Washington, D.C.
Capitol Bollards
The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
White House Helipad
Disks are rolled out onto the south lawn to absorb the impact of Marine One's wheels like giant coffee coasters.
Washington, D.C.
Legislative Bell System
An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Washington, D.C.
Site of the Union Station Train Crash
A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
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.
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.
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.
Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe
A museum cafe showcases Native American dishes and indigenous ingredients from across the Western Hemisphere.
Washington, D.C.
The Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony
The fountains of the U.S. Navy Memorial are annually salted with water from the Seven Seas as part of a nautical ritual.
Washington, D.C.
Knife Edge
Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Washington, D.C.
Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library
Home to a vast and influential collection of Shakespeareana.
Washington, D.C.
Watergate Steps
Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
Washington, D.C.
Carnegie Library of Washington, D.C.
D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.
Washington, D.C.
Peacock Room
This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Book Tower
A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.
Washington, D.C.
House of the Temple
This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
National Building Museum
Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Washington, D.C.
The Brewmaster's Castle
This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.
Washington, D.C.
The Mansion on O Street
With over 100 jam-packed rooms to explore plus elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O Street is a hidden treasure.
Montreal, Québec
Beaudry Metro
Montreal's colorful subway station shows its support of the local LGBT+ community.
Montreal, Québec
Farine Five Roses Sign
Two thirds of this Montreal neon icon has survived to flash another day.
Montreal, Québec
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (The Sailors' Church)
Small ship votives hang from the vaulted ceiling of this port-side church with a Latin inscription on the wall.
