Travel Guide Book

Washington DC is located near the middle of the eastern coast of the USA. It is 230 miles south of New York City, less than an hour drive to Baltimore and slightly more than two hours to Philadelphia. The city is near the vast Chesepeake Bay about 100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding landscape is nearly flat with some gently rolling hills and shallow valleys. Summers can get quite warm with temperatures often exceeding 80 degrees F during June through August. Winters can be quite cold with temperatures intermittently falling below freezing from December through March. They get a modest amount of precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year. Occasional Atlantic storms can bring deluges or can dump large amounts of snow on the area in the winter.

Washington DC is more than a city but not quite a state. It is a “district” created by the Congress of the United States in 1790 as a place to meet and transact their affairs of government. It was originally a ten-mile, square of land straddling the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland. They called it the District of Columbia and named the new capital city, to be constructed within, Washington in honor of our founding father and first president.

A city planned by a French engineer
Washington DC is one of the few cities in the USA that was built according to a plan. In 1790, President Washington hired a French engineer from Lafayette’s army named Pierre L’Enfant to design a glorious capital city similar to Paris. The complete name of the city is Washington, District of Columbia. Most people call it Washington DC or just DC.

Today Washington DC is a city of variety and contrast. The central area is beautifully designed with broad avenues lined with magnificent buildings and monuments set in spacious green parks. The surrounding neighborhoods vary from modern commercial districts and upscale residential neighborhoods to ethnic enclaves and working class neighborhoods. The city houses a myriad of workers, diplomats, politicians and immigrants from many lands. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the US with numerous ethnic neighborhoods and restaurants featuring a wide variety of exotic cuisines. Suburban communities in nearby Virginia and Maryland house an army of government workers and businesses supporting the operation of our huge federal bureaucracy.

Most of it is free
There is a lot to see in Washington DC and most of it is free. You can tour the US Capitol Building, the White House, the Supreme Court and many federal government agencies like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they print the money) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) (where they shoot a machine gun). You can visit the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt Memorials. You can see Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam memorial, the Korean War memorial and the Battle of Iwo Jima memorial. You can even spend several days touring the many parts of the Smithsonian Institute, one of the largest and finest collection of museums in the world. None of it will cost anything!

Washington DC offers many historical and educational attractions, a variety of cultural and entertainment activities, plenty of multi-ethnic dining experiences and an array of shopping opportunities. Outside of the city, there are many civil war battlefields within a short drive; and President Washington’s home at Mount Vernon is just south of DC. The port city of Baltimore and Anapolis, home of the US Naval Acadamy, are within an hour drive. Even Piladelphia and New York City are within a half-day drive.

Three major airports
DC is served by three major airports. Washington National Airport, now called Reagan International, is just across the Potomac river from the district. It offers many domestic flights to cities throughout the USA. Dulles Airport is located in suburban Virginia 30 miles west of the city. It offers many international flights and a variety of domestic connections. Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is about 30 miles north of DC near the outskirts of Baltimore. It offers both domestic and international travel options.

The DC Metro, or subway system is quite good. It offers easy access from Washington International Airport and from numerous “Park and Ride” locations around the city to most of the major attractions. On weekdays, the parking situation in the city can be quite difficult. I recommend parking outside of the downtown area and using the Metro. On weekends and holidays when the government beaurocrats desert their offices, downtown parking is readily available.

Navigating the baffling street system
Driving in DC can be frustrating. The beltway system around the city is quite good, but access to and from the central area is not so easy. All major roads often become congested during the busy hours of early morning and late afternoon.

The well-planned street system is an easy to comprehend grid that is often difficult to maneuver. The north-south streets are numbered and the east-west streets are lettered beginning at the Capitol and extending in both direction. You can have two 3rd streets (one to the east of the Capitol and one to the west), and you can have two “D” streets (one to the north of the capitol and one to the south). That is why the city is divided into quadrants. The intersections of 7th street and “C street” can occur in the NE, SE, NW and SW sectors. You must specify the quadrant to find an address. There is a series of broad avenues that radiate out from the Capitol like the spokes of a wheel. They produce some complex angular intersections that can baffle even the most experienced drivers.

