Last week I went to get my morning coffee and I was met by a belt buckle with a young man attached to it.

The buckle clearly stated the man’s affection for Texas, and I found it distracted me from noticing much of anything else about the poor guy. I was also distracted from noticing anyone else in the coffee shop, which really bothered me, as a city girl who prefers to be aware of her surroundings.

Living in DC, especially in the summer, I am reminded on a daily basis of how America is full of different types of folks. We are city mice and country mice, liberal and conservative, blue collar and white collar, civilian and military, guests and staff, students and faculty – etcetera.

As tourists from around the country visit their nation’s Capitol, it’s interesting to hear them speak to each other on the Metro or in our museums.

I truly enjoy the sense of wonder I get to relive through a tourist when they are awestruck by our Metro trains or they get their first glimpse of the Washington Monument.

As tourist season wraps up, I have been watching students arrive to attend the numerous universities in DC. These students bring a fresh set of accents and experiences to the city, as does the Congress with their staff.

I hope all who read this, Americans especially, get the chance to visit their Nation’s Capital to see it in action. I like to see you here! Washington is much more than a land of bureaucrats and politicians. It is filled and surrounded by Americans, and those eager to learn more about us.

“It’s our duty as parents to take you to places like this, because when you’re grown up and you’re a garbage truck driver, you won’t be able to afford to do these things.”

That’s what the mother behind me was telling her son as we were waiting in line for the tour of the Mount Vernon mansion. Her husband had been reading a Mt. Vernon guidebook to the family of four for the previous ten minutes. The pre-teen kids were rolling their eyes, but were laughing.

Mt. Vernon, the plantation home of George Washington, is in remarkably good shape. There are still original pieces of furniture there that our first president used. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has preserved the plantation the way it was about 200 years ago, so you can see the mansion, slave quarters, gardens and farm from 1799.

1. You will need a full day to visit Mount Vernon. They have a nice food court and a full-service restaurant on site to make your day more comfortable.
2. Before you go, check the Calendar of Events on the website to see if there is a special event you can take advantage of while you’re there.
3. Start your visit at their new orientation center, then proceed to the tour of the mansion. During the summer, lines can be long to get into the mansion, but the tour isn’t long.
4. Use your time waiting for the mansion tour to study the map. After the tour of the mansion, it’s up to you to decide what parts of the plantation you’d like to see, and it’s a bit spread out.
5. There is LOTS of green space for kids with energy to run around, and the Mt. Vernon staff is pretty liberal about letting kids run. Enjoy.
6. There are some fabulous views of the Potomac from the back of the mansion, a wonderful place for photos.

There are a couple of cruise lines that will take you there by boat, a trip which adds to the fun. We took the Potomac Riverboat Company from the Torpedo Factory dock in Old Town Alexandria. The open-air boat has plenty of seating, an air-conditioned level and a snack bar. Yes, there were even rest rooms on board. A tour guide provided a narration of sights along the river that corresponded with our visit of Mt.Vernon. The boat left Alexandria at 10:15 a.m. and returned at 5:30 p.m. Once you get to the dock at Mt. Vernon, you can either walk up the hill or take a shuttle bus. I recommend taking the bus, regardless of your energy level, since this will drop you off at the new orientation center, and you’ll be able to see a great little film that’s been put together about George Washington, and experience Mt. Vernon in the ‘right’ order.

Keep in mind that Mount Vernon is privately owned, and there is a reasonable admission fee.

The Washington Post recently wrote a story on the little island of Chincoteague, and it just so happened that my lover man and I were planning an escape to the island made famous by Misty too.

We’ve been there before, and we have a favorite hotel. It so happens our favorite is not one of the rentals, nor a campground, nor a bed & breakfast, although those are all there. I really do love watching the ducks in the yards of the B&Bs.

We like to stay in the Best Western that is the last hotel on the road to the beach. They offer a hot breakfast in the lobby in the morning, and they have bicycles for rent behind the hotel. It means we were able to get to the beach before (mostly) anyone else in the morning, (although there is also a pool there at the hotel). We were out there with the fishermen and the lifeguards. First dibs!

Since we’re vegetarians, we take our own food with us and the hotel is quite nice about letting us use the microwave in the lobby whenever necessary. There are sizeable refrigerators in the rooms. But we found a pretty plentiful vegetarian selection at the new Mexican restaurant, Don Alarios, just down the road, too. There is also a nice sandwich shack down on Main Street. And I would never miss Mr. Whippy’s drive-through ice cream shop.

Our other favorite stop is Psychotronic, an electic shop full of collectible books, records, videos and ‘stuff.’ It’s at 4102 Main Street in Chincoteague and is run by the legendary Michael Weldon and his wife Mia.

I highly recommend visiting the wildlife refuge on Assateague Island to take advantage of the bus tour of the refuge. We really enjoyed the opportunity to see more of the wild horses in their natural habitat, and the driver/tour guide really knew her stuff not only about the refuge, but also about the lighthouse and the rest of the island. It was a great introduction, and a good way to start a vacation there at Chincoteague if you’ve never been there before.

