Autumn is the the favorite season of many Washingtonians. Why? The sweltering heat of the summer gives way to pleasant days and evenings with just a bit of nip in the air. School children are mostly in school - leaving the museums and monuments relatively uncrowded. And Autumn is the season for many special events.

You can find a great, detailed calendar of events in the Washington CityPaper, but we thought we would highlight some of the ones of most interest to our guests.

• Washington National Opera presents Falstaff - Saturday, October 10 through Friday, October 30 at the Kennedy Center. Presented by Washington National Opera Call 800-US-OPERA to order.
• The Studio Theatre's Fall Season - Just a few blocks walk will take you to the bussling 14th Street theatre district where you will find some of the best theatre in the city. The Studio Theatre's fall line up includes: Moonlight by Harold Pinter; the Adding Machine, a new musical by Joshua Schmidt and Jason Lowwith, and the Solid Gold Cadillac
  by George S. Kaufman and Howard Teichman.

• Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor - In November 2009, National Geographic Museum will host Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor, an exhibition featuring treasures from the tomb complex including 15 life-size figures, weapons, armor, coins, and more. Don't miss this chance to see the largest collection of significant artifacts from China ever to travel to the United States.

• The Smithsonian - Fall is an incredibly busy time at this complex of museum and research facilities. There are literally thousands of lectures, films, tours, and special exhibits. Check out the newly renovated American History Museum, the scavenger hunts in the American Art Museum, or be one of the first to visit the new Public Observatory at the National Air and Space Museum (don't forget to touch the moonrock while you're there!) Click here to see a full calendar of events but also make sure to see the main webpage for the museums that interest you most.

This month we have transformed our Website and the front windows of the GuestHouse into a beach... and while Washington, DC is not exactly on the shore, we are all there in spirit at least.

Seriously, many people don't realize what a great tourist destination DC is in the summer.   Sure it's hot, but much of the normal traffic you might encounter during the rest of the year is gone!    With Congress and other government workers on vacation, the city has a semi-ghost town feeling, except there are lots of special events for the summer pleasure of residents and visitors.

For example, this summer the Smithsonian Institution has extended the hours of three of the most popular museum.  The National Museum of American History, National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Natural History will stay open two hours later, until 7:30 p.m., every day through Labor Day. The museums open at 10 a.m. daily.    One of the super sightseeing secrets of Washington is that some of the best restaurant bargains are in the Smithsonian museums.   Try the food court and the Museum of the American Indian or the Garden Cafe on the ground floor of the West building of the National Gallery of Art.    And if art is your cup of tea, don't miss the Smithsonian's American Art Museum with its special exhibit of New Deal Artist running now (and it is a very pleasant walk from the DC GuestHouse.)

Museums not your cup of tea, within a short distance of the guesthouse (many of them walking distance) are theatres of every type.    Many people don't know that Washington is a great town for live theater and ranks second in the country, behind New York, for the number of employed stage actors.     For a great list of plays, concerts and other cultural events, check out this regularly updated list.

Want to plan a special evening during your stay at the DC GuestHouse, just give us a call and we will hook you up with some great possibilities!