Growing up in the DMV, we were encouraged to go sightseeing and learn about our hometown of D.C. Our city is actually two cities, and both have treasures that people come from all over the country and the world to experience. But most visitors only see the National Mall and downtown, which is only half the pleasure of being here.
When my friends and I got old enough, we used to skip school and ride the bus down to the Mall to blend in with some out-of-town class trip group to spend the day. We couldn’t wait to run the stairs to the top of the Washington Monument in our race for athletic supremacy. Some of us could function as tour guides for visiting family and friends, and some wanted “The Black Tour.”
In a random act of kindness in the ‘80s, a law enforcement friend of mine, who knew I was unemployed but knowledgeable of the city, gave me the opportunity to be officially involved in the tour industry as a chaperone for the nation’s largest provider of Washington, D.C. class trips.
Of course, there were the standard sites most tourists would die to see like the monuments, museums and the Mall. I understand the excitement of finally seeing something that you’ve seen your whole life in print or on film and the thrill of seeing it in person, like my first trip to Disneyland. But sometimes I gave them the alternative tour that not many get to go on all around the city.
A few years ago I was even asked to write a tour guide of Washington D.C.’s must-see sites for foreign tourists for our U.K. cousins at The Big Issue street newspapers that are sold throughout the British commonwealth.
Let me be your guide around the many neighborhoods that make up this diverse and interesting town. If you choose, come ride along with me outside the lines of normal sightseeing and we’ll visit some places of national and local importance. You won’t find these areas on any tourist maps. The good news is that you or your family won’t have to be Indiana Jones-types with loads of expedition gear for this voyage of discovery. Just bring a willingness to think outside the box.
Hop on board as we try to find some local gems with historical significance. A lot of these places are hidden in plain sight. Some right under your noses. This challenge won’t cost you an arm and a leg during these challenging economic times because there is no membership needed or app to download. Everywhere we’re going on this adventure is free.
