What makes this memorial particularly special is how moving it is, due both to its design and what it represents.  It is comprised of 184 stone benches, arranged in order of the birth years of the passengers and Pentagon staff who were killed.  The first bench that visitors come upon is that of Dana Falkenberg, born in 1998 and thus just three years old when she died.  Three of the benches are for children, a fact which becomes starker when seeing the physical divide between the three benches and that of the next oldest passenger, who was born in 1979.

Brochures at the memorial give more information about the subtle features that the architects included in the design. For example, the words “SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 9:37 AM” at the entrance are etched into a piece of limestone recovered from the wreckage.  And, the benches are positioned so that for those who died at the Pentagon, both the victim’s name and the building are in full view, whereas for those who were passengers on the plane, the name and direction of the plane’s approach are both in view.

The design of the Pentagon Memorial was conceived by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman, and selected from 1,100 submissions.  The memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2008.

Located on the on the southwest side of the Pentagon’s sprawling complex, the memorial is a 5-10 minute walk from the Pentagon Metro stop.  It can also be accessed by car, though see here for details on driving.

To get there:  Pentagon Metro or many buses from Arlington.  Open 24 hours. Free.

And that’s how she found the Santa Fe Cafe in Arlington, Virginia, one of the only New Mexican restaurants in the DC metro area (the Anita’s chain is another option for the Virginians out there).  The place was founded in 1988 by Kip Laramie, who was quick to plead modesty by stating that he was “cautious about saying it’s authentic” due to the distinct differences in food and flavors within the state itself.

New Mexican food is best known by the importance placed on both red and green chile sauces.  While other ingredients like posole, blue corn, and sopapillas also make New Mexican cuisine unique, the chile is the star ingredient.  (The fact that a Chile Pepper Institute exists at New Mexico State University should give you a clue as to how devoted New Mexicans are to their prima donna).

Santa Fe Cafe obliges spicy die-hards with entrees featuring either Hatch green chiles or Chimayo red chile sauce, like rellenos, enchiladas, and burritos.  Or, if something else on the menus entices you, a bowl of the soupy mixture comes on the side for just $1 extra.  Vegetarians will be relieved to know that both the green and red chile are meat-free, unlike many establishments that include beef or pork.  Unfortunately, no New Mexican beers are offered at Santa Fe Cafe, but a number of good microbrews and Mexican beers make up the drink list.

It’s good to know that many a native New Mexican has found the place legit—a wall in the entryway features signed headshots of famous New Mexican leaders like Governor Bill Richardson, Senators Tom Udall and Pete Domenici, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan.  Lujan’s authograph states that the café’s food is “just like mom’s cooking.”

Another great aspect of the restaurant is its emphasis on décor.  Traditional New Mexican ornaments like pottery, ristas (strings of chiles hung to dry), images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and gorgeous rugs line the walls.  San Pasquale, the patron saint of cooking, is also featured prominently.  In particular I appreciated the stuffed armadillo that hangs perilously from an old speaker high above an unsuspecting booth.

DC is a haven for out-of-towners, but sometimes you just need a taste of your home state.  Luckily, Santa Fe Café is here to satisfy the needs of our very own New Mexican diaspora—or at least those of us who hope to return soon.

To visit:  1500 Wilson Ave., Arlington, VA.  703-276-0361. A few blocks from the Rosslyn Metro, Dupont/Georgetown circulator, and 38B bus.  Closed Sundays, and no breakfast/lunch on Saturdays.

Haven’t thought about roller derby since your local roller skating rink closed in 1993?*  Neither had I, and neither had most of America, until roller derby made its comeback to its modern iteration around 2001.  Today, the Women’s Flat-Track Derby Association functions as an official governing body for the sport, which multiple sources claim is the fastest-growing in America.

The DC Rollergirls—whose slogan is “with liberty and justice to brawl”—play monthly “bouts” in either the Dulles Sportsplex or the old DC Armory.  Tickets are approximately $12/person, and beer and food are for sale at both complexes (I’m told you aren’t experiencing it properly unless you are drinking a PBR tallboy).  Usually there are two games per bout, each lasting an hour divided into two halves.

