It's a fact of life -- when you live in Washington, D.C., people come visit. And when they visit, they inevitably want to see the monuments. During the 15 years I lived in Washington, I've learned a few things about this subject.
1. Night is better. Period. Better parking, better views, better access, better everything.
2. If you must go during the day, you can't beat a bicycle tour.
3. If you can't do a day tour by bike, take the Tourmobile. Stop by the Hotel Washington (summer only) for a drink on their roof deck. The food is mediocre, but the view is awesome.
4. Whatever you do, don't drive during the day. You'll get a ticket.
Shawn likes to tell people that he fell in love with me the first time I took him on my Monuments by Moonlight tour. It doesn't have that effect on everyone, but it IS a good tour.
If you want to do it without a guide, I suggest parking along Constitution Avenue, and starting with the Vietnam Memorial. From there, move on to the Lincoln -- don't forget to turn around and look at the Washington Monument and the Capitol in the reflecting pool -- the Korean, and come full circle with the World War II Memorial. There is no need to get any closer to the Washington Monument, as it looks pretty much the same up close as it does from a distance.
From there, get back in your car and drive to the FDR Memorial. Don't forget to check out the views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin. When you're done, drive around West Potomac Park to the Jefferson Memorial. You'll be able to see the White House (good luck getting a tour of that building!) from the steps.
When you're finished at the Jefferson, get back in your car and drive over to East Potomac Park and out on Hains Point to see the Awakening. It's not really a monument and they don't light it at night. But it is pretty cool to look at and kids love climbing on it. If you're lucky, you might even convince your tour guide to pose for a picture!
Dianne
We were fortunate that Dann, Lisa & Kellie Wollet managed to fit a couple days in Maryland into their busy summer travel schedule! They stopped off to visit us on their way from St. Augustine, Florida to Mansfield, Massachusetts, by way of Knoxville, Tennessee. 
... is Baltimore at night!
Thanks to Bill Miller, my uncle with the mod goatee, for providing this blast from the past!
We used to tease Dave Wallace that his life was a beer commercial. He's settled down now, with a wife (Sarah) and the cutest twin boys (Matthew and John), but he still has a few artifacts remaining from his old life.
It's a fact of life -- when you live in Washington, D.C., people come visit. And when they visit, they inevitably want to see the monuments. During the 15 years I lived in Washington, I've learned a few things about this subject.
Shawn likes to tell people that he fell in love with me the first time I took him on my Monuments by Moonlight tour. It doesn't have that effect on everyone, but it IS a good tour. 
If you want to do it without a guide, I suggest parking along Constitution Avenue, and starting with the Vietnam Memorial. From there, move on to the Lincoln -- don't forget to turn around and look at the Washington Monument and the Capitol in the reflecting pool -- the Korean, and come full circle with the World War II Memorial. There is no need to get any closer to the Washington Monument, as it looks pretty much the same up close as it does from a distance.
From there, get back in your car and drive to the FDR Memorial. Don't forget to check out the views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin. When you're done, drive around West Potomac Park to the Jefferson Memorial. You'll be able to see the White House (good luck getting a tour of that building!) from the steps.
When you're finished at the Jefferson, get back in your car and drive over to East Potomac Park and out on Hains Point to see the Awakening. It's not really a monument and they don't light it at night. But it is pretty cool to look at and kids love climbing on it. If you're lucky, you might even convince your tour guide to pose for a picture!
Tara & Leah pose on the jetty beside our house. Thanks to Tonya for sending this cute pic!
We love our blue crabs in Maryland. They're not easy to eat, but worth the effort.
We took our maiden voyage to Baltimore by boat this weekend. Had it not been quite so windy and the water been smoother, we probably could have made it to the Inner Harbor in a half an hour, about the same time it takes to drive. 
I probably should apologize to Shawn for making him endure my off key rendition of the Star Spangled Banner as we cruised past Fort McHenry -- note the hand on the heart. Something about seeing the flag flanked by those big guns on top of that hill just made me want to sing! 
You wouldn't know it from reading this blog, but traffic on Route 50 isn't as bad as some of the other roads in/out of DC. The notable exception is Friday afternoons in summer, when thousands of 20- and 30-something lawyers, lobbyists, Hill staffers, and other assorted professionals head for the beach. Though I've spent my fair share of weekends at the Delaware shore, I'm very happy that these days I don't have to cross the Bay Bridge to get my waterfront fix!
The next time you see Shawn, ask him why he was on the Capitol steps today in a suit!
What to do on a Saturday night in Michigan? 
With Shawn
