivers provides shimmery and reflective  surfaces.

If you’re thinking Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is a trek, you’re wrong. It’s as easy to get to as RFK Stadium or Nationals Park. You can drive (they have parking,) or Metro (Deanwood Station) or canoe (FYI: check the tides) to get there.

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Anyone who’s driven Independence or Constitution in the summertime knows the tour-bus hatred. Or 15th Street. Or Virginia Ave. Or 17th Street. Or really anywhere near the tourist areas of DC. These bastards park their motorcoaches whereever they darned-well please, and it’s a real pain in the ass to get anywhere when they’re here. My favorite is 15th Street at 3:30pm, where you can sometimes have buses triple parked, blocking all southbound traffic. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) feels your pain, and wrote a letter to Mayor Fenty to request a fix. Here’s his list of questions:

• Are there additional enforcement procedures that could be employed by the Metropolitan Police and United States Park Police to deter congestion-causing traffic offenses?

• Are there any planned or potential expansions of bus parking spaces or drop-off lanes in the Mall area?
• Are there steps that can reasonably be taken to increase visitors’ use of Metro and satellite bus parking, including advertising through National Park Service materials or the DC Visitors Bureau?
• Can the Park Service coordinate tour times so as not to coincide with peak commuter rush hour periods?

If I had to guess, there’s a lot that can be done to increase enforcement against the buses that are causing the problems. I’d advocate for a $500-$1,000 fine, myself, and maybe public floggings of the drivers that are repeat offenders.

While some folks are social explorers in museums, tending to talk about everything they’re seeing, I tend to be a more contemplative traveller through these places, stopping to take it all in in silence. Apparently, I’m not alone, and the folks at Bluebrain have just the thing for you to try out as you head to the National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Ocean Hall.  The free track, available in MP3 format, is meant to be started as you enter the exhibit from the Elephant side, and listened to as you wander throughout the exhibit, learning about the development of ocean life.

One of the cooler things about living in the Capital City are all of the amazing embassies. One of the neater moments of my professional career was getting invited to an event at the Irish Embassy. This weekend, all of the European Embassies are hosting an Open House that runs all day Saturday. There’s a PDF Map on the EU’s site to guide you through the various embassies, and it includes an event listing for the rest of the week’s festivities. Go check out some of the beautiful buildings and residences!

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If you’re looking to escape from the Cherry Blossom hoards and find your own little piece of Washington DC for a few hours, the Dumbarton Oaks house, gardens and museum have your name on it.

In 1920, U.S. Foreign Service diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss purchased a large portion of land and a 1801 Federal style house in the northern most section of Georgetown. The Blisses made significant architectural renovations and additions, such as the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection (DORCL) structure, which includes the 1963 Phillip Johnson designed Pre-Columbian Pavillion.  And more recently DORCL has welcomed a new library in 2005 and an extensive renovation of the house and museum was completed in 2008.

The museum houses, amongst other things, the significant art collection amassed by the the Blisses during their State Department life overseas.  This includes two fascinating collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts, as well as displays of tapestries, sculptures, paintings, and furniture dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, which can be seen in the Music Room. 

‘Dumbarton Oaks Museum – Smile – 4-11-09′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

In 1940, the Blisses transferred ownership of the Dumbarton Oaks estate and their collection to Mr. Bliss’ alma mater Harvard University. However, they remained extremely active and continued to shape the institution, the collection, and the gardens, until their deaths in the 1960s. The estate is now managed by the trustees of Harvard.

The DORCL also houses a library containing over 100,000 volumes dedicated to landscape architecture, Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art. Access to the library is generally reserved for resident scholars, however the general public can apply for weekly reader or reader status.

‘Secret garden’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

The approximately 10 acres on which the Dumbarton House and DORCL reside has change dramatically since the Bliss’ first purchased the estate.  Mrs. Bliss worked closely with landscape gardener and architect Beatrix Farrand, who was the niece of Edith Wharton and long time friend of Henry James, from 1922 to 1947. The pair transformed the grounds with terraced gardens and vistas paired with informally planned open spaces.  On the grounds, which are open to the public for a small fee, you’ll find the original greenhouse, a brook with miniature waterfalls, Lover’s Lane Pool, a formal Rose Garden, and many other serene and tucked away spots for you to enjoy. The gardens are opened March 15th through October 31st from 2-6pm, except Mondays. General admission is $8 and garden tours are offered daily at 2:15pm.

Of significant note, in 1944 the Dumbarton Oaks estate hosted the aptly named Dumbarton Oaks Conference that laid the foundation of the United Nations.  Discussion included which nations would be invited as members, the formation of the United Nations Security Council, and the right of veto that would be given to the Security Council’s permanent members.  The conference was followed up by the Yalta Conference in February 1945.

Additionally, the estate had a major Igor Stravinsky named after it, when Mr. Bliss commissioned Stravinsky to compose a concerto for his thirtieth wedding anniversary in 1938. The resulting “Dumbarton Oaks” concerto, aka “Concerto in E-flat,” is a tribute to the beauty and serenity that the Dumbarton Oaks estate imparts to every visitor.

