Fun & Different Ways to Tour DC

We’re affiliated with the military so chances are most of us have PCS’d more than one time.  Believe you me, I know that we know how to see the hot spots in whatever city we move to.  Normally, we have only three years to see it all and do it all.  Talk about boots on the ground…we come into a new city with exploration on our minds.  And, of course, we have to become sight-seeing experts for family and friends who follow.

For me, I love to see new things and experience new cities but I like to do it in different ways.  Sure, I can walk endless city blocks and stand in long museum lines.  It’s just that no of that sounds fun or exciting.  I want to make the most of my time and make a super cool memory while exploring my new city.  Not only do I sincerely believe you can do both…I strive to do both!

I’ll be honest, though.  I was a little nervous about the Washington DC metro area.  The DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia) is not exactly known for being super cool or exciting.  Sure, we sit in the lap of the most powerful country on earth but can you say that’s super cool or exciting?  Tense?  It can be.  Crowded?  For sure.  Progressive?  Not so much (but we’re getting there).  Cool? Maybe some neighborhoods are.  Exciting? The verdict is out on this one.

Still, I was pleasantly surprised to see the super cool and exciting ways the DC metro area has for visitors to tour the famous hot spots.  Keep reading for some great ideas on how you can impress your family and friends when they come for a visit!

Old Town Trolley

Enjoy a narrated tour of Washington DC covering over 100 points of interest, including the Lincoln Memorial, Georgetown, Washington National Cathedral, the White House, the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, and Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. On and off privileges at 17 stops allow you to tour at your own pace.

Monuments by Moonlight

Old Town Trolley Tours show you the sights of Washington, DC after hours on its 2 ½ hour tour. Enjoy the sights of the illuminated monuments and memorials, the Capitol Building, the White House and Georgetown. Stops include: FDR Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Lincoln and Vietnam Veteran's Memorials. Hear entertaining stories and learn of the ghosts whose spirits haunt our nation's capital.

DC Ducks

Climb aboard an authentic, fully restored 1942 "Duck" and see the sites of Washington DC. Ninety minute tours begin at Union Station, continue to the National Mall where you'll see the city’s monuments and Smithsonian Museums. The tour concludes with a cruise along the Potomac River all in the same vehicle!

Washington DC Capital Bike Tours

Enjoy a tour of Washington DC while riding a bike. Learn about the city's monuments, museums and other sites from the seat of a 21-speed mountain bike. Visit the most popular sites of the National Mall, including the Lincoln Memorial, White House, Washington Monument, Supreme Court, Union Station, the Capitol and more. Trailers are available for young children.
 

Segway Tours

Segway tours are a hip way to explore Washington, DC!  A Segway is a self-balancing, personal transportation device that's fun and easy to operate.  Cruise past the monuments, the Smithsonian museums, the White House, the Capitol and more as your guide entertains you with stories and historical facts about the nation’s capital.

Washington DC Cruises along the Potomac River

For a different view of Washington DC, take a cruise along the Potomac River and see breathtaking views of the Kennedy Center, Watergate, the Washington Monument, the U. S. Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial and more.

Spy City Tours

This interactive tour launched by the International Spy Museum combines a Washington, DC city tour and espionage. See more than 25 of Washington's most notable espionage sites used by some of the nation's infamous spies from the World Wars to the Cold War to the present.

Pedicab Tours

On a nice day, take a bicycle-powered taxi ride around the national landmarks and enjoy the amazing architecture of the nation's capital. Customize your own tour and explore wherever you want to with a licensed driver.

Ghost Tours in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia

Take a walking tour and hear ghost stories and legends about infamous haunted places such as Lafayette Square Park, Historic Alexandria or downtown Annapolis. Find spooky tours around the region.

Tour information taken from http://dc.about.com/od/walkingtours/tp/Washington-DC-Tours.htm. 

There are so many things to do and see in the Washington DC area, you’ll want insider information (something DC is known for) to help plan how to get around.  Visit the Community Activity Center at 228 McNair Road, Bldg. 405, Fort Myer, VA or call 703.696.3469/70.  These guys know the best places to visit, the best times to go, and most often will have a discounted admission ticket for sale!  They’re the ones to know!

Have fun and take plenty of pictures!

“Big Summer Fun” in the Backyard!

If you have more than one child or just like to avoid spending countless hours in the heat and humidity, may we suggest having “big summer fun” in the backyard?  Taking more one than child out for “big summer fun” can get to be expensive.  Or, if you spend a day out of the house having “big summer fun” you may end up contending with sunburn, irritable kiddies and/or spouse, and a stinky and sweaty ride home.  Why else do we have a backyard if not to have “big summer fun?”

These days, though, having a backyard can feel like hitting the lottery.  It seems that having a yard is an option, which is really sad if you think about it.  BUT!! The good news here is that the ideas we’ll suggest for having “big summer fun” in the backyard will work in any size yard!  Cool, huh?