I was born on the lower East side of Manhattan a few decades back. I moved out west in my twenties and have returned a few times. This past summer I got to spend some leisurely time showing my new bride the sights. As a first timer, she was obviously impressed by the shear grandeur and scope of this vital and bustling city. The height of buildings that block the sky is one of the first things she noticed. It was about then that I decided to look at the Big Apple through her fledgling eyes and revisit an old friend.
We stayed at a hotel not far from Macy?s and Herald Square at 35th street. We could easily walk to the Empire State Building, which still retains it?s magic and allure made famous in many a movie. At the observation deck, I could have sworn I saw Tom Hanks retrieve a lost teddy bear. The views are awesome and the whole art-deco lobby is clean and wonderfully unique. We made our way to Rockefeller Center and enjoyed a taping of the ?Today Show? in progress. The walk along Fifth avenue is decadent and a window-shoppers dream. Reaching Schwartz?s Toy Store, once again I visualized TH dancing on the keyboard on the second floor amid life-sized stuffed jungle animals.
We had already ducked into the Trump Tower and was taken by the opulent entryway. We then peered at the diamonds in the displays of Harry Winston and the renovation of the old Plaza Hotel into a condo project. Across the way was Central Park, boarded by an endless line of horse-drawn carriages waiting for lovers and tourists. Just inside the grassy knoll, they were filming a movie and we had to make a detour. Of course, it?s NY and they are always filming something.
The next day, the excitement continued at the Guggenheim Museum, a wonder of architectural ingenuity and the big dog: The Museum of Art, with it?s jaw-dropping Van Gogh originals and too many others to mention. We got to see the ?Imagine? tribute to Lennon and Nero Wolf?s plaque outside his building, which was fictitious but fun. We ended with a trip through Macy?s and hung around Times Square to absorb the ambiance and picture Dick Clark counting down the New Year. We left via Penn Station and caught our breath. It was only 3 days in town, but we had eaten NY pizza, deli pastrami sandwiches and mastered the subway system. Quite an accomplishment.
As we took our train out of town, we vowed to return to have a dog at Coney Island, visit the Statue of Liberty, The Museum of Natural History, explore more of Central Park and probably take a full week to capture all we missed. I was content that I could act as tour guide and point out the sights, but realized the wondrous diversity and culture that the City affords the tourist. Having been around the world, I can still honestly say that New York has something for everyone and should not be missed. Plan a trip in the spring or fall, if possible. We hit a cool spell for June, but the off-seasons are quite special. You won?t regret a moment, I promise.

Before talking more about Kimchi, which I am sure most Koreans have looked for in the index of this book (before considering if this book was worth buying) let’s talk first talk about supermarkets in Korea. I have always felt that visiting a supermarket in a new country is a good way to get an initial insight into the new culture. Certain things such as yoghurts, washing powders and soft drinks may be pretty much the same worldwide, but a stroll down the meat section in Korea can be very different from the meat section in England or America. Pig’s heads and types of fish you have not seen before for example, become noticeable. In the fruit and vegetable section you see types of fruit that are unfamiliar to you and a few vegetables that you do not recognise. All of these new things you would not find in supermarkets in your home country, but they are popular and part of the diet in Korea.
In Korea, Chinese medicine seems to be very popular and as a result, supermarkets often stack traditional remedies such as deer antlers, which are thought to be able to give energy and strength. On first seeing them, I thought they looked unappetising, particularly with them being cut into thin bloody slices. They are nevertheless very popular as a remedy and are also quite expensive. I tried a medicine that contained deer antlers extract, ginseng and other herbs and my taste buds did not quite agree with the taste BUT I felt more energetic. I think though that the way in which the taste made me almost jump out of my skin had something to do with the sudden burst of energy I felt. I get the same feeling from drinking a full bottle of Soju!
As well as certain types of meat, Korean supermarkets often offer a great selection of items such as ‘Tofu’ (dubu) and ‘Kimchi’. Tofu comes in many different types in Korea, usually varying according to the consistency. Tofu tastes great in soups, especially in one of my favourite soups ‘Sun-Dubu’. I prefer the soft tofu of ‘Sun-Dubu’, more than the hard Dubu which I also experienced in soups – but cut into slices or diced, and fried.
The speciality of Korea, which I had expected to find everywhere and which was everywhere, is ‘Kimchi’. Kimchi may be mentioned many times in this book and it is unavoidable. It is like writing a book about England without mentioning football, pubs and London; or writing about America and not mentioning the ‘B’ word – Bush or baseball; or writing about the French and not mentioning how much they hate visitors speaking English rather than French in their country.
The importance of Kimchi became clear almost as soon as I arrived in Korea. Not only did the subject of this phenomenon in Korea come up in conversations in classes, but there are also dozens of variations of Kimchi on display in the many supermarkets. It was clear early on from my students, that Kimchi is more than just a food. It is a necessity. A passion. An essential ingredient of Korean culture! Many students told me off how when they go abroad, they miss Kimchi more than anything else. One student said that he missed Kimchi even more than his own family and friends, when abroad.
I learned after a few months in Korea that there thought to be over 100 different types of Kimchi and different types of Kimchi according to the area of Korea. Cheju island for example, have Haemul (seafood) Kimchi and Nabak (square cut radish). Kangwon Province has Chanran (fish paste and sliced radish) Kimchi and Ojingeo Mu-u (squid radish) Kimchi. Ch’ungch’ong Provinces have Gul Ggaktugi (oyster and sliced radishes) and Hobak (pumpkin) Kimchi.
I actually like Kimchi quite a lot and I never hesitated to eat Kimchi when this cabbage, garlic and chilli based food was on the table in front of me. My own favourite is Myeolchi Kimchi – made with a dried fish base and strong seafood taste. Many English teachers in Korea love it as well. I could never eat it for breakfast though. Many people from Anglo countries dislike Myeolchi Kimchi, but they do often like other types of Kimchi. The fact that many Koreans eat Kimchi at every meal including breakfast shows the depth of passion for what is considered a National treasure.
In addition to an amazing colourful display of different varieties of Kimchi, ready-made Korean specialities such as Korean pancakes, cold glass noodles, cooked vegetables and saut?ed mushrooms can be found. A warning though! Be careful of Korean bread, as things are not always as they seem. What looks like a normal Western loaf of bread, can when you bite into it, leave you with a mouthful of cream. The centre of the bread is often full of cream and it can be quite a surprise the first time: not because there is anything wrong with cream, but just because you are not expecting it, and you are caught off guard. I do not know why there is cream inside the bread, but there is. It could be because Koreans usually eat rice at every meal, rather than bread, hence bread for Koreans is more like a dessert. Maybe it is a new thing in Korea just to keep the Westerners on their toes!
As an Englishman, the tea section in a supermarket can be very important. Green tea and barley tea are common in many Korean supermarkets and the quality is always good. The problem for an English person though, is that black tea is the most common type of tea drank and in Korea, the only black tea you can normally find is Twinings. Twinings and all other black teas I found in Seoul, were less than half the strength of black teas on sale in England. When I visited the U.S., I always had the same problem finding a good quality cup of black tea so these days when travelling, I usually take some good tea bags (a good brand of Indian tea on sale in England) and a travel kettle. I even have to send it to my English, Australian and South African friends who work in Korea. Tea is probably as important to many British as Kimchi is to Koreans. In the English language there are even expressions which use tea in the expression; such is the importance of tea in British culture. A typical expression is: “I wouldn’t visit the South Pole for all the tea in China”. Not “(to do something) for all the tea in China” is a common expression in British English to express when there is no way you would do something. Maybe there is a proverb or expression in Korean involving Kimchi.

