BCinDC & the 2011 Convention

Archive for the ‘adventure’ Category

This post is part 11 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

NOTICE: There’s a new special deal in place for just the month of January. Buy one convention shirt and be entered to win a convention sweatshirt!

Photo from the Kensington Book Festival

The Kensington Day of the Book Festival in Old Town Kensington, Maryland, is a street festival with live music, author readings & signings, storytellers, booksellers, publishers, and literary groups like BCinDC! It is organized each year by Eli, book-lover and owner of the Kensington Row Bookshop. This year, the festival will feature the Nighthawks Band with special guest mystery/crime writer George Pelecanos, who will read from his new book, The Cut.

The festival celebrates books by paying tribute to literature on an international level. The festival usually takes place on the Sunday closest to April 23, which is the International Day of the Book or World Book and Copyright Day. This was first celebrated in 1995 by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing, and copyright issues. This date holds literary significance in many different countries: the birth and death of William Shakespeare; the deaths of Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote), Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, and Josep Pla; and the births of Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejía Vallejo, and Halldór Laxness. April 23 is also Saint George’s Day, which is traditionally celebrated by men giving roses to their lovers, inspired by the rosebush that sprouted from the dragon Saint George slew. Women give books to their lovers in return.

Though there are often roses at the Kensington Day of the Book Festival, there are far more books. Some other common sights at the festival:

• Local authors reading from their works (visit the website for an ongoing listing of this year’s lineup; last year there were more than 60 authors)
• Author panels (discussing their works, genres, writing process, and more)
• Local artists and book illustrators
• Storytellers and characters in costume (we’ve met Sherlock Holmes and Long John Silver at previous festivals)
• Live music (so far this year includes The Nighthawks, J.P. McDermott & Western Bop, & Doris Justis)
• A chess master (if you win or draw against him, you get a prize)
• Festival foods as well as great shops on the historical avenue and nearby
• Booksellers and publishers (lots of info about upcoming books and the opportunity to buy as many books as you can carry)
• Open poetry mic (hear poets read their works or sign up for a 5 minute slot to share your own)
• Local community groups, charities, schools, and more

What else could you find at previous Kensington Day of the Book Festivals? BCinDC! We have had a table at the festival since 2006, where our local group has given away free books and introduced festival attendees to the fun hobby that is BookCrossing. One year, we gave away more than 1000 books! We’ve even had a few festival authors give us copies of their books to be registered and turned into bookrays.

Luckily, this year’s Kensington Day of the Book Festival takes place on the Sunday of our Convention. If you’d like to join this celebration of literature, sign up for this choice in the Add-ons form.

This post is part 10 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

REMINDER: The last day to purchase registration at the cheapest price is December 31 and the first special deal expires on that day as well. Register today to get the best deal available!

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, was established during the Civil War and has a rich history as well as an important presence in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. The land was previously inhabited by Robert E. Lee and his family, inherited through his wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee (who, incidentally, was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, wife of the first President). Though President Abraham Lincoln offered Lee command of the Union army, Lee declined and, after Virginia seceded, became commander of the Confederate army. Since Arlington was so close to the Union border, Lee took his family further south to keep them safe.

When the government demanded payment of property taxes, Mrs. Lee sent an agent with the money. However, because she wasn’t there in person, the agent was refused, and the government acquired the estate. Shortly thereafter, Union soldiers moved in and established a fort. When the number of Civil War casualties grew faster than local cemeteries could accommodate, General Montgomery C. Meigs, who was stationed at the Lee mansion known as Arlington House, proposed a new cemetery be established there. His intention was to make the property uninhabitable should the Lees ever return. In 1863, Freedman’s Village was established, where freed slaves lived and farmed during and after the Civil War. However, they were turned out in 1890 when the government rededicated the land as a military installation.

Neither the general nor his wife ever returned to Arlington, but their son, George Washington Custis Lee, sued the United States for ownership. In 1882, the Supreme Court agreed with him, declaring the property had been sold without due process, and the estate was returned to him. However, only a year later, Custis Lee sold it back to the government at a signing ceremony with Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln, son of the late president.

Today, Arlington is the second largest national cemetery in the United States. More than 300,000 people are buried there, including veterans from every one of the nation’s wars. President John F. Kennedy is one of the many notable graves; his is marked by an eternal flame. Many famous military (such as General Meigs), historical (such as Pierre L’enfant, designer of the Washington city plan), and even literary figures (including first female war correspondent Mary Roberts Rinehart) are also buried there, though William Howard Taft is the only other president.

One of the most popular sites in Arlington Cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which house the remains of unidentified casualties from World Wars I and II and the Korean War. (The unknown from the Vietnam War was identified in 1984, and it has been decided that this crypt will remain vacant.) The tombs are guarded at all times by soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry. Many visitors like to witness the ceremonial changing of the guard, which occurs on the hour and half-hour during the spring and summer months.

Arlington House still stands and operates as a museum and memorial. It is open to visitors every day from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission to the museum and Arlington Cemetery is free. If you would like to visit Arlington Cemetery, we have planned it as one of our Sunday activity choices. Due to the nature of Arlington Cemetery, however, no books should be wild released there.

This post is part 9 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

Reminder – In less than two weeks, the price for registration will rise. Register today to save money and get special deals.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, called the National Zoo by locals, is absolutely free to visit. It is located in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was founded in 1889 and today it houses more than 2,000 animals of 400 different species, though some are kept at the zoo’s Front Royal, Virginia, facility. Conservation and research are two of the National Zoo’s missions, and roughly one-fifth of the animals in the zoo are endangered or threatened.