You’ll also notice when you make your way towards the beach that it’s a National Park, which asks you to pay an admission/parking fee each day. If you’re around for a few days, go ahead and get the weekly pass for $15 and save yourself the money and trouble of paying the daily fee. That’s a free tip from me to you! ♥

And OH the big story… the wild horses are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Technically, they rent space from the National Park Service for the horses to run wild on Assateague Island. But there’s only enough room for 150 or so horses on the refuge. So the pony swim happens once every summer when the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department sells off the extra ponies from the refuge -  the foals born over the year get sold off each summer at an auction. It’s late July this year, and it’s a BIG DEAL in Chincoteague.

To celebrate Earth Day I’d like to share some of my favorite ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. These are tried and tested items, not just things that look pretty. I own and use these things every day, I promise!

1. English Retreads Large Model T Tote – This is one of my favorite tote bags. It’s absolutely indestructible, and polishes clean with Armor-All, as it’s made from the inner tubing of truck tires. HEAVY DUTY. Still 100% glamorous. I also have a smaller version for evenings.
2. Preserve Toothbrushes, Ultra Soft Bristles, 6-count package – These toothbrushes are made from those yogurt cups that many of us plow through every day. That plastic is harder to find a home for than other plastics, but this company has done wonders with it. These toothbrushes are fab, and colorful, too. Preserve will take them back when you’re done with them, too! Really. I buy them in dozens and give them to my family and friends at Christmas and Easter.
3. Real Deal Made in Brazil Tarp Hat – It’s recycled from Brazilian truck tarps, and made to last. Very durable, and hip for man or woman headed on a weekend camping trip or a month in the outback.
4. Washington, DC’s Metro system – This is my primary mode of transport, and it saves me about 84 miles of driving a week.

I hope you find these little things helpful. Perhaps you can weave them into your own life! Don’t want to spend any extra money? Just follow this link to the Rainforest Site where all you have to do is ‘Click to Give‘… Or join the Earth Day Network here. Thanks and happy Earth Day!

The cherry blossoms will be peaking next weekend. Washington, DC isn’t the only place cherry blossoms bloom, but the cherry blossom trees here are famous. They were initially a gift from the Japanese, and there are thousands around the city, mostly concentrated around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial, close to the Mall. They are quite pretty, and the city has built a festival around the blooming of these trees, complete with a parade, a race, and a regatta.

The Cherry Blossom Festival also signals the beginning of the tourist season here in DC. I met a friendly part of a group of students from Oregon on the Metro on my way to work last week; there were 100+ of them total, I was told. Small family groups are starting to show up too, going on educational Spring Break trips, no doubt.

I was annoyed by tourists at one point of my life. They stand on the wrong side of the escalator and take up valuable commuting space. But I am loving them right now. For the most part, DC tourists gawk in wonder at things we locals forget is really awesome.

Every day I walk within yards of the White House. I can see the top of the Washington monument on my walk to work. And I could go have lunch in the park across the street from Obama’s house any given day.  I went shopping by the Pentagon last weekend, and drove right by Arlington Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial to get there. I’m not bragging, I’m just taking a moment to appreciate what we Washingtonians have. People come from Oregon to see that stuff.

It’s when I see kids from Oregon, who say to me, “It’s our first time in Washington!” with excitement and wonder, that I appreciate living in DC even more. So I am welcoming tourists this year. Feel free to ask me if you need directions. Enjoy your visit. It’s pretty beautiful here.

• Cherry Blossom History
• Best of DC: Survival Guide for Tourists Washington DC information
• Going Out Guide to the 2009 Cherry Blossom Festival

Traveling is so much fun, but how can you get to all the beautiful places in the world without burning some jet fuel?

OK, you’re right, you could sail across the Pacific, after biking cross-country. Or hop a barge that happens to be going that way. But the likelihood that you have enough vacation time to do all that is slim to none. For me, it’s right out. If I want to go somewhere to enjoy the scenery, I better get there fast. So when I get there, I’m extra-conscious of how green I am.

I just talked to a friend today about his fabulous photos from his Asian vacation, and it turns out that the folks that took him on his trip are extra-conscious of how green they are, too. And they’ll be glad to take you on your next trip, to Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe… pretty much anywhere interesting.

Intrepid Travel – They come highly recommended. Pass it on!

Here’s a smart way to get yourself moving. Borrow a bike.

And you don’t have to beg your roommate or sister. Go to http://www.smartbikedc.com/ and sign up for a subscription. For the low price of $40/year, you can have access to a number of bike racks around town, and feel free to pick up a bike here, drop it off there, tool around town in between… generally be a DC biker without all the hassle of storing a bike and keeping it running.

Truth be told, there isn’t a lot of maintenance to be done on the average bike-about-town, but if you can’t seem to save up for that bike, and you don’t have a good place to stash one, this is an excellent solution. Really, $40 is not SO much that you couldn’t just use the bike subscription a couple of times a year for a bike around the Tidal Basin with a friend. And meanwhile, someone else is using the bike.

The Smartbikes are designed with a rack in front for your bag, and they’ve strategically located check in/check out points around downtown DC. Don’t be surprised if the tourists figure this one out too.

Personally, I’ll be hoping for some Arlington bike racks in the near future.