3 places are mentioned in this post!

1. President's Guest House
2. Hilton Washington
   The Hilton Washington hosted the 2006 White House Correspondents'
3. White House
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This is the second part of a two-part piece on the many
presidential assassination attempts within Washington, DC.

Click here for Part 1.
 

Harry S. Truman at Blair House  – 1950
Desiring independence for Puerto Rico, two pro-independence nationalists, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, learned that an independence uprising and coup in Puerto Rico had failed and decided to kill President Truman.  

At that time, the White House was undergoing major renovations and the President and his family were residing at nearby Blair House.

The attack occurred when the two assassins simultaneously approached Blair House from different directions on Pennsylvania Avenue, and started shooting guards. The assault took the guards by surprise, but the seven Secret Service and White House Police, along with nearby Capitol Police joined in the gun battle. 

Sleeping in his second-floor bedroom, President Truman was awoken by the gun fire. Investigating the noise, he opened the window, a mere 30 feet from one of the shooters, before Secret Service agents instructed him to leave the window.

The gun battle lasted under a minute and left one shooter dead and the other wounded and in custody. One officer was among the dead and two others were wounded. 

The surviving assassin, Collazo, who was wounded in the chest, was found guilty of murder, attempted assassination, and assault with intent to kill. 

He was sentenced to death and Truman later commuted his sentence to life in prison, denying Collazo martyrdom.  In 1979, President Carter pardoned Collazo and he was released.  In 1994, Collazo died in Puerto Rico.

Blair House
1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC‎ 20006 (map it)

Ronald Reagan at the Washington Hilton Hotel – 1981

After delivering an address to an AFL-CIO conference, President Reagan exited the Washington Hilton Hotel on T Street, NW using the VIP entrance.

Moments later, six shots rang out, fired from John Hinckley, Jr’s. 22 caliber pistol.  The handgun was loaded with exploding bullets, but none exploded upon impact.

President Ronald Reagan was struck by a slug in the chest that ricocheted off the Presidential limousine. Hinckley, who had an obsession with actress Jodi Foster, was attempting to impress her by his actions.  

White House Press Secretary James Brady, DC police officer Thomas Delahanty, and Timothy McCarthy, a Secret Service agent were all wounded in the attack.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to Saint Elizabeth Hospital.  He has been under institutional psychiatric care since his conviction, but has more recently been periodically allowed to leave on unsupervised releases to visit his family.

Washington Hilton Hotel
1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009 (map it)

Bill Clinton at the White House – 1994

On September 12, 1994, at 2:00 a.m., Frank E. Corder, crashed a stolen Cessna 150L single engine plane into the south lawn of White House.  The plane slid into the White House but caused little damage, other than killing Corder.  At that time, President Clinton was not at the White House.

Just a month and a half later, Francisco M. Duran, standing on Pennsylvania Avenue, pulled an assault rifle form under his coat and He pointed it between the bars of the White House fence. He started  shooting at a group of men on the White House lawn, thinking one of them was President Clinton.

He was able to fire 29 rounds before he was tackled by a 34-year old tourist visiting from San Antonio, just as a nearby Secret Service Officer was aiming his pistol at the assailant’s back. Two other passer-bys jumped on Duran and held him until he was handcuffed by White House security personnel.

Strangely, the tourist worked for a security firm and was visiting Washington, DC to attend a conference on violence in the workplace.

This time, President Clinton was in the White House watching a college football game on TV, in a room on the opposite side of the building.  One bullet did penetrate the West Wing press briefing room as well as the north face of the building.

George W. Bush at the White House – 2001

In February of 2001, Robert Pickett, standing outside the White House fence, fired several shots in the direction of the White House. A ten-minute stand-off with police ensued, ending in Pickett being shot. 

According to reports, the shots probably wouldn’t have struck the White House.

Pickett was hospitalized and later convicted,being sentenced to a  three year prison term for the shooting.  The court gave him a light sentence due to inconclusive evidence that Pickett was attempting to kill President Bush.

White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20500 (map it)

There were three other earlier attempts on American Presidents.
Check yesterday’s post for the first half of list. 

Images – Flickr - White House & Blair House, Reagan shooting – public domain

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3 places are mentioned in this post!

