National Hanukkah Menorah and where to find other public displays

by Jamie Rhein on

Yesterday the National Hanukkah Menorah in Washington, D.C. was lit to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah the Jewish holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees over the Syrians who had oppressed them. In a miracle, the oil that was only enough to burn for light for one day lasted for eight.

Although the main lighting of the National Hanukkah Menorah festivities happened yesterday, the menorah, located at the Ellipse near the White House grounds, will be lit each night during Hanukkah.

There are many other public menorahs on display around the world. Here’s a link to the page on Chabad.org that features many of them. Last year, when I came across this link, I was impressed by the scope of where these menorahs are located.

For the largest menorah in the world, head to New York City. It’s on 59th St. and 5th Ave. I don’t think you can miss it. It’s a 32 feet-tall candelabra.

When supply and demand becomes gouge and pilfer

by Scott Carmichael on

January 20th will be a pretty big day for any business in the Washington DC area. It probably doesn’t matter whether you are selling doughnuts or special inauguration plates, people will be heading to DC in the millions ready to buy whatever it is you are selling.

With that many people, it is only logical that many of them will plan to stay the night, so naturally that drives the price of accommodations up a little. However, it appears that most hotels in the area have taken “a little” to a whole new level, way beyond what they usually do for special events.

Take for example the Crown Plaza Hamilton, a fairly basic 3 1/2 star hotel in the downtown area. This hotel normally charges between $85 and $100 for a standard room. Care to guess what they want for a night in a standard room during the inauguration?

That’s right, $1000 bucks. And not just anyone can get that rate, you’ll need to reserve at least 3 nights to get that “special rate”.

In their defense, they are by far not the only ones cashing in on this event, even suburban 1 star hotels are charging a staggering $699 a night (compared to their usual $59 rate).

Where to pee in D.C.: a guide for Inauguration Day

by Jamie Rhein on

You’ve been there. You’re in the middle of a day of site-seeing and you have to go. As in, RIGHT NOW! Unfortunately, you’re hard pressed to find a public restroom. With the crowds expected to gather in Washington, D.C. for Inauguration Day, finding a toilet when nature calls could be a problem.

Thinking ahead, Jennifer Lynn has come up with an insiders guide for where to pee in D.C. Her down-loadable brochure is called “Where To Pee in DC: The Insider’s Guide on Where to Go” and is for sale on E-Bay.

Jaunted did a write up of this useful gem and highlighted a few of Lynn’s suggestions.

For example, head to the east wing of the National Gallery of Art. The advantage of Lynn’s method, I think, is not only will you find relief, you’ll find culture as well. Although, you might be in a hurry when you pass by some of the artwork on your way to the john, take time to browse on your way out.

Here’s the link to the down-loadable book. It costs $2.50. If you are going to D.C. for the Inauguration, this might be the best money you’ve spent. According to the statistics, there is one toilet for every 6,849 people.

Reward for missing dog at Washington Dulles

by Grant Martin on

If you happen to be riding around in one of the Moon Rovers at Washington Dulles in the next couple days, keep your eyes peeled for any four legged creatures running around the tarmac.

John and Ronia Weisner, two owners of a dog that was traveling with John, an active member of the armed forces, en route to Saudi Arabia, were horrified to find that their pet was lost at Washington DC‘s Dulles airport, not an hour after they turned her over to United Airlines‘ airport authorities for luggage check in.

The culprit, they suggest, is the substandard cage that the FAA required them to use — apparently the new kennel that they purchased had to have screws in it but was still not structurally sound enough to handle the baggage system.

But how did the dog escape? Once the dog and cage went down into the luggage system, it appears that something struck its side and the dog broke free. As to whether the dog could have broken itself free, the Weisner’s state:

“There’s no way, no something hit it, bended it inward.”

Now, in an effort to find the missing animal and restore peace to John and Ronia, the two have offered a $2500 reward, while United has put up another matching $2500. The pair have been scouring the tarmac with escorts looking for the dog and apparently have still yet to find the animal.

My bet is that it will show up in someone’s luggage in Abu Dhabi.

5 steps to smarter packing

Renovated National Aquarium offers an inexpensive option

by Jamie Rhein on

Gas prices aren’t the only expense of a vacation that pinch the finances. Admission fees can be a real downer. If one is traveling with young children, huge, expensive museums can be overwhelming.

These are two reasons why the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. sounds appealing to me.

At $5 for adults, and $2.50 for children, the admission is not even close to the $18.75 amount for adults to the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky. The Newport Aquarium, the last one I visited, is quite impressive, but sometimes I’d rather opt for a simpler venue for less money.

Last year, when we went to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, much of our time was spent finding a bathroom and each other. Due to time constraints, we hurried through sections where I wanted to linger. When mixing children with large museums, it’s often necessary to leave out entire exhibits in order to not have a kid meltdown halfway through.

With a smaller museum, like the National Aquarium that claims you can see the whole thing in 45 minutes, you don’t have to pick and chose among options. At the end of an hour you can end up at the gift shop satisfied and have time and energy left to take in something else close by. I’d head to the outdoor sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art for starters.

Along with the aquarium’s renovations that include new signage, carpeting and exhibits is a new theme–“America’s Aquatic Treasures.” Look for alligators, eels, sea horses, a baby loggerhead turtle and more. [see Washington Post article]

If you can make here on August 9, it’s Shark Day. There are several activities geared towards kids and talks adults would enjoy.