Secret to Avoiding Summer Crowds in Washington: Wait for Fall

13 November 2011

Trees begin to show their autumn colors on the east grounds of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.

BARBARA KLEIN: And I'm Barbara Klein. Visitors to Washington, D.C., in the summer often want to stay inside air-conditioned museums. The cooler days of fall are a good time to explore the outdoors in and around the nation's capital.

STEVE EMBER: Autumn in Washington is our subject this week.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER: Imagine that the calendar says it is fall and you have just arrived on a visit to Washington. The leaves on many of the trees have already begun to change color as they prepare to drop to the ground. Soon they will be gold and orange and red.

The summer crowds of visitors have thinned. Children are back in school, parents are back at work. Points of interest will be easier to photograph. There are fewer people to walk in front of your camera.

The weather should be more cooperative, too. Washington can get very hot and sticky in summertime. July and August are usually the warmest months. By October, you may need to wear a light jacket, especially after sunset.

BARBARA KLEIN: There are tour companies that will take you around the city. Or you can ride public transportation, or rent a car or take taxis. There is a plenty you can see just by walking around.