Roller derby is played by teams of five players constantly skating counterclockwise around a flat track (old-fashioned derby was sometimes played on a slanted track).  One designated player on each team—the jammer—attempts to pass members of the other team in order to score points.  “Blockers” on the opposing team use various strategies to obstruct the other team’s jammer while assisting their own.  Checking from the middle part of the body is allowed, while pushing, kicking, headbutting, etc., are not.  But don’t worry; you’ll still see some pretty epic wipeouts.

Rollerderby these has become its own counterculture, featuring a combination of punk, sporty, sexy, and girl-power elements.  The rollergirls all have hardcore aliases like “Helena Handbag,” “Chinese Cheker,” and—props to this local shoutout—“Marion Barrycuda.”  And, the ladies wear great outfits that include helmet decorations, ripped fishnet tights, hot pants, and knee and elbow pads.

One of the things I liked best about my visit to the DC Rollergirls was realizing that all of the people associated with the derby—coaches, refs, photographers, mascots, etc., are volunteers.  All of these folks just love derby so much that they’ll give up a Saturday afternoon to be there and make it shine.  You too will enjoy your visit to see our city’s grittiest gals on skates—just be careful about sitting in the suicide seats!

To visit:  monthly bouts most of the year at either the Dulles Sportsplex or the DC Armory (the former is not accessible by public transportation, the latter is accessible by the Stadium-Armory metro or many metrobuses).  Check dcrollergirls.com for dates, times, ticket prices, and more info.

*Yeah, yeah, I did know that there was a 2009 movie about it featuring Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore.

I should note here that there are some great breweries very close to DC, such as Port City Brewing in Alexandria and Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick.  Also, there are some excellent brewpubs in the area, like Franklin’s brewery and restaurant in Hyattsville (which we covered previously) and Capitol City and Gordon Biersch with various locations.  These are restaurants and brewpubs rather than production facilities.

DC Brau is located off of Bladensburg Road in northeast DC.  It is in tucked away in an unassuming strip mall, and the unlabeled entrance is approached from the back.  The doors enter into a small tasting room, with tables, couches, and plenty of beer-related schwag.  When I toured, three beers were on tap to sample and fill grolwers—a pale ale, a stout, and a Belgian white.  Currently only 6-packs of the pale ale are being sold, but the staff told me they hope to expand that selection by the end of the year.

Tours, which are held only on select Saturdays, last approximately 20 minutes and are led by one of the handful of DC Brau employees.  This means that you’ll get a true first-hand take at what running a brewery looks like on a day-to-day basis.  Our tour guide literally went through his day, starting at 9am, showing us exactly what he does every hour.

On the tour you will see machines for heating up water and beer, adding hops and other ingredients, and cooling down the beer once it has boiled.  Also interesting is the canning machine—DC Brau is using cans for its 6-packs rather than glass bottles for environmental, fiscal, and quality of taste reasons.  If you’re lucky, the staffer giving your tour will show new experiments that the brewmasters are undertaking, such as a bourbon stout fermenting in wine barrels.

Touring DC Brau was great fun, and felt very personal.  It’s places like this that make DC feel small, and that you are very much a part of something new and exciting.

To visit:  3178-B Bladensburg Rd. NE, 202-621-8890.  Open most Saturdays 1-4pm, tours at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30.  Best with a car or maneuver the B2, B8, B9, or H6 buses.

Your journey through the museum begins along the path of the first mail route in the nation—the undeveloped road between New York and Boston that was used for mail service starting in 1673.  Mail carriers along the route would make notches in trees to mark the path through the woods and wilderness of the northeastern U.S.  As the mail system developed over the colonial years, it became intricately linked with the politics and feelings behind the revolutionary war.  Control of the mail system by the British was one of the first obstacles for colonial resistance to overcome, as only Loyalist postmasters who read all correspondence were employed, and many postmasters would not deliver revolutionary newspapers.  Eventually an independent post was developed, becoming another sore spot between the British and rising resistance.

