It’s been about one year now since America voted for change. No, this is not a critique of President Obama ’s first year in office. But this would be a good time to remind travelers that Washington, D.C. is an exciting place to explore. I visited our nation’s capital with my family in late August…and we combined the old with the new.

One thing that hasn’t changed at all - the complete chaos of attempting to get around the city. That proved to be a challenge all three days we were there. We tried all the different options for transportation that were available to us and each one has its advantages and disadvantages: Walking is definitely the cheapest way to go, and the easiest way to get blisters on your feet. It was fun for the first 20 minutes; then it was more like, “I need a foot massage!” A taxi cab is the quickest way to get around; it is also the most expensive. I would only reserve this option for when you have a 9:00 reservation to tour the White House, and you have 30 minutes to get there. Metro train service is the most reasonable, price-wise - but it is also the most complicated. If you’re not familiar with the different routes and if you aren’t sure which colored train you should take and which train to tranfer to at which stop, you can easily end up in Georgetown when all you wanted to do was tour the Capitol Building. You could take the Metrobus, but good luck in trying to find the corresponding bus stops! Finally, there are the tour buses. We took a tour of the city on one of those Open-Top Double-Decker Tour buses. The narrated tour allows you to get on and off at as many bus stops as you’d like. It’s a wonderful way to see the sights and enjoy a comprehensive tour of D.C. But it’s also a terrible means of transportation because it takes a good two hours for the bus to stop at all 25 stops on the schedule. In addition, those buses only run through 5:00 each afternoon. Probably your best bet in most cases would be to use Metro Train. When in doubt, ask the locals. We found them to be very friendly.

No matter how many days you have to spend in D.C., you’ll never run out of things to do and see. But if you have limited time, like we did (three days), you’ll certainly want to plan ahead and try to fit as many attractions into your schedule as possible. On our first day, we visited one of the newest attractions in the city called the Newseum. We had only planned to stay two or three hours here, but the Newseum turned out to be the highlight of the trip. I found it to be especially interesting since I myself am a newsman. But even if you’re not a news junkie, you’ll appreciate the vast amounts of information packed into this neat museum. You’ll learn what is defined as news, how reporters are able to gather the information and present it to viewers and listeners as news and you’ll learn some fascinating tidbits about infamous news stories and the people involved in those stories. You’ll learn about presidential assassinations, the Uni-bomber, the D.C. Sniper, David Koresh and of course, the events of 9-11. At the end of their journey, visitors have the opportunity to record their own television newscast as a souvenir. Don’t leave D.C. without seeing this one. I highly recommend it.

That evening we visited the National Archives Building, where the Charters of Freedom (The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights) are located. Adults will appreciate seeing the authentic original articles of freedom, while kids will probably enjoy seeing the location where the Nicholas Cage blockbuster film “National Treasure” took place.

The next morning we took a tour of the White House, which lasted all of 35 minutes. While it certainly is a thrill just to be standing inside the home of the President of the United States, I was quite disappointed with the tour itself. The tour is not narrated. Visitors just walk through various rooms, such the “red” room and the “blue” room, and there are staff members there to answer visitors questions. But when the tour concluded, I couldn’t help but feel like I expected more. Later that afternoon, we toured the Capitol Building, which was much more interesting. Unfortunately, the Senate was under re-construction at the time, and we were unable to go inside the Senate chambers. But we were able to check out the House of Represenatives and we learned the history behind the famous dome of the Capitol. By the way, if you plan on touring either the White House or the Capitol Building, you’ll need to contact your state Senator or Representative to get a reservation at least six months in advance.

Our third and final day (a Saturday) was the busiest. We took the Open-Top Double-Decker bus tour and got off near the National Museum of Natural History. This is a must-see for those who love anything to do with living creatures, large or small. From dinosaur bones to bee-hives, from the tiniest fish in the sea to snakes and tarantulas, this is the place to come face-to-face with all those things you learned about in biology class. The museum is huge (several floors) but unfortunately, due to time constraints, we could only spend a couple of hours there. But if time had permitted, it could have easily turned into an all-day event. Right next door (about a block away) is the National Museum of American History. Again, it’s another museum massive in size and quite interesting, especially for history buffs. There is one section dedicated solely to President Abraham Lincoln, with artifacts including his famous black tall top hat. That one display alone takes about 45 minutes to walk through (and that’s if you’re in a hurry). There’s another section that concentrates on all of the President’s wives. And for fans of pop culture history, there’s a collection of items on display from some of the most popular American television shows and films, such as Dorothy’s ruby slippers which she famously clicked three times in “The Wizard of Oz” as she said, “There’s No Place Like Home”. You’ll also get to see Archie Bunker’s favorite chair from the 1970’s CBS breakthrough sitcom, “All In The Family”.

