Practical travel information for practical travelers
It’s all about the money. Always has been. Apparently always will be. At least it is at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The BEP prints all the Federal Reserve notes (translation: Money) at facilities in Washington DC and Ft Worth, Texas. Coins are produced by the US Mint. The BEP also prints other [...]
The American Institute of Architects announced the results of its annual poll and named the top 150 favorite structures across the United States. Here are the Top Ten on the list: Empire State Building The White House Washington National Cathedral Thomas Jefferson Memorial Golden Gate Bridge U.S. Capitol Lincoln Memorial Biltmore Estates Chrysler Building Vietnam [...]
February 19th is Presidents Day, a federal holiday here in the United States. Originally, the holiday was designated as Washington’s Birthday, and was celebrated on George Washington’s actual date of birth, February 22nd. In 1971, however, as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, the holiday was moved to the third Monday in February. The [...]
Details: Today is the anniversary of the dedication of The Pentagon. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, and although it’s mailing address is Washington DC, the complex is actually located in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest buildings in the world, and has five side, five floors above ground, and two basement [...]
A little bragging rights for my home state right now —- Washington State sent a 65-foot Pacific Silver Fir tree, from our Olympic National Forest, to the “other” Washington for the Capitol Christmas Tree. With the theme “A Gift from the Evergreen State,” the tree is decorated with 3,000 Washington state themed ornaments made by [...]
When you think of the day after Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? Relaxing around the house and eating leftovers? Watching football? Listening to holiday music and putting up the holiday decorations? Or are you one of the many, many people who will be heading out to the stores for the kick off of the holiday [...]
Yes, this is a shameless plug for two new b5media travel blogs, one written by yours truly, and the other by my friend (and frequently photo contributor), Jon Rochetti. I hope you’ll give a look to both of the new blogs. Travelers and residents of Washington, on either coast, have a new resource with the addition [...]
With a theme of Nature’s Bounty, you’d expect a wide variety of travel writing, and this month’s Travel Blog Carnival didn’t disappoint. I contributed my post about the beautiful Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens just outside of Washington DC. A very big thanks to Trip Hub for sponsoring this roundup of great travel writing. Be sure to [...]
Where were you on 9/11? The question doesn’t need a lot of other detail, or further explanation. It’s the kind of question that shaped a generation, just like previous questions: Where were you when the President was shot? Where were you when you heard about Pearl Harbor? I was in Southern California five years ago. [...]
A recent MSN article listed 15 tourist traps that the writer recommended avoiding, claiming they weren’t worth the time and/or money. I disagree with most of them, believing that they are things you need to do at least once in your life. Read my reasoning here, compare with MSN writer Jon Douglas here, and then [...]
In addition to traveling, Mary Jo likes lingering over a cup of coffee, wandering in a museum, sipping wine at a cafe, enjoying a relaxing massage, and sharing it all with friends and readers.
Her most recent travels were to Portugal and Italy.
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