Washington DC Bed and Breakfast | Visitor Info Blog | American Guest House

Pix on the Plaza

lrosan — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:05:57 +0000

Every once in a while, we all need to see a random group of people burst into coordinated song and dance. With this year’s “Pix on the Plaza” you can get your very own ”musical fix” every other week for the remainder of the summer!

Saturday, August 7 - Singing in the Rain

Thursday, August 19 - Beyond Ipanema

Thursday, September 9 - Shine a Light

and

Thursday, September 23 - Footloose

The August films start at 9 pm, and the September films start at 8 pm (with pre-film Karaoke and games). Meet your friends at the Ronald Reagan Building’s Woodrow Wilson Plaza for a bit of musical fun

http://www.itcdc.com/PDFs/PIX-PB-Ad.pdf

Street Soccer 2010 USA Cup

lrosan — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:39:20 +0000

Across the United States, extraordinary talent of varying kinds often sits wasted on city streets. Among the homeless population are intellects and musicians … artists, athletes, and more … all excluded after a personal trauma from which they never fully recovered. These men, women, and children face great challenge to meet the vague, but important, goal of getting “back on track.”

Street Soccer USA strives to help a subsection of the homeless talent pool by offering structure, companionship, and fun (alongside a host of resources) to its disenfranchised players, and from July 30 - August 1, participants from across the United States will battle in game for the Street Soccer 2010 USA Cup.

Offer a leg up to men and women who can use a hand through your ticket purchase or donation. For more information, visit http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/.

Sonya
Night Manager

It’s just you and them (the fish!)

lrosan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 03:02:54 +0000

Why not beat the summer heat by pressing your face against a piece of cool glass? No, we’re not talking about your lemonade container; we’re talking about the National Aquarium, where fish and other sea creatures rule. Admittedly, you can’t get in the tank and swim with them, but you will learn more about marine life and its impact on humanity overall. (And who doesn’t want to know that!) More details below:

http://www.nationalaquarium.com/

Have a great time!

Sonya,
Night Innkeeper

Capital Fringe Festival

lrosan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:03:17 +0000

The Capital Fringe Festival is still here, until the 25th of July! The Festival serves as a way for local artists to showcase their work, which comes in the form of plays, poetry, comedy and musicals. The Fringe movement has a unique history dating back to its beginnings in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 and as of 2005, it’s here! Each show contains its own unique style as it is purely that of the artist who created it. This is a wonderful way to become familiar with local performing artists without being subjected to filtered art. The Fringe Festival in essence is about adventure, exploration and art!

Fringe showcases a wide array of performances and has a large selection to choose from. Please see the Show Listing for more information. Shows vary in audience and some are appropriate for all ages while others are strictly for a more mature crowd. Performances are also held at various locations, which you can find under the listing.

To obtain tickets, please see the Box Office Information. A great way to save some cash and view multiple shows is by purchasing a Fringe Button. It also gives the wearer special discounts at local shops, restaurants and museums.

If you have some spare time, this is a great way to enjoy some of what DC has to offer. If you’re really enjoying it, you may want to think about applying for the Fringe Fanatic award! Look no further for a grand adventure for it is here at the Fringe Fest!

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

Lost Charlie Chaplin films to be shown at Slapsticon in Arlington!

lrosan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:51:09 +0000

Slapsticon is a film festival that strives to bring life back to some of the old silent comedies that paved the way for all our future films! On July 17th, their special feature will include three lost films created by one of the most prominent film pioneers of the 20th century, Sir Charles Chaplin. This is a real treat for any Chaplin fan! The films start at 8pm and include A Thief Catcher (1914), Mutual Outtakes (1916-17), and The Bond (1918).

Slapsticon

This festival also includes many other film shorts by other great comedians including Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Hal Roach, Harpo Marx, and Abbot & Costello. The festival runs between July 15-18 and is located at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. The film program runs all day. See the link for details on the films to be shown.

Film Program

To join, you must Register beforehand. This is a festival that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is a great way to get out of the July heat! So, be sure not to miss out on the laughs. As the great Chaplin once said, “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

The SPY Museum

lrosan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:52:25 +0000

Spies working on the side of “good” are perhaps the only people we can easily forgive for living a life of lies. But what does it take to become a spy? What challenges do they face in the field? How do they survive such a challenging existence. The answers to these questions and more may be found at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

According to their website, “The International Spy Museum is the first and only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on this all-but-invisible profession. It features the largest collection of international spy-related artifacts ever placed on public display. The stories of individual spies, told through film, interactives, and state-of-the-art exhibits, provide a dynamic context to foster an understanding of espionage and its impact on current and historic events. In addition to the Museum, the Complex includes a Museum Store, private dining and event facilities, and two restaurants: Zola and Spy City Cafe.”

