Busing from D.C.
A Boltbus turns a corner onto H Street in Northwest Washington.
By Elisabeth Grant
D.C. is a great place to be, but sometimes you’ve just got to get away. And with all those holiday presents sucking wallets dry, traveling cheaply is more important than ever this time of year. What’s a starving college student/young professional/person living in this economy to do? How about take the bus?
While perhaps not the most glamorous way to travel, taking the bus is an easy and affordable option. Let’s look at the perks, shall we?
1. It’s Cheap!
We’re talking prices for one way or round trip tickets that range between less than the cost of a cup of coffee (regular coffee! not even the fancy kind) to about what you’ve pay for a nice dinner out. That’s right, a bus ride out of D.C. will cost you between $1 and $35. Do you even need any other perks?
2. Buy Tickets at a Moment’s Notice
Many of the hassles that come with other types of travel aren’t a worry when you ride the bus. For the spontaneous traveler, its no problem buying tickets the day of (or even a few hours before). Buses come pretty much every hour.
This sign advertises the Far East Bus in Chinatown
3. Quick Departure
There’s also no need to show up hours before departure. Most of the bus lines recommend that you show up at least 15 minutes in advance so your seat isn’t given away to walkup passengers. And while it’s smart to observe this, many a passenger has been seen sprinting down the streets of D.C. to catch their bus with minutes to spare. No backups at security here.
4. Free Wi-Fi
Whether you’re trying to get some work done, or just catching up on CuteOverload, travel with BoltBus or MegaBus to partake in their free Wi-Fi.
5. Non-stop or one stop
One of the downsides of car travel is all the stops. Stopping for gas, stopping for restrooms, stopping to eat. With bus travel there’s a bathroom on board and driver focused on the destination.
Now that you’re totally convinced that bus travel is the way to go, let’s check out your options:
Chinatown Bus
The Chinatown Bus is grandfather of bus travel in the area. For years if you were looking for a cheaper alternative to Greyhound, the Chinatown Bus was the way to go. However, there isn’t exactly one Chinatown Bus. Rather, there are a few bus lines that go from Chinatown D.C. to Chinatowns in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.
Cost for one-way: $1 to $35
Destinations: Philadelphia, PA; Atlantic City, NJ; , New York, NY; Boston, MA
Departs D.C. From: H St. NW, between 7th and 8th
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center
BoltBus
The BoltBus is actually a collaboration between the Greyhound and Peter Pan bus lines. Along with it’s competitor MegaBus it offers free Wi-Fi to passengers. It also offers power outlets at most seats (a feature MegaBus is still working on on many of its buses).
Cost for one-way: $1 to $25
Destinations: New York
Departs D.C. From: 10th St. & H St. NW (North of 700 10th St. NW at the Old Convention Center parking lot)
North of 700 10th St. NW at the Old Convention Center parking lot Washington, DC 20005
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center
MegaBus
MegaBus is BoltBus’ competition. It too has Wi-Fi. It too has fares that start at $1. It’s slightly set apart in the fact that many of MegaBus buses are double-deckers. This allows for more riders, which can be a good or a bad thing.
Cost for one-way: $1 to $25
Destinations: New York
Departs D.C. From: 9th Street & H Street, NW, parking lot
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center
Vamoose
Vamoose has fewer frills (i.e. no Wi-Fi) than MegaBus or BoltBus. And while it doesn’t offer $1 tickets, its $30 price is comparable to what you’re likely to get on the other buses. Some riders will also prefer Vamoose’s pickup locations, in Arlington at the Rosslyn metro, and in Bethesda, Maryland.
Cost for one-way: $30
Destinations: Bethesda, MD and New York
Departs D.C. From: 1801 N Lynn St., Arlington VA
Nearest Metro Stop: Rosslyn
Now sing it with me! The wheels on the bus go….
Hello Cupcake!
Hello Cupcake is locating just across the street from the Dupont Circle metro stop.
By Elisabeth Grant
Hello Cupcake is dangerously convenient. You’re riding along, minding your own business on the Red Line when you suddenly notice the Dupont Circle station is next. You think to yourself, “If I just popped off here for a sec Hello Cupcake is just one block down…” And before you know it you’re off the train, across the street, and at the counter ordering a Peanut Butter Blossom, Triple Coconut, Dulce de Leche, and Peppermint Penny. The cashier wraps it up an a brown box, sticks their adorable Hello Cupcake sticker on it and you’re on your way to being the best roommate/girlfriend/sister ever.
