What should I visit in Washington

The bacon lollies at First Farmers are not to be missed.

The most known obscure museum is probably the Textile Museum, and it is surprisingly interesting.

The most obscure museum is perhaps the Laogais Museum.

Right, in Washington now.
The heat was muderous yesterday (hot and wet) but nicer today.
So far it’s a really nice city and most of the buildings are better than I expected.

Two questions though:

  1. Where can I get Ron Paul memorabilia? One of my companions is a huge fan of Ron Paul (He has already bought a bust of Ronald Reagan) but he can’t find anything.

  2. What is the deal with tipping in general and taxis in particular? It seems that you are expected to tip taxis, but you are paying them directly to provide a service - why tip?

  3. Is Labour day a big deal? Will there be much on for it?

Yes, but Labor Day is not a holiday marked by any significant public celebrations. It’s mainly observed by… not working, and having friends over for a cookout. Smithsonian museums & other tourist services will be open, but many smaller businesses will be closed.

There are some events planned though. You can see a list here:
http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/Laborday.htm

Yes, you should tip a taxi driver. They are seldom owners of the cab, and when they are are struggling under a recent change in the way they have to formulate fares. 15 - 20% and an extra dollar for each bag they handle.

Ron Paul - I can only say wander down the sidewalk and look in the vendor’s stalls. Most likely you’ll have to search on line for that though. What you do find will most likely be snarky. Be careful about asking strangers, he’s not real popular here.

Why would you expect to find Ron Paul memorabilia in Washington? You’re not going to find anything other than standard Republican and Democratic memoriabilia.

Are there any cities where you’re not expecting to tip a taxi driver? I’ve never any, at least in the U.S.

There’s a political memorobilia store in Union Station, but I forget the name. Ron Paul might be too “out of date” for them, but it can’t hurt to look and ask. Union Station is a sight to behold anyway!

How did I manage to make so many mistakes in a short post?:

> Are there any cities where you’re not expecting to tip a taxi driver? I’ve never
> any, at least in the U.S.

I meant to write:

> Are there any cities where you’re not expected to tip a taxi driver? I’ve never
> seen any, at least in the U.S.

I am now trying to work out if we were mugged or not.

I’ve always wanted to do DC justice (was there for <1 day years ago) if you want suburban stuff:

Arlington Cemetary
Mt Vernon
Monticello
Williamsburg

I try always when I’m in Washington to see a few Whistlers at the Freer Museum on the Mall. Most DC museums are free, but this one is Freer.

?!? Are you all right?

Again, Monticello - while well worth a visit - is nowhere near DC except that it’s in one of the states that borders DC. Ditto Williamsburg (it’s even further away than Monticello).

By the local prices for everything? or in a more literal sense?? (most people can tell if it’s the more literal version of the phrase).

Or are you referring to someone back home getting emails from you, begging for help since you were mugged?

I bet he walked up to Pelosi and asked where he could find aRon Paul T-shirt. . .

He only got $12 out of us and no-one was hurt.

I’m sorry, Laudenum - I hate when sketchy stuff happens to tourists, as it makes the whole District look bad. Glad you’re okay.

How much longer are you in the area? There are jazz festivals in Arlington and Silver Spring on Saturday - your family might like them. Take a look at www.dcist.com .

What’s with the cryptic statements? What actually happened?

Good to know Mama! Thanks for the future reference.