Did you know that it takes roughly 65 hours to recite aloud the 58,000-plus names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington?
Don’t believe me? Then head out to Washington this week and time it yourself. You’ll get the chance as 2,000 volunteers take turns reading the names of the fallen military heroes in a Veterans Day tribute.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the black-granite wall men and women from across the United States will gather in front of the memorial and take turns reading aloud the names etched in stone at one of the nation’s most visited tourist attractions.
Beginning Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and again for 19 hours a day Thursday through Saturday the names of the people who gave their lives fighting for our freedoms will be broadcast on loudspeakers.
Then, on Sunday, November 11, Gen. Colin Powell is scheduled to speak at the main Veteran’s Day event, which will also include a poetry and music tribute on the East Knoll near the wall.
After the service consider visiting one of the city’s newest eateries. Wolfgang Puck just opened a new restaurant and added his name to Washington’s growing roster of celebrity chefs.
Puck’s newest venture is a 200-seat casual and fine dining venue located at The Newseum. Called The Source, the restaurant’s name plays on its location inside the soon-to-open interactive museum of news.
If you have a passion for Asian cuisine The Source is the place to be. Dishes on the menu include tandoori sea trout and blue crab sui mai. Puck’s new restaurant is also the first to fully implement his WELL (Wolfgang’s Eating, Loving and Living) program, which uses only seasonal, organic produce and humanely raised animals.
However, if you are looking for (much) more casual fare in Washington I would suggest heading over to the Adams-Morgan neighborhood and getting in line at M’Dawg Haute Dogs. The cramped (though brightly decorated) eatery serves up gourmet hot dogs, sausages and fries with kitschy names and affordable prices (for D.C. anyway). You can choose from The Lady, a sweet Italian sausage for $6.36, or the Kobe Bryant, a hotdog made with Kobe beef for $20. For an extra dollar, you can load up your dog at the fixins bar, which includes caramelized onions, mushrooms, sauces and a variety of mustards, including a green wasabi-flavored mustard.
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