D.C. is awash in cupcakeries right now. Georgetown Cupcake still regularly draws a line out the door on the weekends, Red Velvet is putting up a good fight as a relative newcomer to the scene, and Curbside Cupcake has made cupcakes mobile, zooming around the city tweeting as they go. And those are just a few examples.
How do so many cupcake establishments survive? Perhaps D.C. residents just have an insatiable hunger for tiny dessert. Or maybe its that each place brings it own angle to the cupcake scene. In the case of Hello Cupcake, I think it has two specific positives going for it: its fantastic icing to cake ration (2 to 1 if you ask me) and its excellent location. Right in the heart of Dupont, Hello Cupcake is easy to get to on the way home from work or after dinner on a night out.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake!
Like the other cupcake shops in the area Hello Cupcake offers a number of delicious flavors, including many seasonal ones. Right now for the fall they’re offering Caramel Apple and Pumpkin Spice cupcakes. Year round you can select from Peanut Butter Blossom (chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter icing and a Hershey’s kiss), You Tart (lemon cupcake with lemon cream cheese frosting–my personal favorite), 24 Carrot (carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting), and a number of others (including gluten free and vegan options).
So as you metro home off to your Thanksgiving holiday this week, maybe pop in to the oh-so-convenient Hello Cupcake and try it for yourself. Pumpkin Spice cupcakes instead of Pumpkin pie, anyone?
Free Events from the Washington National Opera
By Elisabeth Grant
Is the Washington National Opera sensitive to the current economic crisis? Or are they looking for new (more frugal) viewers? Whatever their motive, the Washington National Opera keeps rolling out free performances, making wallets happy all over D.C.
Earlier this year they threw the second annual Opera in the Outfield, a free simulcast of their opening night performance, this year The Barber of Seville, at Nationals Park. And now from November 13th through the 22nd they will celebrate “National Opera Week” (who knew that existed?) with a series of free performances and events.
1. Open Orchestra Read: The Marriage of Figaro
Saturday, November 14, 2009, 6 pm
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
Hear selections from The Marriage of Figaro performed by the Washington National Opera Orchestra and coupled with narration by Maestro Ken Weiss “explaining the art of rehearsal and answering questions about the process of preparing a score.”
2. Community In Bloom, A Ward 7 Community Project
Sunday, November 15, 2009, 3:30 pm
Kelly Miller Middle School
301 49th Street NE, Washington, DC, 20019
The Washington National Opera teams up with the Humanities Council of Washington DC and the Ward 7 Arts Collaborative to present performances and art focused on the lives of Ward 7 community members.
3. So You Want to Be a Singer? An Opera Career Talk
Monday, November 16, 2009, 6 pm
American University Katzen Arts Center, Abramson Family Recital Hall
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
Hear about how to start a career in opera from Christina Scheppelmann (WNO Director of Artistic Operations), Elizabeth Bishop (mezzo-soprano), and Brandy Hawkins (mezzo-soprano). Free, but to reserve seats, call (202) 448-3465.
4. Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Recital
Friday, November 20, 2009, 12 pm
The Russell Senate Office Building, Rotunda
Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Enjoy arias performed by members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.
5. Hola Opera! An Introduction to Opera
Friday, November 20, 2009, 11 am
Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library
5401 South Dakota Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 20011
Children 5 to 10 and their families are invited to a bilingual event, where Peter Burroughs and Anamer Castrello will perform arias and zarzuelas.
Ah free, music to one’s ears.
Touring the U.S. Capitol
Free ticket to tour the Capitol
By Elisabeth Grant
With so many museums, monuments, and historic points of interest, it’s hard to decide where to start when touring the nation’s capital. The Washington Monument’s sheer height might beckon you first, or the White House’s grand facade, but no trip to DC is complete without making a stop at the Capitol and the still rather new Capitol Visitor Center.
In the Capitol Visitor Center you can peruse educational and interactive exhibitions in Exhibition Hall: touch a scale model of the Capitol dome, see the Lincoln Catafalque (the support of Lincoln’s casket from 1865), and check out various documents, images, and videos. Then, book a free tour of the Capitol through the Visitor Center ticket kiosks (if you haven’t already booked a tour through your Representative or online).