1.  Squirt Gun Painting

Squirt Gun Painting is a new classic summer art activity for kids. It feels like using Nerf Super Soaker Alphafire Blasters may work best for this project. As much as we like a deal, try to avoid the super cheap multi-pack squirt guns typically found in dollar stores.  They seem to end up breaking within hours. The Alphafires are still inexpensive, but have the quality one can expect from Nerf products. An even better deal is to buy the 3-Pack of Nerf Super Soaker Zipfires instead.

Arrange the easels in the yard and clip two sheets of watercolor paper to each side. Have the kids fill their squirt guns with liquid watercolors and let them go to town!  No Easel?  No worries!  Lay the papers in the grass or use a thumbtack to secure the paper to a tree.

2.       Outdoor Movies

Movie night outside is a memory-making moment! It is magical. You can invite neighbors.  You kids can invite their friends and families.  All you need is a laptop, a projector, and a movie screen.  Putting your hands on a laptop with a CD drive shouldn’t be an issue.  You can rent a movie projector from a local furniture rental company.  But…you’ll need to DIY your movie screen.

Here’s what you need to make your backyard movie screen:

·         2 Sheets – they should be white and queen size sheets work best

·         Pole for top  of screen – 10 feet long and 1.5 inches in diameter

·         Pole for bottom of screen –10 feet long and 3 inches in diameter

·         Rope – you’ll need two thicknesses of rope, one for the top and one for the bottom of the movie screen

How to make your DIY movie screen:

·         Sew your white, queen-size sheets together using a white thread along the longer side. It will now form a tube shape.

·         Take the 1.5 inch diameter pole and insert it so the sewn sheets hang down from it.

·         Attach a length of the thicker rope to each end of the pole so it can be hung from a tree.
Now that your movie screen is hanging from the pole attached to a tree you can slide the heavier, thicker pole as a weight at the bottom of the screen.

·         You can attach the thinner piece of rope to each end of the pole at the bottom and then tie to tent stakes or wooden stakes to keep the screen taught.

Don’t forget to ask your guests to B.Y.O.S. (bring your own seat).  Some great seating options that people may already have at home are sleeping bags, patio furniture cushions, air mattresses…and if they want to be boring, they can bring their stadium chairs.

Lastly, don’t forget to offer popcorn with different toppings like parmesan cheese, peanut M&M’s, sea salt…whatever you can think of.  You’ll also need a cooler for beverages and a couple of bottles of bug repellant.  Now, you’re ready for your summer blockbuster premiere!

3.       Giant Tic-Tac-Toe

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe is perfect for backyard “big summer fun.” Frisbees and a shower curtain transform into an easy backyard game.  Here’s how:  Use duct or electrical tape to block out squares on a shower curtain liner. Use more tape to mark which disks are Xs or use color to divide the teams.  Then have players stand behind a throw line and follow the rules of tic-tac-toe. If the disk lands off the board or in an occupied square, the player can throw again.

4.       Stargazing

“I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” - Vincent van Gogh 

In our opinion, if star gazing was good enough for Vincent Van Gogh and Luke Skywalker, it’s good enough for us!  Fill a kiddie pool with pillows, blow up an air mattress, or lean back on the slant of the roof – do whatever is comfortable but just take some time to stare up one night.  You may just see that star to wish on!  Something extra fun is to shine flash lights into the night sky and play flash light tag.  …good times, my friend!

5.       S’mores & Stories

Well, this one should really be at the top of the list ‘cause it’s our favorite way to enjoy our favorite treats…marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, oh, my!  And while doing our research on s’mores, we found a great list of variations on this campfire classic.  Enjoy!

Now, while ghost stories are a popular to tell around a bon fire, try this instead: Have someone provide the first couple lines of a story.  Then the person to the right add a line or two.  Then the next person to the right adds a line or two and so on, and so on, and so on until the story is finished.  You’ll be amazed at the story you come up with!  Be sure to record it and send it to all who contributed!

We hope you found some of these “big summer fun” ideas interesting!  Even more, we hope you’ll try one or two this summer.  You can find details on these and other summer activities on our “Entertaining” and “Fun for the Kids” Pinterest boards.  Search for us on Pinterest: jbmhhfmwr.  If you do enjoy one of these activities, please take pictures for your own memories and post those pics on Instagram or Facebook.  Tag us @jbmhhfmwr!  We can’t wait to see how you had “big summer fun!”

A Summer Dinner ... Al Fresco!

I’m sure I’m not the only who feels this way but one reason why I love summer (and there aren’t many) is for the opportunity to eat a grilled meal outside.  I was raised on the absolute best grilled food known to man!  My pops makes a mean grilled pork chop…sausage…salmon…corn…basically everything! …and it was nothing for us to play outside all day and then meet up in the backyard (stinky and sweaty), on the deck and have the best dinner EVER!!  Oh, man, those were good eats!

