WASHINGTON, DC

Go...

• BRIDGE STREET BOOKS read more ›
  (2814 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Tel. 202-965-5200)
  www.bridgestreetbooks.com
  This cozy Georgetown store is ideal for those with a strong focus on politics, philosophy and theology. Poetry, classics and carefully selected bestsellers also find some space.
• GILLY'S CRAFT BEER AND FINE WINE read more ›
  (2009 Chapman Ave, Rockville, MD. Tel. 301-770-5515)
  www.gillyscbfw.com
  At this required stop for brews in Maryland's Montgomery County, you can build your own six-pack or buy personalized glassware as a gift. Cheese platters and quirky sandwiches are available for pairing.
• POLLYSUE'S VINTAGE SHOP read more ›
  (6915 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park, MD. Tel. 301-270-5511)
  www.pollysues.com
  If your family's style is more lived-in than label-based, this shop is for you. Between bright walls and pressed tin ceilings, you'll find gently used men's and women's fashions that lived their first lives between 1850 and 1970.
• RASIKA read more ›
  (633 D St NW. Tel. 202-637-1222)
  www.rasikarestaurant.com
  Stop by this well-known modern Indian restaurant-whose name means "flavors"- for its trio of signature curries (Kashmiri, Makhani and Goan) for $6.50 per 16-ounce jar.
• SECOND CHANCE BOUTIQUE read more ›
  (4920 Fairmont Ave, Bethesda, MD. Tel. 301-652-6606)
  www.secondchanceboutiques.com
  If you love high fashion but hate the high prices, consignment stores are the way to shop. Second Chance's top-label inventory is offered at no more than a third of retail value.

• ANDREW JACKSON MONUMENT read more ›
  (1600 Pennsylvania Ave. )
  Directly north of the White House, this equestrian statue of seventh president Andrew Jackson is one of a trio of identical memorials designed by sculptor Clark Mills. The others are located in Nashville and New Orleans.
• FORD'S THEATRE read more ›
  (511 10th St NW. Tel. 202-347-4833)
  www.fordstheatre.org
  Reopened after 18 months of renovation-just in time to celebrate the bicentennial of President Lincoln's birth-this infamous theater features a refreshed stage and a reimagined historical museum.
• THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART read more ›
  (Fourth Ave and Constitution Ave NW. Tel. 202-737-4215)
  www.nga.gov
  As part of the bicentennial celebration of President Lincoln's birth, the original model for the Lincoln Memorial and a large plaster cast of the memorial's seated Lincoln will be on exhibit through February 2010.
• NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS read more ›
  (18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Tel. 877-635-1775)
  www.usmcmuseum.org
  This 135-acre site full of interactive, immersive exhibits honors members of the Marine Corps. The striking design of the museum's soaring atrium evokes the flag-raisers at Iwo Jima.
• THE OLD POST OFFICE PAVILION AND TOWER read more ›
  (1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Tel. 202-289-4224)
  www.oldpostofficedc.com
  This 19th-century architectural monument has been converted into a marketplace, but it still houses historical goodies, including the Congressional Bells.
• THE POPE-LEIGHEY HOUSE read more ›
  (9000 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA. Tel. 703-780-4000)
  www.popeleighey1940.org
  Architecture buffs should make the trek to suburban Alexandria to see Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian house." His ideas about affordable housing, all-natural materials and "design for the people" have never been more relevant.

