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.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly
Light bulbs, scrap wood, and tinfoil comprise this homemade throne of the gods.
Washington, D.C.
Chinatown Barnes Dance
The unique traffic pattern named for an influential urban planner is also known as the Pedestrian Scramble.
Oxon Hill, Maryland
The Awakening
The 72-foot giant escaped confinement in a large patch of mulch only to be reburied in the sandy shores of the Potomac River.
Washington, D.C.
Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields
Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.
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.
Carousel on the National Mall
Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.
The Portrait Monument
Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.
Philo Farnsworth Statue
This statue of the "father of television" stands prominently in the United States Capitol.
Elberta, Alabama
Barber Marina
Come for the boats, stay to explore the intriguing assortment of art.
Elberta, Alabama
Bamahenge
Alabama has a fiberglass Stonehenge. With apologies to Spinal Tap, this one is full-size.
Pensacola Beach, Florida
Fort Pickens
One of the only Florida forts to remain in the hands of the Union all through the Civil War still stands as a historic stronghold.
Washington, D.C.
Senate Corncob Capitals
Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Card Catalog
A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel
A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
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.
Washington, D.C.
Rayburn House Office Building
One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."
Washington, D.C.
Capitol Building Tunnel System
Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.
Washington, D.C.
Summerhouse
A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
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.
Culture House
A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.
Arlington, Virginia
Reagan National Airport Bird Cannon
The system of air guns are fired off remotely to scare any trespassing avians.
Arlington, Virginia
George Washington Memorial Parkway
This isn't your average roadway—it's actually a National Park and a transportation pioneer.
Fort Washington, Maryland
Fort Foote Rodman Guns
A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.