These facts are only the very beginning of the relationship between the mail and U.S. history.  Other portions of the initial historical exhibit are dedicated to war time mail and the changing postal service as the nation expanded west, and the importance of railroads and other forms of transportation not only to keeping settlers informed but providing incentives for them to stake claims in the territories.  Interestingly, I learned that the Pony Express was actually only in service for less than two years, despite its romantic portrayals in westerns.

Mail has been transported in many ways throughout history—horse, stagecoach, riverboat, dogsled, skis, trucks, airplanes, and others.  Changing transportation methods of course revamped the face of the mail, and the museum has many life-sized methods of transportation (like mail truck and planes suspended from the ceiling) that serve as a jumping off point for this subject.

In addition to the exhibits featuring U.S. history, the Postal Museum has a very large collection of stamps and displays about stamp collecting (or philately, for those not in the know).  I had no idea there was so much to stamp collecting—it’s not just about the stamps themselves, but their irregularities, first editions, and special issues.  This is particularly interesting given the fact that stamps have only been around in the United States since 1847, and since 1840 in England.  Currently there is a wonderful exhibit celebrating 15 years of the National Postal Museum called “Alphabetilately” that describes in great detail the art of stamp collecting.

Today, the U.S. Postal Service delivers 200 billion pieces of mail every year, and 40% of the world’s mail passes through the U.S. postal system.  While the National Postal Museum looks at the history of our mail service, it is humbling to realize that we are still a part of our country’s history being made.  It is a very fine museum and well worth the visit.

 To visit:  2 Massachusetts Avenue NW, (202) 633-5555.  Open everyday 10am-5:30pm except Christmas Day.  Located just steps from the Union Station Metro.

]]> http://wherethebeltwayends.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/american-history-through-the-lens-of-the-mail-the-national-postal-museum/feed/ 3 wherethebeltwayends Postal Museum colonial posts rural America post postal musuem inside stamps post boxes http://wherethebeltwayends.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/honoring-veterans-and-preserving-culture-the-national-museum-of-american-jewish-military-history/ http://wherethebeltwayends.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/honoring-veterans-and-preserving-culture-the-national-museum-of-american-jewish-military-history/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:16:50 +0000 wherethebeltwayends http://wherethebeltwayends.wordpress.com/?p=594 Continue reading →]]> Tucked away on a quiet street in Dupont Circle is a hidden museum that explores the accounts and history of Jewish-American war veterans since the Civil War.  The National Museum of American Jewish Military History is a small treasure trove that documents U.S. history through the eyes of Jewish soldiers, servicewomen, rabbis, and others who have served our country during times of strife.

The museum shares space with the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., a service organization that supports and assists veterans.  It was founded in 1896 as the Hebrew Union Veterans Association to combat anti-Semitic accusations that Jews did not serve their country during the Civil War.  After a handful of name changes, the current name was decided upon in 1929.

The NMAJMH covers two levels and is divided into a handful of exhibits, some of which are permanent and others which are rotating.  One of the most powerful is devoted to the experiences of Jewish GIs arriving at and freeing prisoners from Nazi concentration camps.  Some American Jewish soldiers spoke Yiddish or other European languages, which was extremely important to organizing the survivors, and provided immense comfort.  Many GIs established life-long friendships or romances with former prisoners or others displaced by the war, and a handful of these stories are displayed with photographs, letters, and other artifacts.

Other exhibits at the NMAJMH include those on female Jewish veterans during World War II; the Hall of Heroes, which lists biographies all of those Jewish vets who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor; and a look at how American Jewish war veterans protested and organized against Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

What I liked best about this museum in particular is that it is completely told through the eyes of individuals, and therefore has an extraordinarily personal feel, rather than a more overarching and “curated” experience as is the case with most history museums.  So, for example, the exhibit on servicewomen during World War II features the handwritten letters, uniforms, and oral histories of women such as Frances Slanger, the first American nurse to die during World War II.  It is refreshing to be in a museum that so thoroughly focuses on the real people who were a part of history, rather than the history itself.

And, the museum is full of objects donated by veterans, each with its own story and associated memories.  One of my favorites was a small collection of “trench art,” or art made on the front lines during World War I using materials on hand like canteens, bullets, and other pieces from the war.

