Capitol Hill Tours Return!

Capitol Hill walking tours are back! We have revamped itinerary — adding new elements, updating others, and we’re so happy to be offering it again to those interested in history, government, and examining the peaks (and valleys) of our democratic process.

Capitol Hill Morning is a three hour experience featuring visits to the United States Capitol Building, Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. We are offering this tour in the morning hours on Tuesday - Thursday to accommodate open hours of all the institutions on the Hill and to match the busiest times on the Hill.

This tour is meant to convey the busy and occasionally chaotic environment on the Hill, while offering historical narrative about why, how, and by whom Capitol Hill was established as an entity and how it still manages to change and adapt after every election cycle.

Sample Itinerary:
9:00am: Walk the the west front of the Capitol. See, up close, where the President is inaugurated every four years!

9:30am: Explore the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the House Office buildings. See an actual Hearing Room where Congressional Committees meet to discuss bills.

10:30am: Go inside the Library of Congress and Supreme Court. If the Court is in session, we will view it from the outside.

11:30am: Discuss the role of Congress and see timely artifacts in the newly renovated Capitol Visitor Center and museum.

12:00pm: Photo op on the steps of the Capitol!

And so much more along the way.

Capitol Hill Mornings are $300 for up to 5 participants.

Book this tour right now!

OK, I know what you’re thinking (FAQs):

Where do we meet?
We will meet in front of the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave SW. The tour will end on the east steps of the Capitol.

Is the same as the CVC/Red Coat Capitol Building tour?
Our tour is an excellent companion to --but not the same as— the Red Coat Capitol Building tour run by the Capitol Visitor Center. They have official access to places we will not go on tour, including the Rotunda and Statuary Hall. Please contact your Senator/Representative for assistance with a Red Coat tour or visit the CVC website.

What about government shutdowns?
Occasionally Congress can not agree on passage of spending bills to continuously fund government operations. The end result is a “government shutdown,” until a new funding is passed into law. Essential government functions are preserved, but spaces like the Library of Congress, Capitol Visitors Center, and Congressional office buildings would close. We will still proceed with the tour! Typically we will spend more time on the grounds and time permitting, see additional memorials including the Disabled American Veterans Memorial and Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II.

What about security on tour?
We will we be entering secure buildings on tour, including the U.S. Capitol. We will pass through magnetometers and your bags will travel through x-ray machines. Please travel as light as possible. Obviously, don’t bring weapons or sharp objects. No liquids, including water, are allowed in the Capitol. If you follow the rules of this list provided by the Capitol (linked), you will be good to go!

What should I wear?
There are no restrictions on dress, but consider that the tour takes place half indoors and half outdoors. Please were comfortable walking shoes and dress weather appropriate.

We’re so excited to be doing these tours once again!

Video: Beyond Granite Reflections

With the Beyond Granite exhibition closing a few weeks ago, I wanted to take a moment to delve into the meaning of commemoration here in Washington, DC. This video offers notes on the specific elements of each of the six installations, but also delves into the motivations behind the artists' design choices.

What truly struck me was the profound way in which these installations connected with the existing commemorative landscape of the Mall. It was fascinating to witness the powerful intersections between history, art, and remembrance, and how they all intertwine to create a tapestry of meaning that —in theory— transcends time. Even if the exhibition was but one month in duration, the reflection on commemoration will continue.

Thanks to all Patrons whose support make videos like this possible. For more video blogs, photos, behind the scenes in tour creation, tour previews, or just to support my work, check out tiers of membership here.

Rain, or Shine

As long as it's safe, I strive to honor all scheduled tours, even through the rain. For the most part, everyone has been pretty good about the policy over the past six years. 

It can get tricky thuough! DC wether changes so quickly. Even though it may be raining at 10 am, it may not be raining at our tour time of noon. And while I have a generally high tolerance, not everyone is enjoys or is able to tour in wet weather. 

When the participants are game, for the most part, so am I! I was grateful for these Danish television producers for being enthusiastic about touring last month, even through the raindrops.
This was a four hour tour and they were engaged the whole time! Amazing. And yes, we took a mid-tour coffee and warm-up break about 2 hours in 😄. 

They had lots of interesting questions including wanting to know if I thought any states would attempt to leave the union anytime soon! (I don't). They were also perplexed about the idea of federalism especially regarding the issue of gun violence. The session almost became Civics & U.S. Government 101. 

The group wasn't shy about sharing their critical thoughts about what is happening in the U.S. right now and we had some fulfilling discussions interspersed with lots of learning about American history and government. In this way, the content overtook the weather as the defining element of the tour. 

In their post-tour comments/review to me, they all mentioned the elements of learning and no one mentioned the weather. Of course, not ever rainy day tour goes off this well, but that is the ultimate goal.

