Washington, D.C.
NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller
While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
Cuban-American Friendship Urn
The only National Monument ever to go missing for nearly 50 years then resurface in a dump.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Access Hatch
Daredevil repair workers can worm their way out the access hatch, loop ropes over the apex and rappel down the monument.
Washington, D.C.
Jefferson Pier Marker
A tiny monument to the unsuccessful attempt by Thomas Jefferson to place the prime meridian in Washington.
Washington, D.C.
African-American Civil War Memorial
The first memorial dedicated solely to the Black troops who fought for the Union.
Washington, D.C.
D.C. War Memorial
An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown Waterfront
The little-known, 300-year history of the area includes former lives as a bustling tobacco port, parking lot, and industrial dump.
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.
Washington Monument Lightning Rod
The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.
Washington, D.C.
Ben's Chili Bowl Mural
A gorgeous mural outside a beloved D.C. restaurant pays homage to famous Black Americans.
Washington, D.C.
Owney the Postal Dog
A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia Center Point
A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.
Carousel on the National Mall
Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.
Sweet Home Cafe
This unique museum cafeteria showcases the history and regional diversity of African American cuisine.
Washington, D.C.
Abandoned Drawbridge Control Room
The hidden offices underneath Memorial Bridge have been locked up since 1976.
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.
The Mary Surratt Boarding House
The house where John Wilkes Booth conspired with his co-conspirators.
Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Stubby
The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Kilroy Was Here
There’s a hidden military meme engraved on the World War II Memorial.
Washington, D.C.
East Potomac Park Mini Golf
The country's oldest continually-operated mini golf course lies hidden in plain sight, eclipsed by one of D.C.'s most popular tourist attractions.
Washington, D.C.
Albert Einstein Bronze Statue
The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft
A cavernous three-story, 43,800-square-foot basement that was forgotten about for 60 years.
San Antonio, Texas
Alamo Line in the Sand
Legend has it the commander of the defenders drew a fateful line in the dirt with his sword just before the final battle.
San Antonio, Texas
Fiesta Tower
Colorful curls of hand-blown glass form a captivating tower in San Antonio's Central Library.