Highlights from the Tour:
Tours at the Capitol run like a well-oiled machine. They start off with a brief 13 minute video titled, “Out of Many, One,” which is the translation of “E pluribus unum,” the motto of the the U.S. that appears on the Great Seal of the United States. The video sets the tone for the tour and gives a quick history of how the U.S. government was created and how laws and amendments have been added over the years. Then, visitors are put into groups and paired with tour guides who deftly lead the way to a fast-paced but well-rounded tour of the Capitol. Here are some highlights you can expect when you make your way through the U.S. Capitol.
1. Statue of Freedom – Capitol Visitor Center
As you enter the Capitol Visitor Center, before you make your way to the tour kiosks or Exhibition hall, you’ll be struck by the grand, nearly 20 foot tall, original plaster model of the Statue of Freedom, the bronze figure that sits atop the Capitol dome. While this is technically a pre-tour feature, the Statue of Freedom is impressive and important enough to highlight.
Original plaster model of the Statue of Freedom
2. The Rotunda
The tour begins with a big wow–entrance into the United States Capitol Rotunda. This ornate and cavernous space leaves visitors wide-eyed, and looking upward to the elaborate fresco painted within the dome, Constantino Brumidi’s “The Apotheosis of Washington.”
The impressive Rotunda of the Capitol.
3. National Statuary Hall
The National Statuary Hall features a few of the 100 statues donated by the 50 states. The rest of these statues have been dispersed throughout the Capitol and Visitor Center.
National Statuary Hall
4. Old Supreme Court Chambers
The Old Supreme Court Chambers are an intimate and dimly lit space. But there’s something quiet and powerful about them, leaving one to imagine how intimidating they may have been back during their use.
Old Supreme Court Chambers
5. Center of DC
The star in the center of the floor marks the center of D.C. Technically this is not the geographic center of the city, but it is where D.C.’s four quadrants begin.
The center of D.C.'s four quadrants.
A trip to the Capitol Visitor Center and a tour of the U.S. Capitol is worth it for out-of-towners and locals alike. The breathtaking architecture coupled with a history lesson on our government makes for an educational and entertaining afternoon. It also doesn’t hurt that its all contained inside, and the Capitol Visitor Center even links to the Library of Congress by way of a tunnel. Good things to know if you hit Washington on a cold or rainy day.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month in D.C.
By Elisabeth Grant
National Museum of the American Indian
November is National Native American Heritage Month and all month long the museums of the Smithsonian Institution in D.C. are featuring exhibits, performances, talks, and special events in celebration. Most events are free and offer entertainment, education, and hands-on experiences for all ages. Read on for a selection of Native American Heritage Month events going on this month.
National Museum of the American Indian
Naturally, the majority of Native American Heritage Month special events are taking place at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The NMAI has put up press release (PDF) with a complete description of what’s available and when, and the Smithsonian Education page also has a complete list. Here are some highlights:
- Featured Event: “From Deer to Dance”
Nov.14 and 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Head over to the Potomac Atrium of the National Museum of the American Indian to see “demonstrations of deer-hide tanning and painting, bead working and moccasin making,” as well as performances by the White Oak Singers (Saturday at noon) and the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble (Sunday at noon).
Other National Museum of the American Indian Events:
- Chamber opera: “El Conejo y el Coyote/The Rabbit and the Coyote”
Nov. 6 (10:15 a.m. and 12 p.m.), Nov. 7 and 8, (2 p.m.), Rasmuson Theater
- Short Documentaries: “Answering the Call: Veterans Day Short Film Contest”
Wednesday, November 11, Rasmuson Theater, 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - Forum: “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas”
Friday, Nov. 13, Rasmuson Theater, 3 p.m. - Behind the Scenes: Meet the curators from the “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas” event, discuss and explain this project
Saturday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m., Room 4018 - Drama, dance, and drumming: “The Drum is the Thunder, The Flute is the Wind”
Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Rasmuson Theater
Tickets: www.residentassociates.org or (202) 633-3030. - Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cartoons “Wapos Bay” and “Raven Tales”
Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 10 a.m., Mitsitam Café
Main floor of the National Museum of the American Indian
For more information on these and other events see this press release (PDF) from the NMAI and the Smithsonian Education page.