1. United States Capitol
2. Fords Theatre
3. 4 Massachusetts Ave NE

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Sadly, since the dawn of history, assassination has been a swift way to overthrow a government or change the political or ideological direction of a nation.

And since the early days of America, the President of the United States has been a target of assassins, seditionists, revolutionaries, ideologues and the occasional nutcase. 

And the most common place for an attempt on the President’s life is in Washington, DC.

Two attempts in Washington DC to assassinate the President ultimately succeeded. The first was Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre in 1865, and James A. Garfield’s sixteen years later, in 1881 was the second.

But six other assassination attempts occurred in DC, some quickly foiled, others that resulted in multiple injuries or deaths.

Here’s a rundown of the attempts and the places in the District where each attempt took place.

Andrew Jackson at The Capitol - 1835
The first Presidential assassination attempt in Washington, DC occurred in 1835, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. President Andrew Jackson was leaving the funeral and following the casket of South Carolina congressman Warren Davis.

Walking side-by-side with the Secretary of the Treasury, Levi Woodberry, a house painter named Richard Lawrence stepped from behind a pillar and when the President approached within a dozen feet of Lawrence, he drew and fired the first of two flintlock pistols he was brandishing. The first pistol, aimed at Jackson’s back, misfired.

Noticing the assassin, Jackson and others rushed at Lawrence and at at point blank range, Lawrence fired his second pistol, which luckily also misfired.

Jackson, who was carrying a cane, struck Lawrence repeatedly until  others could subdue and disarm him. 

Lawrence was arrested and at trial, expressed that he believed himself to be the King of America and England.  He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a local mental institution, the Government Hospital for the Insane in Southeast Washington, DC.  He remained there until he died in 1861, forgotten by the public.

The hospital was later renamed Saint Elizabeth Hospital, which became the future home of John Hinkley, Jr., as well as other  would-be presidential assassins. The hospital is still in operation today.

U.S. Capitol Building
East Capitol Street, NE and 1st Street, NE 
Washington, DC 20002 (map it)

Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre – 1865
Just as the Civil War was ending, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on 10th Street.  While attending a play, Lincoln and his wife was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a loyal Confederate, snuck into the Presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head. 

For details of Lincoln’s assassination, check out a previous post I wrote with many of the details. 

Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

James Garfield at the B&P Railroad Station – 1881
Just four months after taking office, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, at a Washington railroad station. Guiteau, a disgruntled attorney, wanted a consular post after writing a campaign speech for Ulysses S. Grant for the 1880 presidential campaign. But John Garfield won the primary and became the Republican candidate.

Guiteau change a few words and the title of his speech and sent it to Garfield’s campaign staff.  It was only delivered once or twice and incorrectly mentioned several of Grant’s accomplishments as being Garfield’s.  Yet Guiteau thought his efforts and speech was the main reason Garfield won the Presidency.

He thought his efforts deserved him a U.S. ambassadorship, but his continual requests were denied, until he was finally bared from the White House.

After several weeks stalking the President and practicing with a pistol, he waited for the President to leave on vacation from the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. When the President arrived, Guiteau shot twice, the second bullet shot hitting Garfield in the back.

Two and a half months later, Garfield died of complications and infection, due mostly to poor medical treatment.

Guiteau was immediately arrested at the scene. During his high-profile trial and after being convicted and waiting to be executed, he was held at the Government Hospital for the Insane. 

During the trial, he claimed “The doctors killed Garfield, I just shot him”. Guiteau was executed by hanging the following year.

Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Station* 
4 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC (map it)

* The B&P station no longer exists, Union Station is now on the old grounds.

There were five other attempts on four other Presidents.
Check back tomorrow for the rest of the list. 

 Images - B&P station – National Gallery of Art, Lincoln, Garfield & Jackson – public domain

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Well…it’s official. After 40 years, on July 12th, Nathan’s is closing their doors.

Here’s a link with the details and a few photos.

It’s time for “Last Call.”  And it’s a sad last call.

Nathans
3150 M Street at Wisconsin Avenue, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20007 (map it)

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Four days later, on July 20th, 1969, man placed his first footprint on the surface of the moon.  An estimated 500 million people around the world, including myself, watched the grainy live black and white broadcasts sent back to earth as astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong walked around the lunar surface.

