Renee Sklarew - The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C.

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ISBN 978-1-62809-104-5 (pbk.); ISBN 978-1-62809-105-2 (ebook)

Manufactured in the United States of America

5 4 3 2 1

RENEE SKLAREW has lived most of her life in the Washington, D.C., area. She writes about and photographs her hometown for numerous publications, including The Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, and VivaTysons Magazine. She is the coauthor of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Washington, D.C. and contributed to Fodors Washington, D.C. guidebook in 2013 and 2014. She is thrilled to offer readers her insiders advice about navigating the city. Find frequently updated information about navigating Washington, D.C., and the mid-Atlantic on her website, TravelandDish.com or on TheUnofficialGuides.com, or follow her on Instagram @TravelandDish.

I AM GRATEFUL TO MY INTREPID DAUGHTERS, Allison and Danielle Sklarew, for exploring our hometowns attractions and neighborhoods with me, and to my husband, Eric, my perfect partner. They are enthusiastic travelers who embrace new foods and cultures by my side. I thank my father, Joseph Marchese, who inspired me to see the world, and my mother, Mary Lu Johnston, for encouraging me to pursue my love of writing.

I would like to express my gratitude to AdventureKeens managing editor Holly Cross, who made the process of writing and producing this book a total pleasure. I deeply value her insightful guidance and support on this journey. I also thank AdventureKEENs Liliane Opsomer for promoting this valuable resource to readers.

I heartily applaud my former coauthor, Eve Zibart, for writing the witty and highly informative earlier editions. I am also grateful to have friends like Rachel and Brian Cooper, with whom I coauthored 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Washington, D.C. Their joint research helped me discover uncharted corners of our magical region.

I want to acknowledge the team at Smithsonian Associates for allowing me to guide visitors to inspiring sites around the nations capital.

And lastly, a shout-out to Pumpkin the Cat, who keeps me company at my desk most days.

Renee Sklarew

WELCOME to WASHINGTON

I MOVED TO THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA when I was a toddler. As I grew older, I thought everybodys hometown had magical museums (that charged nothing to enter) where you could gaze upon massive dinosaur skeletons and walk underneath a whale as long as your house. I thought every kid wandered through art galleries that looked like palaces, where you could see in person paintings by the most famous artists in the world or actually touch a real moon rock.

My parents loved taking my brother and me to the Smithsonian museums, and we were thrilled when guests came to visit. Then we were allowed to climb the legendary steps of the Lincoln or ride the paddleboats in the Tidal Basin next to the Jefferson (as we called them). I was especially fortunate in that when I was in third grade, my father took a job in Switzerland, and we were able to visit eight countries in two years (Switzerland is centrally located!). We toured the magnificent museums of London, Paris, and Rome, and it was there that I realized my hometown is an exciting destination, just like the European capitals.