Events are also taking place at these other museums:
National Portrait Gallery
- Exhibition: Faces of the Frontier: Photographic Portraits from the American West, 1845 – 1924. Sept. 25, 2009 through Jan. 24, 2010. Second Floor, National Portrait Gallery
National Postal Museum
- Stories and Activities: Based on Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing. Sequoyah appeared on a stamp in 1980. Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Atrium, Lower Level, Postal Museum
National Museum of Natural History
- Native Pride Dancers: American Indian Dance, Drum, and Song
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History. Tickets: Children, $5 (children under two, free.); adults, $6. Call 202.633.8700.
Free Fun in D.C.
By Elisabeth Grant
The Jefferson Memorial is one of the many free memorials in D.C.
Year-round Free Options
1. Museums and Memorials
The memorials around the National Mall and the Tidal Basin are the landmarks that make D.C. recognizable. Most are open-air, and as already mentioned, free to the public. Make sure you check out the Washington Monument (you know, the giant pencil featured in any movie or TV drama set in D.C.), the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the numerous war memorials (Vietnam, Korean, and WWII).
2. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage presents free performances every day at 6pm. Every day! And the selection offers something for everyone. One night stop by to hear some classical piano, another night enjoy a Hungarian storyteller, or a funk band, or a magic show, or a puppeteer, or an Israeli singer/songwriter/composer. The variety and the talent showcased at the Millennium Stage is staggering. Now that you’ve learned about these daily free events you’re never allowed to say you’re bored and have nothing to do.
3. National Theater
Monday, Monday… Most of the time Mondays get a bad rap. They can be manic, and you can even have “a case of them.” Mondays at the National Theater on the other hand are quite entertaining. Every Monday this fall enjoy a free performance at 6 and 7:30 pm in the Helen Hayes Gallery. Upcoming events have a decidedly international flavor, including Hawaiian music and hula, Indian classical dance, Chinese opera, and more.
4. National Gallery of Art
Throughout the year the National Gallery of Art offers free concerts in its Sculpture Garden and West Building. The music selections are presented “in honor” of current exhibitions at the gallery. For instance, the National Gallery Piano Trio (performing this October 18th at 6:30 pm) correlates with the current exhibition of The Darker Side of Light: Arts of Privacy, 1850-1900, which takes a look at the “discreet world of individual collecting in which prints, drawings, and small sculpture were kept aside in portfolios or stored away in cabinets” in the late 19th century.
5. Free in D.C. Blog
There are so many free events going on in D.C. day to day that it’s hard to keep track of them all. Luckily, the Free in D.C. blog takes care of this for you. Nearly every day of the week this blog tracks free poetry open mic nights, film screenings, yoga classes, book signings, talks, tastings, concerts, festivals, and more.
Seasonal and Annual Free Events
1. Jazz in the Garden
Jazz in the Garden is one category of free concert offered by the National Gallery of Art. It’s worth mentioning again though, due to it’s popularity. Labor Day through mid-November get to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden early to snag a seat, then sit back and relax from 5 to 8:30 pm to all types of jazz. Hear fusion rock/jazz, a capella, R&B, and more.
2. Screen on the Green
The annual Screen on the Green outdoor film showcase on the National Mall almost didn’t happen this year when HBO dropped their sponsorship of it. Film fanatics rallied together with such a fervor (on Facebook at least) that Comcast, the Trust for the National Mall, and HBO combined forces to allow the shows to go on. Two films in July and two films in August were shown this year, and included “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “On the Waterfront,” and “Rebel Without a Cause.” Here’s hoping that next year Screen on the Green can continue the summer tradition, and D.C. can enjoy more free films.
3. Nationals Park
This year marked the second annual Opera in the Outfield event at Nationals Park. For the second year in a row the Nationals baseball stadium opened its stands to offer a simulcast of the opening night of the Washington National Opera. Picnic blankets scattered across the outfield, seats were filled in nearly every section, and everyone sat back and enjoyed a free night of arias.
Whether you’re a starving college student, a poor professional, or just a thrifty individual, D.C. has an astounding number of free events at your fingertips. There’s something for everyone, every night of the week.