Washington, D.C.
Fort Reno Park
The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Bethesda, Maryland
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Wheaton Station Escalator
The longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere takes over three minutes to ride down.
Washington, D.C.
President Lincoln’s Cottage
The house where Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation.
Kensington, Maryland
Washington, D.C. Temple
The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.
Washington, D.C.
Fort DeRussy
A Civil War fort in the middle of Washington, D.C. has been swallowed by a forest.
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion
The headquarters of the Audubon Naturalist Society is a small slice of heaven for nature lovers.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Polychrome Historic District
These five Art Deco homes were meant to solve the "small house problem."
Washington, D.C.
Fort Stevens
This American Civil War-era fort still stands near the border between Washington, D.C. and Maryland.
Takoma Park, Maryland
Bird Calls Phone
An old pay phone rewired to play local bird calls and songs at the press of a button.
Washington, D.C.
Battleground National Cemetery
This tiny, one-acre cemetery serves as a reminder of when the Civil War got close to the nation’s capitol.
Washington, D.C.
Sharpshooter's Tree
A diminutive plaque recalls the treetop sniper who almost killed Abe Lincoln.
Silver Spring, Maryland
'Coastline' Wave Pool
Live data is transmitted from the Atlantic coast to instantly recreate the ocean waves in this fountain at the NOAA headquarters.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Acorn Park
Giant acorn-shaped 19th century gazebo from which suburban Washingtonians gazed upon the original "silver" spring.
Sulzbach, Germany
Brennender Berg
Germany has its very own Centralia, whose spark remains attributed to "spontaneous combustion."
Portland, Oregon
Portland Horse Rings
Tiny horses tethered to antique rings are scattered around the city.
Three Rivers, New Mexico
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
More than 21,000 images fill this overlooked gem of a prehistoric site.
Alamogordo, New Mexico
White Sands National Park
Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.
Alamogordo, New Mexico
PistachioLand: World's Largest Pistachio
This is one really big nut.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Marble Stripe
Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.
The Lockkeeper's House
A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.
Washington, D.C.
D.C. War Memorial
An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.
Washington, D.C.
Man Controlling Trade
A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.
The Preamble in License Plates
The preamble to the U.S. Constitution written entirely from vanity license plates hangs in the Smithsonian museum.
