http://www.trifter.com/USA-&-Canada/Washington-D.C./index.1266 New posts in Washington D.C. http://www.trifter.com/USA-&-Canada/Washington-D.C./Five-Fabulous-Finds-in-Washington-D-C.118580 Washington, D. C. never fails to captivate an audience. Whether it's the throngs of tourists in the spring that arrive to gawk at the cherry blossoms or the museum-goers that bury themselves in the myriad halls of Americana on the Mall, visitors of all kinds find treasures galore around every corner in our Nation's Capital. Here are five fantastic finds that you just might check out on your next trip.

1. Dumbarton Oaks

   On its website, Dumbarton Oaks bills itself as a research institute (part of Harvard University) "dedicated to supporting scholarship internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships, meetings, exhibitions, and publications". Well, that's just about enough to scare any tourist off.  But the intrepid tourist who shirks off such stuffiness and actually visits this little gem is treated with both a brilliant museum and a breathtaking garden. The museum, which is free, houses a world-class collection of Byzantine art that spans nine centuries as well as a Pre-Columbian collection of about 700 items including one of the most outstanding collections of Andean art found anywhere in North America. For those visiting the museum, make sure to ask to see the Music Room as part of your visit. It's well worth the hassle and, hey, it's free.
   
   Most people visiting Dumbarton Oaks skip the museum altogether and head right to the gardens. I have to admit, I am not garden lovers, but after strolling through this maze of sensory overload, I am a convert. Whether you are interested in the art of landscape design or just anxious to see a pretty scene, the gardens are for you. I barely saw all of the gardens on my visit, however, because I was mesmerized by the peace and calm of the two-hundred-year-old Orangery attached to the east side of the main edifice (an architectural delight in and of itself) and could barely escape. It is hauntingly beautiful.
   
   The rest of the garden is, well, just beautiful. Plan carefully when you go because the museum is only open from 2 p.m. to 5 p. m. except Mondays and the gardens are only open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on those same days.

2. The Old Post Office Tower

   Okay, so maybe the Old Post Office Tower isn't as sexy as the Washington Monument. Fair enough. But battling 80 Boy Scout troops from San Diego to Sheboygan for a trip up the Big Pencil is not my idea of vacation bliss. I'll take my chances at the OPOT. Home to the Bells of Congress, the Old Post Office Tower, is now operated by the National Park Service and is entirely free to the public. It isn't quite as centrally located as the Big Pencil, but it's right on Pennsylvania Avenue and has a bird's eye view from the Capitol to the White House with a little glimpse at the J. Edgar Hoover Building and the inner courtyards of some of Washington's most hallowed halls. I also think the view up to the National Cathedral is noteworthy and impressive. A simple elevator trip and a few stairs are the only cost in this one.
   

3. National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism

   Dedicated in November 2000, the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism is a little-known, yet well-conceived monument that not only honors Japanese-American servicemen and women, but gives a nod to the 120,000 American citizens placed in internment camps at the outset of WWII. These citizens endured tremendous hardships as they were taken from their homes and carted off to places like Minidoka, Idaho and Topaz, Utah all because their skin was a slightly different hue. With that in mind, it would seem reasonable that the memorial might be kind of a downer, but the memorial is anything but a downer. Comprised of a sculpture of two cranes surrounded by a clean circular wall engraved with the names of the "relocation camps", the memorial deftly points out the struggle of Japanese-Americans to gain acceptance and equality, but does so subtly, almost as if to inspire rather than condemn.
   
   The memorial is tucked away just north of the Capitol on a triangular plot bounded by Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue and D Street NW and is cared for by the National Park Service as part of the National Mall.

4. National Postal Museum

   If you are one of the approximately 13 people out there in our country that still collects stamps or occasionally sends cookies to the college student by snail mail, this museum is a must. If you are like the rest of us and think Cheers patron, Cliff Clavin, is a doofus, this museum is also a must. Complete with a Philatelic Gallery and a display of WWII V-mail correspondence, the National Postal Museum takes itself very seriously. Exhibits are very interactive and museum workers are literally everywhere to help and guide. On my visit, the staff of the museum grabbed my family and me at the door and wouldn't let us go. Not only did they dress up my little girl in the trendiest postal garb, they strapped a mailbag on to my considerable frame and cajoled me into decorating my own postcard and sending it back home. It wound up being a highlight of our trip.
   
   Keep in mind, this is postal history, and it's not for everyone, but well worth a trip. The Museum is part of the Smithsonian and is located in the old Post Office next to Union Station.
   

5. The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall

   The National Mall is often called the Nation's front yard. Well, if that's true, then the Reflecting Pool is the Nation's plastic swimming pool? Whatever. If you want to get reflective and think about the history of our country or you want to contemplate life's lingering questions, the pool fits the bill, but I like it because it's a total magnet for Americana. America, in all its personal glory and quirkiness, is found within a stone's throw of the Pool. Protestors chant and yell on the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Vets quietly stroll along its banks. Busloads of screaming, laughing teenagers splash and frolic while children walk a tightrope on its edge. It's a microcosm of the ol' United States of America and I love it. The Reflecting Pool is hard to miss as its in the very center of the Mall.

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