Chartered in 1958, the museum not only documents history, but actively works to educate the public.  It provides classes, lectures, author talks, and partners with other organizations like Theater J to bring history to life on the stage.  The museum also is still actively looking for donations to the archives, seeking to grow and enhance its collections.  As the U.S. is still engaged in wars in which Jews are serving the museum truly is living history.

To visit:  1811 R St. NW, 202-265-6280.  Open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.  Dupont Circle metro or many buses. Tours available upon request.

Uniontown takes its name from Anacostia’s original name.  The Uniontown neighborhood was incorporated in 1854 and was one of DC’s first suburbs.  The history of the area is very interesting, and full of demographic changes, including covenants against selling to members of certain races and ethnicities—see this National Park Service primer for more details.  Uniontown the bar homage to its past, with framed black and white photos on the wall from Anacostia’s olden days.

The restaurant captures the perfect combination of both trendy and neighborhood-y feelings.  It is filled with young professionals who seek happy hours after work, and almost all of the patrons when I visited were local.  This is a far different experience than that of most watering holes in DC, particularly in places like Adams Morgan and Farragut, whose bars beckon those from miles around to drive in and spend money.  Uniontown is better for it.

The food is southern inspired—the crab dip and sweet potato fries are certainly worth sampling.  The bar options lean heavily towards cocktails (a.k.a. “hip sips”), with just a few beer options.  Also impressive is a “create your own salad” option—bar food taken up a notch!

The owner of the restaurant, Natasha Dasher, is often on hand to chat with patrons, make personal inquiries, and welcome anyone and everyone to her establishment.  I was lucky enough to visit Uniontown with an Anacostia resident, and Natasha seemed to know him and everyone else in the bar, preserving the feeling that this place is “a hub in the community,” as she was quoted in an interview describing her hopes for the place.

As the Washington Post stated in its review of Uniontown, the spot is a symbol of Anacostia’s “potential to have the same services and amenities found in more affluent areas of the city.”  Head to Uniontown soon not only for its good vibes, but for a glimpse at history being made in a neighborhood that is right in the middle of some very important changes.

To visit:  2200 Martin Luther King Ave. SE, 202-678-8824, Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm and Friday/Saturday 11am-2am.  It is a 10-minute walk from the Anacostia metro stop, or the 90 bus from NW/Capitol Hill.

The delight of Second Story Books, which truly is a located in a large warehouse, is first experienced by the used-book smell wafting out of the open garage doors upon your approach.  The place is home half a million books, according to its website, and the sheer variety could keep you browsing for days.  It is one of the largest used bookstores in the country, and not surprisingly, a good part of its business these days comes from online buyers.  It also deals with estate sales and individuals looking to sell books (though beware, similar to a consignment shop, you will get only a fraction of what the book appraisers believe they are able to sell the book for—you’re best off selling in bulk).

The buyer who ventures to the warehouse in person will find dozens of categories to choose from:  rare art, cookbooks, fiction, naval history, young adult, foreign languages, the list goes on.  The website has many of the titles available for browsing, if you are looking for something rare or unique.  The Washington Post pointed out one of the best (or most frustrating) features of the store—because of its sheer size, the title you are looking for may be found in one of a handful of sections.  For example, there are no less than three sections for cookbooks.  But this scavenger hunt is what ends up making the trip enjoyable in the first place!

Prices depend on which sales are going on, but there is no doubt that they are great deals, and better than you will find in the city.  Some trade paperbacks were going for as little as $.50 during my visit, but go up to $15,000 for extremely rare books online.  In order to consolidate space, there is currently a 50% off sale for the entire store (though unclear when that will end).

Second Story Books was started in 1973, and both the Rockville and Dupont locations have been in business for over 20 years.  There used to be a Bethesda until it closed a few years ago, and the original warehouse was located in Alexandria, Virginia.

The bookstore also sells posters, videos, CDs, paintings, and other collectibles.  Whatever you’re in the mood for, one thing’s clear—bring a large tote bag, because you won’t be going home empty-handed!

To visit:  12160 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD, (301) 770-0477.  Open Sunday-Wednesday 10-8 and Thursday-Saturday 10-9.  A medium walk from the Twinbrook Metro stop, but if you are planning on lugging anything back, a vehicle may be necessary!