Exhibition Spotlight: Afrofuturism

Surprisingly, one of the more intriguing parts of my recent visit to the Afrofuturism exhibition was the exhibition booklet. Typically, the exhibitors booklet --if there even is one-- is a mostly ephemeral folded pamphlet with obligatory, but duplicate information. I will usually pick one up whenever I first enter a new exhibition, but if it looks like I won't get anything out to it, I put it back in the rack for the next person.

Not so with Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures. Just as the NMAAHC has done with their exhibition websites, they have created a booklet that compliments and extends your experience beyond exhibition. It is deemed a "Cosmic Companion" and that rings true. 

The booklet helps you plan your walk through the exhibitors with "Discover Treks," offers prompts and questions to enhance your visit beyond the objects, and even offers tips on how to interact with the museum itself; from defining the word "object" wo helping you manage the time you have to see it all. I really loved the booklet and have been flipping through it the past few days admiring the work that went into it. 

As for the exhibition itself, it is a vast, but also focused on the evolving concept of Afrofuturism. Yes, it does concern the future, but also the past. It posits past and present struggles for freedom as afrofuturist in nature; reimagining a future of freedom and autonomy. 

The exhibition delves into multiple disciplines such as music, movies, television shows, literature, comics, commentary, and poetry. 

The objects and displays are broken up into three "Zones" -- 1) The History of Black Futures 2) New Black Futures 3) Infinite Possibilites. In between the Zones are "Portals," a tiny transitional story to the next section. There is even a looping replay of Gil Scott-Heron's "Whitey on the Moon" looping in one of the portals. Love it.

It's a vast exhibition that explores multiple aspects of what "future" has meant, and could mean as concept. This is a great follow up to the Smithsonian's FUTURES exhibition last summer at the Arts & Industries Building. 

Afrofuturism will be open for exactly one year: March 24, 2023 - March 24, 2024. It's located on Concourse Level C1, the first thing you see on the left after talking the escalator from the ground level down to the lower level exhibitions. 

Reserve tickets to the Museum here (link).

Top 5 Blossom Tips

Thanks to all Patreon supporters for making this list possible. Patrons get the full Top 10 list.

A few weeks ago the National Park Service predicted that the peak bloom period for DC's Cherry Blossom trees on the National Mall would be March 22-25. Peak Bloom is defined as the day or days when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees are in full bloom. There are other varietals, but Yoshino is by far the most common.

The March 22 predication was almost spot on. After visiting over the past few days, to me, it does appear that peak bloom will begin either today (March 22), or perhaps tomorrow, then last for 3-5 days before the blooms start to transition and the pedals give way to green leaves for the rest of the summer.

Considering the unique nature of visiting this part of DC at this time of year, here are my Top 10  tips for visiting the blossoms on the Tidal Basin during peak bloom.

Bring a real camera: Most modern smart phones have decent wide angle cameras. They'll pick up the color and essence of the blossoms and capture you there beside them in a quick selfie. But for more artistic shots -- nothing beats utilizing a zoom lens, more pixels, and sharper in-focus shots using your "real" camera, if you have one. Even a decent compact point & shoot will give you a leg up on most smart phone photography. And DSLR and SLRs with interchangeable lenses will do you even better. You can still save the photos to iCloud or Google Photos it you want to process them through your phone for that "punchy," saturated look. All social media sites compress even the best photos, but starting off with a high quality photo will make your posts stand out that much more.

Bring you patience: Everyone is trying to get the same shot and same view as you are. And they'll usually willing to go off the beaten path, stand right in the middle of your shot, and do basically any other annoying thing to get their own shot. Be prepared to wait it out to get the perfect phot or experience that perfect vista.

Eat beforehand: There are limited places to get prepared food down on the Tidal Basin. Whether you find the few permitted food trucks on West Basin Drive or the refreshment stands near the Lincoln Memorial, you'll be in line for 15-20 minutes for food. Eat before you head down to the mall. Alternatively, there are many places to fold out that blanket and picnic; including the ball fields across from the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial at West Potomac Park, and the grassy areas around the George Mason Memorial.

Don't drive too close to the blossoms: West Basin Drive will be closed for much of the National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 18-April 16). In addition, traffic on Ohio Drive will mostly be restricted to eastbound (westbound traffic is diverted to East Potomac Park). This means vehicle traffic near the memorials will be slow and street parking almost impossible to come by. There are a few public lots on East Potomac Park, but remember, there are dozens of other drivers looking for the same spot you are looking for. If you do need or want to drive, consider parking on the National Mall near the Smithsonian Museums. Then walk to 15th Street/Raoul Wallenberg Pl NW and head down to the Jefferson Memorial.

Prepare to walk a few miles: Say you get lucky and find a parking space on Ohio Drive next to the FDR Memorial. Great! Keep that spot as long as you legally can. And be prepared to walk. The Tidal Basin is a 2.1 mile loop all the way around. And if you want to get every blossom shot from every angle, it'll be a slow walk with the crowds. You'll get to enjoy the blossoms that much longer. Lingering encouraged.