There was only one excursion on the surface during the mission , during which time the two astronauts collected about 50 pounds of lunar rock and soil samples and planted an American flag ion the surface during their 2½  hour excursion.

The mission was considered so risky, that President Richard Nixon had one of his staff speechwriters draft a speech in the event that Aldrin and Armstrong became marooned on the moon’s surface and could not be rescued.

During July, the National Air and Space Museum is commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the NASA Moon Landing, a defining moment in history and space exploration with multiple anniversary-related programs.

The schedule includes:

• Astronaut appearances
• Book signings
• The opening of the art exhibit of 40 paintings by Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean. Thursday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m.
• Gallery talks and Q&A sessions with museum curators – every Wednesday in July
• Hands-on family activities - Thursday, July 16; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The highlight of the anniversary is the annual lecture by former astronaut John Glenn.  He was the 5th human in space aboard Gemini 6 “Friendship 7″ and became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. He later flew on space shuttle Discovery in 1998 during a 9-day mission.  (update - sold out!)

40th Anniversary of the NASA Moon Landing
National Air and Space Museum
Seventh And Independence Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20560  (map it)

Dates & Times – Museum hours - Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. with Extended Summer Hours through Sept. 7th, until 7:30 p.m.  Apollo 11 events through July 22, 2009.

Tickets – Museum admission and all events are free.

Nearest Metro Subway Station - L’Enfant Plaza – Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines and Smithsonian – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-4-block walk from either, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images – courtesy of NASA
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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. 4230 Fairfax Dr

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On the second Saturday through October, about 50 arts and crafts vendors sell their wares at the Ballston Arts and Crafts Market in Arlington, Virginia.

Besides local arts and crafts sellers, the market offers live music and other entertainment. 

Vendors sells items raging from art, jewelry and photography to whimsical puppets and custom made plushy toys.  So there’s probably something for everyone.

Ballston Arts and Crafts Market
Welburn Square at the Ballston Metro Station
4230 Fairfax Drive, between 9th and Stewart  
Arlington, Virginia (map it)

Dates and Times - Second Saturday of the month through October, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The 2009 season dates are:

• July 11
• August 8
• September 12
• October 10

Admission - Free

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Ballston-MU - Orange line. The station is next to the market.

Parking - Limited metered and free street parking is available.  Paid garage/lot parking is also available in the area.  Since Metro is so close, that may be the easiest way to get to the market.

Image – Courtesy of Don Becker Puppets

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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. Rosa Mexicano - DC
   "Directly across from the Verizon Center, Rosa Mexicano has been serving

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The history of ice cream is difficult to document.  As early as 4,000 BC, ice or snow was flavored with fruit syrups or sweetened milk and served as a treat.

Ice cream as we know it today (cream, sugar ands flavorings) dates back to the mid-1600s Since then, literally thousands of variations, flavorings, toppings and ways to serve it have been added to suit local tastes and ingredients as it spread around the globe. 

It might be called sorbet, frozen custard, Italian ice, frozen yogurt, or gelato.  In Mexico and Latin America it’s called helados.

Join Executive Chef James Muir of Washington, DC’s restaurant Rosa Mexicano for lunch and an ice making demonstration as he shares the scoop on Mexican-style ice cream.  He’ll show how to make several flavors at home that are spins on the classic helados push cart flavors found on the streets of most Mexican cities.

Lunch includes Guacamole en molcajete as the starter, Gazpacho with poblano sorbet for the adults and Flautas for the children, and family-style cheese and chicken quesadillas.

Guests will learn how to create and then sample favorites such as:

• Camino Rocoso, a twist on Rocky Road made with white coffee ice cream, chocolate chips, chocolate marshmallows and toasted almonds. 
• Alaska Horneado - Baked Alaska with coconut & candied lime zest ice cream with toasted coconut and agave nectar crust.
• Tuna y Arándano Azul – a prickly pear and blueberry ice cream.

Festival de Helados
Rosa Mexicano Penn Quarter
575 7th Street at F Street NW – across from the Verizon Center
Washington, DC  (map it)

Dates & Times - Saturday, July 11, 2009, Cooking demo - 10:00 a.m.  Lunch - 11:30 a.m.