And it’s all right here in downtown D.C. For more information, visit http://www.spymuseum.org/. Don’t forget to wear a disguise!

Sonya, Night Manager
American Guest House

See DC sites on wheels!

lrosan — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:08:23 +0000

Ever thought of trying an alternative way of seeing what DC has to offer without walking everywhere but still getting your exercise? Then try a bike tour! Hop on to one of the rental bikes from Bike and Roll conveniently located by the Smithsonian museums and The Mall. The address is 1100 Pennsylvania Ave, NW on 12th St. across from the Federal Triangle Metro (blue and orange lines).

Bike and Roll

You can take a guided tour of the Capital Sites, Historic Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon (see Alexandria location). It’s a fun and healthy way to see our cities wonderful sites and at a reasonable price! You can rent a bike and take your own tour or join in on one of theirs. They offer a variety of bikes, such as road, cruiser, comfort, performance and tandem. Rentals include helmet, bike tube, pump, lock, city map, and handlebar bag. The prices vary by bike type and the amount of time it’s used. They also offer trailer carriages, so young members of the family can come along for the ride. Electric scooters and wheelchairs are also available as rentals. For some real excitement, take a Monement Night Tour and enjoy the sites as the sun sets. See the links below for more information.

Bike Rentals

Electric Scooter and Wheelchair Rentals

Bike Tours

Family Bike Adventures

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

E Street Cinema & AFI Silver

lrosan — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:51:58 +0000

Fed up with similar story lines being repeated over and over again at mainstream movie theaters? Feel like trying something new? Consider visiting Washington, DC’s E Street Cinema or Silver Spring, MD’s AFI Silver Theater.

In the heart of downtown Washington, DC, the E Street Cinema specializes in independent and foreign language films, documentary features, and classic revivals. Just hop off at Metro Center on the subway line and walk to the entrance on E Street between 10th and 11th Street NW. With everything from movie-length comedic French cartoons to the great dramas of our day, you’ll never leave E Street bored.

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/WashingtonDC/WashingtonDC_Frameset.htm.

Another option is the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring (right outside of DC). At this metro accessible location, you can experience cinema’s finest talents in not only the United States, but also the world. All forms of the moving image are explored, and visitors often have the opportunity to learn about various aspects of film through the many lectures, festivals, and exhibits on display. As home to one of the nation’s most beautiful theaters, watching a movie at the AFI is truly a memorable experience that will not only entertain, but also inform.

http://www.afi.com/silver/new/

Sonya, Night Manager

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Free for All

lrosan — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:07:32 +0000

Does an evening at the theatre seem like something you would love to do, but find yourself on a tight budget? Fear not! For the Shakespeare Theatre come upon its Free for All season where they open up free showings for the general public. Currently, the revival of the playwright’s classic, Twellfth Night, is performing at the Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street, NW located by the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro). See the link below for details.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Free for All

Once this promotion ends, there are still other discounts available. The Shakespeare Theatre offers tickets at $10 for patrons under 35 that can be purchased every Tuesday morning during the season at 10am. They also offer discounted tickets to groups of 10 or more, students and seniors.

For their full Calendar of performances see below:

Calendar

Playing in the month of July is Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Avenue Q. Both are highly rated comedic performances that cater to the adult audience. Avenue Q is a Tony award winning piece of musical theatre that has traveled across the country. Now, it’s in our neck of the woods! For more information about the plays and Box Office, please see: Plays.

So go to laugh, cry and experience the classics like never before! - Vanessa, Innkeeper

Frederick Douglass House of Washington, DC

lrosan — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:26:45 +0000

History is a central tenant of life in Washington, D.C. One cannot walk many steps without encountering a plaque, statue, or monument honoring a great hero of our past. When people come to D.C., they remember to visit the archives, art museums, and theaters, but often forgotten are the tributes to equally great, but sometimes lesser known heroes …

Up on Cedar Hill in Southeast D.C. sits the majestic former home of escaped slave, abolitionist, underground railroad conductor, lecturer, publisher, military recuriter, and U.S. Marshal Frederick Douglass. Today, what was a home is now a museum, giving visitors an intimate look into the life of one of the men whose opinion helped convince President Lincoln to make emancipation a cause of the Civil War and who helped encourage a community toward greatness.

Don’t forget the lesser known heroes on your next visit to D.C. Be sure to include the Frederick Douglass house as a stop on your personal tour of town.

Click below for more information on the Frederick Douglass House: http://www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm

Sonya, Night Manager