Nestled in along M Street, in the heart of Georgetown, you’ll stumble upon The Old Stone House, one of the oldest homes remaining in Washington, DC. Built in 1765, the house is maintained and operated by the National Park Service, and is part of the National Park System’s Rock Creek Park unit. Since it’s original construction, the house has traded hands many times and has been used as a shop for hats, tailors, locksmiths, clockmakers, house roofing, house painting, and even a used car dealership. Fortunately, the house was purchased by the Federal Government in 1953 for $90,000. At today’s market prices, the house and its garden are thought to be worth close to $6-7 million.

Constructed from local quarry stones and ballast stones from the English sailing vessels that journeyed up the Potomac, the house is a prime example of a typical 18th century dwelling that would have been inhabited by common Americans. Tours and lectures offered by Colonial period-dressed park rangers, highlight the lives of these early Americans and DCers.

‘Old Stone House 1935′
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Upon entering the house, even if you’re of average height, you’ll immediately notice the low ceilings. It can feel a bit claustrophobic, but you’ll adjust/stoop quickly. The front room offers an excellent NPS shop filled with wonderful books, photos and collectibles featuring DC history. It’s definitely worth a perusal.

The next room is an 18th century style kitchen with a massive kitchen hearth that was used to heat the entire house. What I found of particular interest in this room was a height chart located just through the door frame.  The chart marks not only the heights of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but also the average height of Colonial men and women and the average height of current U.S. men and women.  While I was fist pumping, the fact that Americans have grown about 2″ on average since the 18th century, I was surprised to learn that this height differential is not the reason why Colonial ceilings infringe upon our head room.  Low ceilings were, in fact, actually built for the very rational and economical reason of keeping houses warm during the winter. Duh,  heat rises, so lower ceilings mean a warmer room.

The second floor showcases a, minimally decorated, dining room, parlour and bedroom. You won’t find many accessories or admonishments in the Old Stone House. In fact, an inventory of house goods by the house’s first owner, woodwork Christopher Layman, listed only one table, beds, chests, one towel, no chairs, and two Pennsylvania Dutch Bibles.

‘Old Stone House 1890′
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

The third floor, which is believed to have housed the children’s bedrooms and storage, is partially unfinished and built from brick. The bedrooms are decorated as they would have been in the 18th century, which like the rest of house is  simple and basic and continues to showcase what the daily lives of these ordinary people was like.

Once you’ve toured the house, which is opened Wednesday through Sunday from 12-5pm, take a stroll through the quaint and tranquil English garden. It’s amazing that such a peaceful, green space could be located 10 feet from the busy, shopping streets of Georgetown.  In the garden you’ll find wooden benches, a grassy lawn and the typical shrubberies and perennials found in an English garden. It’s a fantastic place to enjoy some coffee or lunch. The garden is open during daylight hours 7 days a week and is accessible through the gate on M Street.

Should you want a more in-depth tour, on Saturdays at 10:30am, the NPS offers guided tours of the house that highlight colonial life as lived by the various inhabitants of the Old Stone House and feature craft demonstrations.

In a ceremony in the NMAH’s Flag Hall this morning, First Lady Michelle Obama donated her Jason Wu-designed chiffon and Swarovski crystal gown to the Smithsonian as part of their new “A First Lady’s Debut” Exhibit that opens tomorrow. Featuring gowns from the last 50 years of Inaugurations, from Mamie Eisenhower through to Michelle Obama,

Designer Jason Wu, 28, was on hand to meet the First Lady for the first time, and today thanked her for “letting my story become a small part of the events,” surrounding the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Wu emigrated from Taiwan when he was just 9 years old, studied in New York and Paris before opening his own studio in Manhattan 4 years ago. He is the youngest designer to outfit the First Lady for the Inauguration.

The exhibit is open to the public starting tomorrow morning.

Right about now, though I’m liking the warmer weather, I’m craving something warmer. Part of me wants to drive up to BWI, get on a cheap flight to Phoenix, and go see some baseball, but then I remember what happened to Kevin Smith, so screw that noise. But, that brings me to the 6th Annual Travel and Adventure Show which runs all weekend at the Convention Center. Find a cool vacation, find a cool adventure, and there will be all kinds of travel discounts available on the show floor. Shopping for a honeymoon, or another big trip, this could be a fun way to think about escape for a day.

We’ve got two passes to give away, so leave your name in the comments, and we’ll pick a winner tomorrow at noon!

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The drama of Curling is gripping the nation, as it is wont to do during the Winter Olympics. Some clever minds over at the Hilton Garden Inn in McPherson Square saw the opportunity to tap into the adopted cult sports quadrennial success around the games and throw some support towards USA Curling. With four modified-length sheets and an array of stones, the basement ballrooms of the 14th St facility are ripe for you throw around all the fantastic curling terminology you’d like.

