Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

Need a hardcopy of the 50-title Code of Federal Regulations? This is the place.

Before Nixon, "watergate" meant canals.

D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.

This poor little statue is the most vandalized memorial in Washington.

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.

A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.

A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.

The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.

This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.

The grand marble structure next to the White House is Andrew Carnegie's temple to Pan-American diplomacy.

On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

Traditional 11th-century outdoor tannery.

Founded as a refugee camp, now a popular tourist spot.

Natural saunas fed by volcanic heat.

A century-old bathhouse that provides the luxury of warm water to rural Guatemalans.

Experiencing Guatemala's sensory-exploding church is a blunt reminder of European influence.

This portion of a lovely Belize beach is infested with (harmless) sharks and rays.

The only way to see Pittsburgh is from the top of this lookout point, just like the ancient members of the native peoples did.