Hordes of transient residents flee the nation’s capital in August to avoid the sullen heat that sometimes settles over our town. Pols in Abe Lincoln’s day left the swampy city for higher ground; now the movers and shakers reach for beaches from Nantucket to Duck, or the mountains of New England. The really rich head to southern France.
To which I and many local say: good riddance! Seethe in your traffic-clogged causeways to the barrier islands. Stew in your security lines for jets to hubs where your connecting flights will have been canceled. We will stay and play.
August can be the best of times in Washington, D.C. Our historic sleepy, southern charm begins to fill the vacant moments too often filled by hectic schedules, buzzing cell phones and vibrating Blackberries.
Here are a few reasons to love August in D.C. and eight things to do in the eighth month:
— Toned-down traffic beckons in town trips: Granted, the Beltway can become a parking lot any time day or night if one driver slows to let a woodchuck cross the road, but in general, cars glide through and around town. Take a slow ride out to Haines Point. Ditch the car and ride a bicycle through the city.
— Lines at many of the Smithsonian Museums are short, especially early in the day. Check out Martin Puryear’s immense sculptures at the National Gallery. If you have yet to visit the Portrait Gallery and American Museum of Art near Chinatown, now’s the time.
— You won’t need reservations at many of the best restaurants that are jammed the rest of the year. Today’s the last day of restaurant week. Try Granville Moore’s on H Street, N.E. or Salt on Macarthur Boulevard.
— Congress is out of session, political hacks have taken their intrigue to the hinterlands, and Capital Hill has reverted to its geographic intent: a hill overlooking the city. Park at Union Station and stroll the Capitol grounds. Don’t miss my favorite memorial: FDR.
— D.C.’s city council is taking a summer break, too, so there’s less squabbling with Mayor Adrian Fenty, and School Chancellor Michelle Rhee can rearrange the public schools without meddling. Take bets on whether schools open on time with text books in place.
— Few things are more authentically American than an August night at the baseball park. Great seats are available at National’s Park, and though the Nats stink, smaller crowds make for shorter lines at Ben’s Chili Bowl.
— Fewer people mean more space for the free concerts at Washington’s parks. Fort Reno’s tiny stage near Tenleytown features local rock bands; Carter Baron on 16th Street has Shakespeare and jazz.
— Lines are also thin at our movie theaters. D.C. still has the oldest and best movie houses in the region: The Uptown in Cleveland Park is showing Dark Night; the Avalon has Woody Allen’s latest flick. See them on the really big screen, rather than those suburban postage stamps.
Don’t let the best of times in August slip away.
