Best Things About The Mall in Washington, D.C.

Best Photo Op

Two less-visited museums offer tranquility. Patrons of modern and contemporary art hang out at the Hirshhorn Museum. Its sunken garden isn't noticed by many, but it's one of the prettiest spots. Inside the doughnut-shaped building, edgy exhibits test your ideas about art.

The Freer Gallery of Art mixes American and Asian works. Highlights include James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room. The best-kept secret may be its quiet courtyard, ideal on a spring day.

photo: Most Serene Spot: Hear a free classical concert (June-October) in the West Garden Court of the National Gallery of Art at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. At other times this space offers quiet contemplation.

Best New Additions

Finding the Southern infusions on The Mall can be fun--they're around every corner.

• The original Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter used for a sit-in in 1960 at the National Museum of American History.
• A life-size North Atlantic right whale suspended from the ceiling in the new Sant Ocean Hall (opened last fall) at the Museum of Natural History. The whales breed off the coast of Georgia.
• A painted football presented to The University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the Smithsonian Castle Commons.
• The Wright Flyer of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the Air and Space Museum.

photo: National Museum of the American Indian

The Must-see D.C. Attractions

Discover the vast diversity at the National Museum of the American Indian. It tells the story of individual tribal communities, focusing on their lives today. The building looks like a natural rock formation sculpted by wind and water. Be sure to go to the top floor for the view of the lobby and The Mall beyond. The museum houses the best restaurant in the neighborhood, Mitsitam Cafe.

photo: Museum of Natural History

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Flanking the Lincoln Memorial, 19 stainless steel sculptures of marching soldiers constitute the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Their heavy overcoats seem tailored for the raw winds that blow in spring. They create an eerie specter at night.

A block off The Mall, the Newseum is our favorite museum to open in decades ($20 adults). It's devoted to telling journalists' stories. Begin inside at the eight 12-foot-tall sections of the Berlin Wall. It's the largest display of this Cold War symbol outside Germany. Even if you don't go inside, walk by the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to read the day's headlines from worldwide newspapers.

photo: Korean War Veterans Memorial

Kid-Friendly Museums in Washington, D.C.

Teach your youngsters about the rules of crowd-surfing the giant mosh pit of visitors this month. We encountered the biggest crush at the National Air and Space Museum. It's jam-packed with planes, space stuff, IMAX films, and even thrilling flight sims.

Kids adore the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. That exhibit hall tends to be more crowded in the morning. You may want to start upstairs with the Hope Diamond and the insects before taking on the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Start your own treasure hunt at the National Gallery of Art. Pick up a "Less Than an Hour" brochure at the museum entrance, and let your young ones discover Van Gogh's Self-Portrait and the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere. It gives a quick overview in bites small enough for beginning art critics.

photo: For a kid-centric place, explore the past, present, and future of flight at the National Air and Space Museum.

National Mall 101

• Most of The Mall's museums close at 5:30 p.m. daily. Use the Metro stop by the Smithsonian Castle. If you drive, park in the deck behind Union Station (less than $20 per day), or try for one of the coveted free spaces near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial or the Tidal Basin area.
• Make reservations in advance to tour the Capitol at www.visitthecapitol.gov.
• Need to get to the Lincoln end of The Mall from the galleries and museums? Save your feet and grab a cab for a one-way break (about $5).
• Are your kids plane crazy? The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport has more than 300 aircrafts too big to fit at The Mall location.
• Join the queue to see the flag early in the day to avoid a long wait.

photo: The Smithsonian in an Hour: If you have only a short time to explore The Mall, go to The Commons of the Smithsonian Castle. This small display features an artifact from each of the institution's museums.

Washington, D.C.'s Quietest Museums

Two less-visited museums offer tranquility. Patrons of modern and contemporary art hang out at the Hirshhorn Museum. Its sunken garden isn't noticed by many, but it's one of the prettiest spots. Inside the doughnut-shaped building, edgy exhibits test your ideas about art.

The Freer Gallery of Art mixes American and Asian works. Highlights include James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room. The best-kept secret may be its quiet courtyard, ideal on a spring day.

photo: Most Serene Spot: Hear a free classical concert (June-October) in the West Garden Court of the National Gallery of Art at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. At other times this space offers quiet contemplation.

Best Meals on The Mall

Skip the hot dog vendors that circle The Mall, and head to Mitsitam Cafe. This cafeteria in the Museum of the American Indian cooks up dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients and native recipes. They try to use native vendors whenever possible. The salmon, shipped twice a week from the Quinault Indian Nation, is cooked on cedar planks over an open fire. Menus include tacos; garlic mussels; buffalo rib-eye steaks and burgers; and vegetable side dishes such as a medley of fiddlehead fern, corn, and asparagus. Consider this your splurge at about $15 per person. Open for lunch daily.

Another perennial favorite, the Pavilion Cafe, sits in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. It serves panini sandwiches, Tuscan chicken salad, and salmon Caesar salad plus hot dogs and pizza. A little less expensive, meals cost around $10 per person. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

Just off The Mall on 15th Street across from the White House, the Old Ebbitt Grill remains one of our favorite traditional power-broker lunch spots. Go for the crab cakes and grilled fish. Lunch costs about $15 per person. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

photo: Favorite Food: At Mitsitam Cafe, American Indian dishes include salmon that is cooked on a cedar plank over an open flame.

Spotlight on the South

Finding the Southern infusions on The Mall can be fun--they're around every corner.

• The original Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter used for a sit-in in 1960 at the National Museum of American History.
• A life-size North Atlantic right whale suspended from the ceiling in the new Sant Ocean Hall (opened last fall) at the Museum of Natural History. The whales breed off the coast of Georgia.
• A painted football presented to The University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the Smithsonian Castle Commons.
• The Wright Flyer of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the Air and Space Museum.

photo: National Museum of the American Indian

Cherry Blossom Time in D.C.

Only the trees themselves know when the seasonal blooms begin. The peak varies every year, starting as early as mid-March (1990) and as late as mid-April (1958). Hedge your bets and plan for around the first of April. It's also the time for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival (March 28-April 12). For dates and times for National Park Service ranger-led tours addressing the historical and cultural influences of these trees in D.C., call (202) 426-6841.