Sewall Belmont is located in a regal old mansion on Capitol Hill that served for many years as the headquarters of the National Woman’s Party.  NWP was founded in 1917 in order to strongly advocate for women’s suffrage by endorsing candidates and politicians who supported it and withholding support from those who did not.  The heroine of the movement, especially after the deaths of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in the early 1900s, was Alice Paul, who devoted her entire life to women’s rights and equality.  Paul lived in the Sewall Belmont House after it was donated to the cause by a wealthy and eccentric member of the NWP, Alva Belmont.

Tours of the museum, which just re-opened after extensive renovations, are self-guided and should take about an hour.  The downstairs potion features marble statues and beautiful paintings of important figures in the women’s movement, as well as a detailed history of the tactics NWP members took part in such as letter-writing campaigns, protesting, and hunger strikes in jail.  In the early days, they fought for the 19^th Amendment, which passed in 1920.  Later, NWP members strove to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, which has not passed to this day, despite being introduced in every session of Congress.

The upstairs rooms are the locations for short-term exhibits, which when I visited was the fight for women’s rights during World War I.  Sewall Belmont has a good relationship with the Woodrow Wilson House (another excellent museum) as well as other museums in the city, so the traveling exhibits are quite good.  One of my favorite items on display in the house is a set of laminated lobby reports that NWP lobbyists filled out religiously in order to keep track of how members of Congress were on their issues.  It’s quite enlightening to see the volunteers’ scrawled or typewritten notes, including those for members that were against their cause; indeed, one reads that the Senator was opposed because “women already have enough rights”!  The effort that went into this cause was astounding, especially when large-scale advocacy campaigns were not the norm like they are today.

One of the best parts of Sewall Belmont is its role in continuing the fight for equality.  Modern-day female politicians are featured in exhibits, and examples of inequality that remain today—did you know that there have been 270 female members of Congress, but that that represents only 2.1% of members ever elected?  Sewall Belmont is an excellent place to visit to gain insight not only into the history of the fight for equality in America, but into its future.

To visit:  144 Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002.  (202) 546-1210.  Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5pm.  Metro to Union Station, or 96 bus.

**Special thanks to local photographer and graphic designer Katie Campbell for the photographs featured in this post!  Please visit her new and improved website!

Part of what makes the philosophy of delis so interesting in DC is that our city doesn’t seem to have many of them.  Sure, there are myriad sandwich shops clustered near office buildings, but they have lost much of their original charm and distinctiveness.  Many of the best delis are found on the outskirts of the city, like Wagshal’s on Mass Ave. and Parkway Deli in Silver Spring.  (And, yes, A. Literri’s, which I’ve covered before and would consider in a category of its own!)

That’s why So’s Your Mom is a delightful find.  Whether or not it fits your definition of “deli,” the place has killer sandwiches.  The options make up two whole chalkboards, ranging from corned beef to liverwurst to some flavorful vegetarian options like my own emmenthaler and avocado combo.  Additionally, it features interesting additions like knishes and stuffed grape leaves.   It also has (arguably) some of the best bagels in DC that you can adorn with interesting flavors of cream cheese.  And, of course, sides by the pound—what would a “deli” be without mayo-slathered macaroni and potato salad?

So’s Your Mom also stocks provisions that are at home in any deli—fancy dried pasta, many different kinds of capers and other pickled veggies, and Ferrero Rocher candies.  The decorations are marvelously tacky and out of date—a photograph of the 1988 Northwest Softball League Champions hangs triumphantly by the doorway.  The place has changed hands many times over the last twenty years, and try as I might, it was very heard to dig up information on the origination of the joint and its name.  The current family who owns it has had it for about five years.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether So’s Your Mom qualifies as a deli in your book.  It certainly has many of the trappings, like Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, pastries from Philly, etc.   But there’s no way to determine without visiting!

To visit:  1831 Columbia Rd NW, (202) 462-3666.  M-F 7 am – 8 pm, Sat and Sun 8 am – 7 pm.  Short walk from the Woodley Park-Adams Morgan Metro, or on the 90s, 42, and L2 lines.