TRAVELER @ nationalgeographic.com

Bike on the Rock Creek Parkway trail to Beach Drive, which is closed to cars on weekends. Though it’s rarely crowded, you still feel safe because there are a fair number of other bikers around. Then speed back down the trail, past the National Zoo, Fletcher’s Boat House, the Kennedy Center, and the Lincoln Memorial, before heading back. The best time to go is fall, when the leaves have changed colors and the air is crisp.
—Joan Li, designer

Dance at the 18th Street Lounge on Saturday nights. Around midnight acid jazz (a mix of jazz and techno) swells from a hum to a pulsing beat. Locals crowd the hardwood floors, and wall-mounted candles flicker from the vibrations. The energy is enveloping. 1212 18th Street, NW; +1 202 466 3922; fee after 10 p.m.
—Carrie Miller, associate researcher

Tour the neoclassical Tudor Place built in 1816 for Thomas Peter and his wife Martha Custis Peter, granddaughter of Martha Washington. The architecture has remained the same, and the portraits, furniture, glassware, and textiles on the inside reveal how six generations of the Peter family lived. 1644 31st Street, NW; +1 202 965 0400; fee.
—Erin Monroney, researcher-writer

Nothing compares to Capitol Hill’s Eastern Market, where you can shop for fresh vegetables and fruits, meats and cheeses, and pies and cookies. Arrive early for “Blue Bucks,” buckwheat pancakes topped with fresh blueberries. On weekends, local artists sell jewelry, artwork, clothing, and pottery around the market warehouse, but perhaps the greatest gem is the flea market across the street. You can get great bargains on antiques and artwork. 7th Street and North Carolina Avenue, SE.
—Susan O’Keefe, assistant editor

To escape the bar scene on Friday nights, go to the Folger Shakespeare Library’s PEN/Faulkner Readings. There’s something about hearing an author read his or her work that sparks my interest in new subjects and literature. The last time I went, an author talked about the art of letter writing before reading from his book. I took home a new appreciation for writing letters—and I’ve been in search of the perfect stationery ever since. 201 East Capitol Street, SE; +1 202 544 4600; fee.
—Meghan Aftosmis, associate researcher

The Kennedy Center offers one-hour performances on the Millennium Stage at 6 p.m. every night. You might hear an up-and-coming jazz trio, or see a local dance-group perform highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. After the show, take the elevator to the roof to admire the city’s monuments and buildings. 2700 F Street, NW; +1 202 467 4600.
—Marilyn Terrell, senior editorial researcher

After taking a four-year hiatus, the newly renovated U.S. Botanic Garden, a tropical paradise just steps from the U.S. Capitol Building, has reopened. The cathedral-like structure, made of glass and metal, offers “The Jungle,” an area with plants from as far away as Madagascar as well as iguanas and chameleons. 100 Maryland Avenue, SW; +1 202 225 8333.
—Susan O’Keefe, assistant editor

On Sunday afternoons between May and October, locals gather in Meridian Hill Park for an informal drum circle. As many as 30 African drummers play until dark. Some dance, others just hang out and listen. It’s one of the most diverse experiences I’ve ever had in D.C. 16th Street, NW (between Euclid Street and W Street); +1 202 387 9128.
—Susanne Hackett, business manager

At the National Cathedral’s gift shop, you’ll find books, music, garden plaques, and stained-glass lamps, and, out back, a greenhouse with seedlings from plants and bushes in the Bishop’s Garden for sale. If you have time, take a guided tour, which will likely include afternoon tea and scones. 3001 Wisconsin Avenue, NW; +1 202 537 6200.
—Susan O’Keefe, assistant editor

At the Freer Gallery of Art’s Peacock Room, imagine how Frederick R. Leyland, a wealthy ship owner from Liverpool, felt when he returned to his mansion after vacation. While he was away, he had commissioned American painter James McNeill Whistler to decorate his entrance hall. In addition to that task, Whistler had painted peacock feathers on Leyland’s dining room ceiling. The room became part of the gallery’s permanent collection in 1923. Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW; +1 202 357 2700.
—Marilyn Terrell, senior editorial researcher

Stage classics become startlingly contemporary and relevant when Michael Kahn sits in the director’s chair at the Shakespeare Theater. This summer’s lineup includes Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes. 450 7th Street, NW; +1 202 547 1122; fee.
—Amy Alipio, assistant editor

The National Gallery of Art’s East Building maintains a permanent installation on the ground floor called Small French Paintings. I drop in whenever I can (it’s free, after all) to delight in the Monets, Manets, Vuillards, and Bonnards. Gorgeous paintings on a small scale are comforting and uplifting. There’s a certain intimacy that’s missing in displays of more sweeping works. On the National Mall between 3rd Street and 9th Street, NW; +1 202 737 4215.
—Sheila Buckmaster, senior editor

Visit the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which occurs in June (26-30) and July (3-7). For the last 36 years, the festival has highlighted folk arts and crafts from around the world. I’ve heard great blues music, eaten fiery Jamaican jerk, and seen Native American dancers. This year’s festival will feature dancers and musicians from 18 nations. On the National Mall; +1 202 275 1147.
—Paul Martin, executive editor

You never know who you’ll spot at Politics & Prose, a small neighborhood bookstore. Authors ranging from up-and-comers like Anna Tasca Lanza (The Flavors of Sicily, Ici La Press 2001) to The New York Times best-sellers like John Berendt (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Random House 1994) give talks almost every night. 5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW; +1 202 364 1919.
—Susan O’Keefe, assistant editor