So, I’m a full-fledged grown up now and I still enjoy grilled foods, but my skills on the grill fall short.  Sure, I can plan a hell of a summer dinner menu.  I’m very good at creating the house cocktail and I can put a music playlist together that will take you from appetizers to dessert.  But grilling?  …not my strong suit.  In fact, and I don’t share this story with just anyone but...I actually set myself on fire once trying to grill.  Suffice to say I overdid it on the lighter fluid, forgot how fire works and well…the neighbors got a good laugh at my expense.  Stop laughing at me long enough to find out that no damage was done! LOL!

I learned a very specific lesson that day.  Know your grilling strengths, of which I have none.  But like I said, I am a creative soul and to prove it, I will use this opportunity to share what some consider to be a perfect summer dinner menu.

Dinner Al Fresco

·         Grilled Steak Fajitas

·         Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro-Lime Butter

·         Margarita Sangria

·         Grilled Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Keep reading to see the recipes!

Grilled Steak Fajitas (4 - 6 servings)

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 - 2 lbs flank or skirt steak, trimmed of fat and sliced into 6-inch long pieces

·         6 Tbsp fresh lime juice

·         1/3 cup canola oil

·         3 cloves garlic, minced (1 heaping tbsp)

·         1 jalapeno, seeded, stemmed and minced

·         2 tsp chili powder (preferably 1 tsp ancho chili powder and 1 tsp regular chili powder)

·         1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tsp paprika

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup fresh cilantro, left whole

·         2 - 3 bell peppers sliced into 1/2-inch thick strips (2 for lesser amount of beef and 3 for greater)

·         1 large yellow onion, sliced into 3/4-inch thick strips

·         For serving:

·         8 - 12 tortillas flour or corn tortillas (8 for lesser amount of steak and 12 for greater)

·         Lime wedges

·         Avocado slices or guacamole

·         Pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or crumbled Queso Fresco (optional)

Directions

·         In a small mixing bowl combine lime juice, canola oil, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, paprika and season with salt and pepper to taste (I recommend about 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper). Set aside 3 Tbsp of the marinade in refrigerator for the veggies.

·         Place steak in a gallon size resealable bag, pour in marinade and add cilantro, working to get some of the cilantro on both sides of each piece of beef. Seal bag while pressing air out, then rub marinade into beef. Chill 3 - 6 hours.

·         Preheat a grill over moderately high heat for about 15 minutes. Brush grill lightly with oil (it works well to soak a paper towel with oil then use long handles tongs to brush grates), remove steaks from marinade and place on grill, grill about 3 - 4 minutes per side to reach desired doneness (an instant read thermometer should read 120 in center for medium-rare and 130 for medium). Remove from grill and transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil, rest 5 - 10 minutes while grilling veggies, then thinly slice against grain.

·         Meanwhile, toss veggies with remaining 3 tbsp marinade, season with additional salt as desired, add veggies to grill (the length of veggies should run opposite direction of grill grates so they don't fall in between. Place onions in hotter parts of grill so they'll finish the same time as peppers) and grill about 5 - 10 minutes until crisp tender. Transfer to a boil and cover with foil while assembling fajitas.

·         To warm tortillas you can wrap them tightly in two batches in two separate sheets foil and grill with veggies during last 2- 3 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Or you can place them in damp paper towels in microwave and heat until warmed.

·         To assemble, top warm tortillas with warm beef, veggies and desired toppings. Serve with lime wedges for spritzing over top.

Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter (10 servings)

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

·         1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

·         1 teaspoon grated lime peel

·         10 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed

·         Cotija cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

·         In a small bowl mix butter, cilantro, lime juice and peel. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes or until ready to use.

·         Grill corn over medium heat, turning occasionally, until speckled with char spots and tender (about 15 to 20 minutes.)

·         Carefully remove corn from grill and serve with butter and grated cheese, if desired.

Margarita Sangria (8-12 servings) 

The combination of a margarita and sangria! Go ahead and double the recipe ahead of time…just to be sure there’s enough.

 

Ingredients

·         1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc

·         1/2 cup tequila

·         3/4 cup margarita mix (non-alcoholic)

·         1/4 cup granulated sugar

·         2 limes, sliced

·         1/2 lemon, sliced

·         1/2 small orange, sliced

·         2 cups club soda, cold

 

Instructions

·         Stir together the wine, tequila, margarita mix, and sugar in a large pitcher. You can cut back on those amounts to suit your tastes.

·         Add sliced fruit to the pitcher. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add cold club soda to the pitcher.

·         Serve over ice with a salted or sugared rim, if desired.

Grilled Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Ingredients

·         5 ripe bananas

·         1/2 cup coconut oil

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

·         Combine sugar and cinnamon and stir until mixed

·         Peel a ripe banana (not too ripe)

·         Dip in coconut oil and cover fully with oil

·         Then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture

·         Place in pan over medium heat and cook each side until brown with grill marks.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

I don’t know what it is about eating dinner with family and friends in the twilight of a summer’s evening but...man, can that be magical!  The glow of the citronella candles, the purple tint of the almost set sun, the loud laughter and music, the smell of the food on the grill, the way all of the flavors of your meal melt together into one beautifully perfect bite…  For me, that’s what summer is all about!