• A&J RESTAURANT read more ›
  (1319-C Rockville Pike. Tel. 301-251-7878)
  Offering Taiwanese and Northern Chinese cuisine, this dim sum parlor features meatstuffed buns, zesty pancakes, and peanut and beef noodle soups. Cash only. $
• VIENNA INN read more ›
  (123 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA. Tel. 703-938-9548)
  www.viennainn.com
  Budweiser-boiled hot dogs smothered in chili, cheese, onions and mustard; gravy-and nacho cheese-soaked fries; and flapjacks are the staples at this near-half-century-old diner. $
• SIROC read more ›
  (915 15th St NW. Tel. 202-628-2220)
  www.sirocrestaurant.com
  Chef Martin Lackovic makes the pastas and vinaigrettes from scratch at this McPherson Square contemporary Italian restaurant. Top choices include the squid ink capellini with baby clams and the veal-filled raviolini. $$.
• PS 7'S read more ›
  (777 I St NW. Tel. 202-742-8550)
  www.ps7restaurant.com
  Helmed by Chef Peter Smith, this scholastically named culinary destination offers a wide-ranging, seasonally refreshed menu. Mixologist Gina Chersevani's alcoholic alchemy fuels an especially active bar. $$$
• SEI read more ›
  (447 Seventh St NW. Tel. 202-783-7007)
  www.seirestaurant.com
  This minimalist white-leather sushi lounge offers Japanese twists on standards (wasabi guacamole, "fish and chips"); an extensive selection of sake and shochu (a rice and potato spirit); and modern small plates. $$$
• BOMBAY CLUB read more ›
  (815 Connecticut Ave NW. Tel. 202-659-3727)
  www.bombayclubdc.com
  Long the crown jewel in the District's fine Indian dining scene, this place has undergone a recent renovation. The food (tandoori trout, venison korma) is as earthy and elegant as ever. $$$$

• EVO BISTRO read more ›
  (1313 Old Chain Bridge Rd. Tel. 703-288-4422)
  www.evobistro.com
  This tasting bar offers small-batch wines paired with Mediterranean small plates. Depending on your mood, select from an automated 1-, 3- and 5-ounce pour station or free-poured varieties.
• FAIRFAX LOUNGE read more ›
  (2100 Massachusetts Ave NW. Tel. 202-835-2100)
  Decorated with antique oars and boat models, this bar exudes warmth, and not just because of its two fireplaces. Go for the signature topshelf cocktails, extensive wine list and vintage Steinway piano.
• JIMMY'S OLD TOWN TAVERN read more ›
  (697 Spring St, Herndon, VA. Tel. 703-435-5467)
  www.jimmystavern.com
  On game days, this bar morphs into a raucous Bills and Sabres venue (the owner is a Buffalo native). Try the delicious "Jimchos" (nachos topped with chili, cheese and sour cream).
• QUARRY HOUSE TAVERN read more ›
  (8401 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Tel. 301-587-8350)
  www.quarryhousetavern.com
  Head downstairs for the lively jukebox at this informal watering hole. Formerly a 1930s basement, this classic locals' tavern offers an extensive beer list and burgers with tater tots.
• TOLEDO LOUNGE read more ›
  (2435 18th St NW. Tel. 202-986-5416)
  www.toledoloungedc.com
  At this Adams Morgan institution there are no specialty cocktails, no exclusive Abbey beers and no sharing plates-just cheap brews and zero pretension.
• TWINS JAZZ read more ›
  (1344 U St NW. Tel. 202-234-0072)
  www.twinsjazz.com
  Jazz lovers should look no further than this multicultural music venue, which also offers Ethiopian and Caribbean cuisine. This month's acts include trumpeter Marlon Jordan (June 12- 13) and The Charli Persip Band (June 26-27).

• PATAPSCO VALLEY STATE PARK read more ›
  (8020 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD. Tel. 888-432-2267)
  www.dnr.state.md.us
  Winding along 32 miles of the Patapsco River Valley upstream of the Chesapeake Bay, this state park is home to a 19th-century stone building housing a recreated forest warden's offi ce from the 1930s.
• SPLASH DOWN WATERPARK read more ›
  (7500 Ben Lomond Park Dr, Manassas, VA. Tel. 703-361-4451)
  www.splashdownwaterpark.com
  Open on weekends in late May and every day starting June 19, Northern Virginia's largest waterpark offers 13 acres of lazy rivers, lap pools, waterslides and Big-Kahuna beaches.

This month...

Fun Fact!
Da Vinci's only portrait in the Western Hemisphere resides at the National Gallery of Art.