Texas is a big state, but some portions tend to dominate in terms of attracting guests for days of fun, sun, and pure pleasure-seeking. You don?t have to be a spring breaker to hit the coast, either, as there are many family-oriented and romantic outlets for all your pent-up, work-induced frustrations. Consider Corpus Christi if you need a chance to unwind, as it?s one of Texas? finest playgrounds for people of all ages.
Sometimes the beach just calls out to you from wherever you are, beckoning to be enjoyed as if you had nothing else to do. There?ll be plenty of time to pay attention to bills and deadlines this year, so treat yourself by forgetting about all things dry in nature and get ready to frolic to your heart?s content. Corpus Christi has miles of superb beaches that will allow you to get your fix.
This area is nestled behind the barrier islands of Padre and Mustang, creating a bay that is calm, protected, and scenic. The kids will love to spend an afternoon building sand castles and swimming in the surf, and from beneath your parasol you?ll finally get to read the book that?s been gathering dust on your nightstand for the past few months. Pause to scan the horizon every now and then and listen to the laughter of the kids as they make a few memories.
You may be surprised to discover that there?s a lot to do here in addition to lounging on the beach. The Texas State Aquarium is a must-see attraction, as it highlights the local wildlife while emphasizing the importance of conservation and environmental protection. Heritage Park and Cultural Center operates in a 100 year old house and serves as a reminder of Corpus Christi?s days gone by, and the USS Lexington will let aircraft lovers ooh and ahh. Don?t forget about the Botanical Gardens and the famous Padre Island National Seashore, either, as they will surely make for some great photo-ops.
With an average temperature of 71 degrees and over 255 days of sunshine per year, spending some time outside will be more than enough to put you into a good mood for the duration of your stay. Go bird watching, bicycling, kayaking, parasailing, or anything else that looks like fun. Gambling boats and dog races are available if you?re feeling lucky, and tons of great restaurants will keep your taste buds dancing.
In addition to all of this, there are many special events that are worth noting. You may even want to schedule your trip to coincide with one of them if it really strikes your fancy. Tons of live music and nightlife are an everyday occurrence, but check the schedule for those special tours and festivals that only come along every once in a while. Jazz is big here, and goes well the laid-back atmosphere you?ll encounter wherever you?ll go.
To make your Corpus Christi vacation gel properly, you?ll want to reserve a vacation rental that will keep you comfortable and happy during your nights and for any downtime that does occur during the day. Sunning and sight seeing have been known to bring on a nap attack or two, and being able to fix a quick snack or meal will save you a few bucks. Hotels get the job done just fine, but sometimes having an extra detail like a DVD player or a walk-in closet, makes life a little sweeter. If you?ve never treated yourself before, take a look online to see what you?ve been missing.
Your Corpus Christi vacation is looking pretty good so far, all it takes is a little more planning and then you?ll be sitting pretty on the beach, or on the patio of one of the many fabulous Corpus Christi Vacation Rentals available for savvy travelers like you.