Tom Bridge captured the moment via some outstanding photographs, and I’m proud to say that I took a 1-0 victory over DCist in the first ever, unofficial, DC Blog Bonspiel.

This is just the start of our curling coverage this weekend, as we’ll be heading out to Potomac Curling Club tomorrow for their open house. However, if you find yourself with your family downtown this weekend, the ice here at the Hilton Garden Inn is open for the public to take their hand at an end. It will be open starting at 6 p.m. this evening until 9 p.m., as well as tomorrow and Sunday.

Need to brush up on your Curling lingo? I posted a little bit of a primer over on my own blog last weekend.

Dave Levy, among other things, is We Love DC’s Senior Curling Correspondent (yes, We Love DC now has a Senior Curling Correspondent). He usually writes about media and journalism over at State of the Fourth Estate.

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Students at work in Adams Morgan by Corinne Whiting

When you think DC, you don’t typically think “safari.” (Heck, with Tai Shan leaving us yesterday, now even the National Zoo seems far less exotic to explore.) But thanks to local photographer-entrepreneur E. David Luria, locals and visitors alike get the chance to go on a different type of hunt: the pursuit for the perfect photo.

I’ve been lucky enough to tag along on two of David’s tours with Washington Photo Safari. One was on a very sticky day that attracted a lot of map-wielding tourists to must-see spots like the White House, Vietnam Memorial and Lincoln Reflecting Pool. The second, on a morning so cold that a few wayward students kept disappearing inside for long coffee breaks, drew visitors and locals to the lively Adams Morgan zone. I enjoyed both safaris for the spontaneous chats with curious city newcomers as well as longtime residents who gladly shared their shutterbug expertise. I also appreciated David’s kind encouragement, grandfatherly jokes and the way in which he made every member of our slightly ragtag, eclectic photography team feel included.

But my favorite part? The license these tours gave me to screech to a snail’s pace for a few hours, studying the details of my city as if seeing it all for the first time. I pointed my lens at monuments, memorials, doorknobs, tattered murals, cracking sidewalks, shiny car hoods and intricate African weavings, finding beauty in places normally eclipsed by my rushed daily routine.

E. David Luria of Washington Photo Safari by Corinne Whiting

David founded Washington Photo Safari in 1999 to teach other amateur photographers how to better use their cameras and take better photos. The company has since expanded to a team of nine instructors and collectively they’ve trained more than 17,500 photographers on 2,400 safaris, typically running three to four safaris per week throughout the year. Check out the schedule here for upcoming events.

Like so many Washingtonians, David tells a fascinating and global back story. When in 1972 he snapped a photo of his eight-year-old daughter’s best friend that brought the friend’s father to tears, David realized he liked “taking pictures that make people cry for joy.” While he worked as a representative for CARE in Colombia and Panama, he took photos on the side that were used in brochures and annual reports. (He also served as “office photographer” throughout his thirty-year career with the organization.)

When he lost his job in 1995—his position with an international citizen exchange program eliminated—he decided to turn his photography hobby into a profession. Although this meant a ninety percent reduction in income and nearly eight years to rebuild his earnings to their former level, he soldiered on. Aspiring to be an architectural photographer, David studied in Paris with the Parsons School of Design under the tutelage of a colleague of Henri Cartier-Bresson.

David sold many of his DC images to local postcard companies, so you’ve probably seen a lot of his work without knowing it. Today you can find his name on about eighty postcards and guidebooks sold in gift shops around town. He’s contributed more than 1,200 photos to “The Washington Post’s Apartment Showcase Magazine” and is an official photographer of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

When asked his top photography tips, David offers four pieces of advice:

1) Be sure you know why you are taking the photo and who it is for.
2) Clean up the background and the edges of the photo.
3) Get in low, and get close to your subject.
4) Become so familiar with the camera that you use all its features to get the exact effect that you want.

Washington Photo Safari students by Corinne Whiting

David finds DC to be “one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world.” One reason it’s so photogenic, he says, is because “the buildings’ height restrictions allow the city to be flooded with light.” His favorite seasons to shoot are fall and spring with its explosion of cherry blossoms, tulips and azaleas. Among his preferred sites: the Korean War Memorial in the snow, the Lincoln statue at night, the north portico of the White House at twilight and the view of the DC skyline from the Netherlands Carillon at twilight and full moon.

Though David agrees that better cameras offer advantages like bigger apertures, longer or wider lenses, faster shutter speeds and higher resolution, he insists that a good photographer can take great photos using even the most basic camera. To illustrate his point, he gives this analogy:

How would you like it if you cooked a wonderful meal, and your guest said to you: “Corinne! That was delicious! What kind of oven do you have? What kinds of pots and pans did you use?”

It’s not the oven; it’s the cook.

So with those words of encouragement in mind, head on out on a snow safari this weekend. I challenge you to capture our city in all its winter wonderland glory.

*Since the last WLDC photowalk was such a hit, stay tuned for more of those as well in upcoming months!

Wintertime at Korean Memorial by E. David Luria.

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