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One of the most emotionally-charged sites in Washington, DC is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The dark, black granite walls are inscribed with the 58,209 names of Americans missing or killed in the Vietnam conflict. This V-shaped memorial design draws you in and allows you to not only take in the monument's magnitude, but it also allows you to have a private, intimate moment within the monument's breadth. While you're visiting this monumental attraction, make sure you see Frederick Hart's "Three Soldiers" life-sized sculpture made of bronze that portrays three young servicemen.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is a Christmas tradition that every American looks forward to. All eyes are on the President and First Lady as they light the tree, followed by the President's holiday wishes to the crowd and the millions more watching the event on television. There's a band playing holiday favorites, and in addition to the large tree that is the focal point of the festival, there are also several smaller trees that represent our states and territories. The trees stay lit and this celebration begins a month-long schedule of various entertainment that helps to keep the Christmas spirit high.

The Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD or "Wad") is an excellent recreation trail that runs through the Northern Virginia counties. The 45-mile trail is completely paved with nine foot wide asphalt and has a yellow painted center line. To run the whole trail and back means you're looking at a 90-mile trek, but it can be done over the course of two days thanks to the hotels and bed and breakfasts along the trail. The only real complaint from bikers is that there's much traffic most of the time due to the Wad's immense popularity.

When the curtain rises and the conductor's baton goes up at the Capital City Symphony, you know that you are about to experience something truly special. This highly accomplished group of musicians work hard all year long to present the various concerts, entertainment, and presentations on their very busy calendar. Everyone from big fans of classical music to even casual admirers will gain a deeper appreciation for the works of such masters as Beethoven, Mahler and Rachmaninoff as they are brought to life through the instruments of the members of the Capital City Symphony.