Tickets – Reservations Required - $35.00, includes tax and tip.  Free for each adult who bring one child under 15 years of age.  Reservations available by calling Stephanie at 202-654-7010.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Gallery Place – Chinatown – Green, Yellow and Red lines, then a 1-block walk, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images - Flickr – super cart, Guacamole de Postre ice cream – courtesy of Rosa Mexicano

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1. 4101 Reservoir Rd NW

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The French Embassy in Washington, DC is the site of the second annual summer Champagne and Other Bubbles Festival.

This GiraMondo Wine Adventures event is one of the most enjoyable events of the summer.  The evening festival offers tastings of over 15 champagnes and sparkling wines from around the globe in the wonderful setting of the French Embassy.  A diverse crowd and excellent wines makes for a delightful evening and a rather unique date with a loved one.

Besides buffet style appetizers featuring a penne pasta station, tea sandwiches of smoke salmon, brie and tomato, ham, duck liver pate, plus more along with a selection of French pastries and chocolate fondue, expect five tasting stations. Two serving the classic white sparkling wines, two offering rosé sparklers, and a final station with several red sparkling wines.

And if you have never tasted a red sparkling wine, such as an Italian Brachetto or sparkling Shiraz from Australia, you are in for a surprising treat.

You can sample and learn about the differences of bruts and demi-sec, French versus Californian, and when to serve a Spumante, Prosecco, Cavas or a true French Champagne.  

Laurent Guinand , President of GiroMondo Wine and Claude Thibaut, winemaker at Thibaut-Janisson Winery, both notable wine aficionados will also be teaching two informative 45-minute classes that will feature special wines only available at the seminars.

Champagne and Other Bubbles Festival
La Maison Française - French Embassy
4101 Reservoir Road, NW 
Washington, DC 20007  (map it)

Dates & Times – Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Tickets - $74.00 (early bird pricing and prices may be going up). Tickets are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Farragut West – Blue and Orange lines, and then a 10-minute cab ride. 

Parking – Limited free first-come, first-serve parking is available in the Embassy’s underground parking garage.  Free street parking is also available in the area. 

Images - Flickr – 4 glasses, from personal collection   ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW

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I don’t often complain about bad service on The DC Traveler, but when it’s really bad, I feel it’s my duty to steer people away from a potentially bad experiences.  Granted I might encounter a bad employee or catch someone having a bad day, but still, in this economy, there’s no excuse for slow, rude and indifferent service.

There are simply too many great dining and drinking establishments around the District to waste your money at places that make you scratch your head wondering why the staff is so unfriendly (and if the place will stay open with such bad attitudes).

I recently met a buddy at a so-called “British” pub, the Elephant & Castle on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.

He wanted to check out their selection of imported draft beers.  About 20 of which are draft beers, about a half dozen are British, including Guinness, a Porter and a Special Bitter, plus additional micro and local brews, adding bottled beers to bring the total offered to over 100 beers, plus a full bar.  The beers aren’t cheap, premium priced would describe them.  Even bottles of Miller Lite are around $5.00.

The interior actually looks much more like the TGI-Fridays that it replaced, than any pub I ever visited in the UK.  The E&C chain has 20 outlets across the US and Canada.

And sadly, I experienced some of the rudest, most unfriendly and inattentive bar service in a long time.  And DC has some heavily frequented and popular establishments with notoriously slow service, but the E&C moved to the top of my list.

Their dinner menu offers British pub fare, such as fish ‘n’ chips, shepherd’s pie, and bangers ‘n’ mash ($10.00 - $15.00), but the appetizers scream American bar food, including potato skins ($6.50), nachos ($13.50), and quesadilla ($9.00).

But even had they had some interesting British appetizers on the menu to sample, I doubt we could have ordered any food, the service was that dismissive.

We were the only patrons seated at the bar for the first hour (post happy-hour) and since the restaurant was fairly empty and the bar tables were only half filled, the two bartenders were not busy.  So we should have received great service.