The National Zoo puts on many special programs throughout the year including trick-or-treating (Boo at the Zoo), holiday lights (ZooLights), spending the night in the zoo (Snore and Roar), and fine dining (Brew at the Zoo, Zoofari). If you’ll be staying in town for a while after the Convention, you might be able to participate in Earth Day celebrations on April 22 or Easter Monday events on April 25.

Some of the most visited parts of the zoo are:

• Golden Lion Tamerins—the zoo’s conservation program for GLTs has been in operation for more than 30 years. These monkeys can be found mostly in the Small Mammal House along with many other animals.
• The Great Cats—seven new lion cubs were just born a few months ago. There are also tigers, clouded leopards, fishing cats, and cheetahs.
• Asian Elephants—a new Elephant Outpost habitat opened in September with many interactive activities for visitors.
• The Kids Farm—we have typical farm animals (hogs, goats, cows, donkeys) and some you wouldn’t think of (rabbits, alpacas). There’s also a petting zoo and a giant pizza (yes, you read that right: a giant pizza).
• Bird House—there are birds in many habitats throughout the zoo, but the majority of them live in the Bird House, including a kiwi so our BookCrossers from New Zealand will feel at home.
• The Reptile House and the Invertebrates House—the brave at heart will venture into these houses to see crocodiles, boa constrictors, spiders, and scorpions. For those who are not quite as daring, there are giant tortoises, a Komodo dragon, and a butterfly garden outside the houses.
• Amazonia—travel through the Amazon in this amazing building with a built-in research facility. In Amazonia, you actually walk through recreated South American jungle habitats and see what’s living in the river.
• Great Apes—there are seven gorillas in the Great Ape house; the youngest was born just last year.
• Orangutans—our orangutans have a special “O Line” of ropes to allow them to travel between buildings, right over visitors’ heads. There is also a Think Tank with interactive activities relating to orangutans.
• The Giant Panda—our two pandas arrived in December 2000 and live in a special exhibit. They are on loan from China, so they might be heading back there soon.

The zoo is a fantastic place to release books. Children’s books, especially, get snatched up within seconds (so have your camera out and ready when you make a release, or you’ll miss a photo op). At least once a year, BCinDC members meet up at the zoo to release hundreds of books together and encourage people to not only enjoy animals but also reading. Click on the photos below for larger versions and to read the journal entries of just a few books released and caught at the National Zoo:

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The zoo is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day (December 25). One of the Sunday Convention activity choices is a guided release walk through the National Zoo. We’ll give you lists of the animals and animal statues at the zoo so you can do plenty of great themed releases. Be sure to bring your walking shoes because the zoo is large, but there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, shops, and benches scattered throughout the zoo if you need time to rest and re-organize your books. There are two Metro stations close to the zoo (we’ll give you the inside scoop about which to use so you’ll be able to walk downhill both ways). The on-site parking fills up by mid-day and is not free unless you are a member of FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo).

This post is part 8 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

Reminder – There is only half a month until the price for registration goes up. Register today to save money.

That’s right: you can now buy a wide variety of 2011 BookCrossing Convention logo items. The same t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and zippered hoodies are available as Add-ons and can be picked up at the convention. If you want something before the convention or if you can’t make it to the convention but still want something to remember the 10th Anniversary of BookCrossing, you can order from the BookCrossing Spreadshirt Store and have it shipped directly to you (anywhere in the world). Both make great holiday gifts!

This post is part 7 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

Special Notices – Check out the current special deals on registration. Make your hotel reservations soon; rooms are filling up quickly!

Forecast Radar Cameras

Weather in April in the Washington, D.C., area can be tricky. The best pieces of advice are to dress in layers and to be prepared! You can check out weather websites for typical high and low temperatures for April in Washington, D.C. Typically the high is around 66°F (18.9°C) and the low can be around 46°F (7.8°C) usually in the early mornings and late at night. You can check out the current temperature at any time by looking at the WeatherBug widget on our location page.

If you bring a light jacket or sweatshirt/sweater you’ll be able to wear it if it’s chilly and then take it off later in the day if you’re walking around town and warming up. Also, sometimes hotels can be a little cool, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a sweatshirt while indoors either. Don’t want to put on a sweatshirt and hide your t-shirt with the convention logo on it? You’re in luck! We’re selling long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and zipper hoodies with the large convention logo on them.

The old saying “April showers bring May flowers” is true in this area. Occasional drizzles or afternoon rainstorms are common in April, but unpredictable. It doesn’t hurt to come prepared just in case (and we know if all of you pack rain gear, we’ll be pretty much guaranteed a rain-free weekend). We suggest you bring some rain-resistant item such as a light rain jacket, a poncho, or an umbrella. And you should bring a few protective plastic bags for your wild released books. Also, be sure to allow extra travel time. If there is a thunderstorm, it might cause an unexpected delay at the airport. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun just because of a little rain.

Wondering what to pack? We recommend:

• Good walking shoes/sneakers
• Long pants/jeans (and maybe a pair of shorts in the event that the weather is unseasonably warm)
• Long-sleeved shirts or t-shirts and sweatshirts
• Something waterproof like an umbrella, rain jacket, poncho, or waterproof pullover
• Plastic bags for your books

Also, the convention is just after peak cherry blossom season. If you have bad allergies to grasses and pollens, you might want to pack medicine or be prepared to buy some over the counter.

Remember: pack what you will be comfortable in and be prepared!