The first challenge was attempting to just get either of the bartenders to acknowledge us.  They both seemed to rush back and forth, not making drinks, pulling beers or making eye contact with us, just scouring back and forth, playing with paperwork, moving glasses, filling the glass washer, etc.  Trying to catch their eye was a challenge, as even standing up, leaning over the bar and waving didn’t help at first.  After about 10 minutes of calmly attempting to get some service, we had to literally yell and wave. This also happened each time we needed a refill.

When my buddy asked for help with his beer selection, the bartender mumbled so quietly my friend had to ask him to repeat his comments a couple times, then he just gave up. We think he said “that’s a porter, that’s a stout…” but after asking him to repeat what he said three times, we still couldn’t hear him.  Yea, and thanks for being so helpful, we can read the draft pulls.

The other bartender literally yelled “Hang on!!” when we asked for a refill. She moved down the bar to make another drink, chatted with a waiter and seemed to forget about us for anther 5-10 minutes.  Never once scanning down the bar to check on her customers. We waited a few minutes and after watching her just standing around again, we had to again stand and wave to get her attention. Yet we were sitting only a dozen feet from her. 

The pub offers outdoor seating on Pennsylvania Avenue, but it was tough to get a table without a wait the evening I was there.  I wonder how slow the  service would be if you couldn’t even see your waiter standing  just a few feet away. 

I’ll pass on a second visit to the Elephant and Castle, in favor of some of the other great pubs and micro-breweries in DC.

Elephant & Castle
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)
202-347-7707

One other location at 19th St. and I (Eye) Street, NW.

Dates & Times – Daily 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. except until 10:00 pm. on Sundays.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Triangle – Blue & Orange lines, then a 1-block walk, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images – pint from Flickr, exterior from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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Each colony had between two and seven in their Continental Congress delegation, with each state receiving one vote.  A vote for independence needed to be unanimous to pass.

On July 1st, nine colonies voted in favor of the resolution for independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted in favor of remaining part of the British empire. And New York abstained due to not having the proper authorization to vote for independence. While Delaware’s vote was deadlocked between its two delegates.

The following day, South Carolina and Pennsylvania reversed their vote in favor of independence was Delaware was still deadlocked with a 2 to 2 delegate vote. Caesar Rodney of the Delaware delegation traveled eighty miles the previous night through a driving thunderstorm to arrive in Philadelphia just as the vote was beginning, giving Delaware and independence the  final “yes” vote.  With the New York delegation unable to vote, the vote was unanimous with one state abstaining. 

The wording of the Declaration of Independence was approve two days later on July 4th and  copies were printed and widely distributed. Even thought July 2nd was the true day of independence, the public accepted July 4th, the date listed on the Declaration of Independence, as Independence Day.

In 1870, Congress declared July 4th as a legal holiday for federal employees but without pay. In 1938, federal employees were paid for the day off. And in 1941, DC government employees were added by Congressional  legislation. 

Long May She Wave….

Happy Independence Day!!

Images -  Yankee Doodle – public domain, flags from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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1. 1025 F St NW

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Madame Tussauds in Washington, DC, has placed a wax figure of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson in their front window.

The Jackson figure will be on display for at least a week and visible from the sidewalk to passersby.

Jackson was one of music’s most unique talents, changing both the music and video music industry as well as redefining the word weird.

With 750 million records sold, and over a dozen Grammy Awards and number one hits,  Jackson became one of the most globally recognized American pop singers. From a child prodigy in the Jackson Five to adult superstar, his 1982 album Thriller, became the highlight of his career.  It is the only album in history to sell over 100 million copies, exceeding the next closest  album by over 50 million copies.

A visit inside Madame Tussauds gets you face to face with wax figures of President Barack Obama and Michelle, George Washington,  Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Abe Lincoln and many other political and historical figures.  Hollywood icons Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts are just a few of the celebrities also on display inside the museum.

Michael Jackson Wax Figure
Madame Tussauds
1025 F Street, NW at 10th Street
Washington, DC 20004  (map it)

Dates and Times –  Sunday – Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (last entry), Saturday until 8:00 (last entry).

Tickets – Adults - $20.00, Seniors - $18.00, children 3-12 - $15.00, under 2 – free. Available at the box office or online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Metro Center, Blue, Orange and Red lines, then a 2-block walk.

Parking -Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images - George Washington - from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti, Michael Jackson – public domain. 

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