From there, we went to Ford’s Theatre. This is where President Lincoln was shot on the evening of April 14th, 1865, as he sat in the presidential box, watching a performance of the play “Our American Cousin”. The assassin was actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was taken across the street to the Peterson House, where he died about nine hours later. This was another highlight of our trip. Ford’s Theatre was recently remodeled, and had just re-opened to the public this past summer. Visitors get to sit in the seats facing the stage while a park ranger dramatically tells the story of Lincoln’s assassination. It was fascinating listening to this man as he made us, the audience, feel as if we ourselves were there inside the theatre the night when this tragedy occurred. Afterwards, he took questions from the audience. We were then escorted outside, across the street, and led into the Peterson House. It’s an otherwise unremarkable house, with a very plain appearance. But it’s quite an eerie feeling looking at the very spot where Lincoln breathed his last breath.

Then it was on to one final museum, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. This museum, which just opened up a little over a year ago, explores the history of crime and the various ways in which our society punishes the criminals who commit these crimes. While it is very interesting and educational, familes should be forewarned: this is not a museum for young children. Many of the exhibits are dark in subject matter, such as the history of murder weapons, famous criminals, police officers training with guns, arrest procedures, autopsies on murder victims and various forms of capital punishment. Even as an adult, I found some of this material to be a little too morbid…and I would imagine that some children would be absolutely frightened by some of the graphic details that are shown and talked about. Still, fans of NCIS will love it.

There were three other attractions that were on our agenda that we were not able to visit, due to the lack of time. Those were the Washington Monument. the Lincoln Memorial and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Those will be at the top of my list on my next visit to Washington, D.C.

During our stay in D.C., we wanted to pick a hotel that was was central in location to all those attractions listed above. We chose the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. It’s a bit pricey if you’re operating on a budget, but well worth the money and it’s probably one of the safer places to stay in the area. The hotel is literally just a few blocks away from the Capitol Building and Union Station. I highly recommend parking at the hotel and leaving your car there until the end of your stay. Finding a place to park in the city is nearly impossible. Once you enter through the front doors, you’ll go down the escalators to the huge lobby area. That’s where the courteous staff members are very eager to assist you in any way they can. If you need directions anywhere, if you need to call a taxi or if you just want to know the best way to get somewhere, the concierge is ready to help. The rooms are clean and spacious, the beds are very comfortable and chocolate mints are delivered to the rooms daily. It’s little things like that that make a vacation memorable. I was also impressed on how family-friendly the Hyatt-Regency is. At least one night a week, they show a movie and allow kids to bring their sleeping bags and just make themselves at home on the floor of the “theater”. On one of the nights during our stay there, my entire family enjoyed watching “Horton Hears a Who” while helping ourselves to free popcorn and ice-water. The kids also had a great time swimming in the indoor heated pool. While I thought it was a bit small in size for such a large hotel, the water was comfortable and it served as good therapy for our sore feet, which were quite achy from all the walking and sight-seeing we did those three days. They also have a nice souvenir shop inside the hotel. I bought a t-shirt with a picture of the most famous D.C. sights on the front for $20.00. Overall, we had a very enjoyable stay there. For additional information on the Hyatt Regency, call (202) 737-1234. I highly recommend it.

My best advice for those planning a trip to Washington, D.C. is PLAN AHEAD! Do your homework. Research the different attractions, restaurants and hotels. Find out the hours of operations of these different places, and learn as much as you can about the different modes of transportation. And find out which attractions and museums you will need reservations for, and then go ahead and make those reservations. It really pays off in the long run. Make sure you bring plenty of money with you. The cost of living is very high in Washington D.C., especially food.

During this week of Thanksgiving, as we turn our thoughts to those things in life for which we are thankful for, let’s not forget our freedoms and the history of this great nation. What better way to celebrate those freedoms than to visit our nation’s capital and the wonderful treasures it holds?

When I saw Paul McCartney perform at the Civic Arena in 1989, I felt that being at that concert was the closest that I’d ever come to seeing the Beatles perform live.  I was wrong. Technically, that may have been the case. But as far as actually taking in the whole Beatles live concert experience, that moment came Thursday night at Heinz Hall, opening night of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra PNC Pops! presentation of The Classical Mystery Tour - The Music of the Beatles.

First, there were the four men playing the parts of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Jim Owen (as John) and Tony Kishman (as Sir Paul) were so good at imitating the look, voices, mannerisms,  and, most importantly, the music of their counterparts on rhythm guitar and bass, that if you were in the audience that night and you closed your eyes, you would not be able to tell the difference from the real thing. I know this because I tried doing just that. Their impersonations are dead-on. Even watching their back-and-forth banter in between songs was a bit eerie.

 The other two members of the tribute band - John Brosnan (as George) and Chris Camilleri (as Ringo) are excellent musicians but bear very little resemblence to their counterparts. Brosnan, who is fairly new to the band,  is quite competent on lead guitar and Camilleri is an amazing drummer, but they don’t even appear to be trying to imitate the two least celebrated members of the Beatles.

But what really makes this concert a real treat for Beatles fans is the backing of the Pittsburgh Symphony, conducted by Lawrence Loh. These classic songs are meant to be played with a symphony. That is why seeing this show was, in one sense, better than seeing McCartney’s live solo show. My main complaint about McCartney is that he never uses real musicians for those parts of the songs that feature strings, brass and other instruments. Those songs, which will be forever etched in our brains, were recorded with live studio musicians. But when on tour, McCartney always chooses to use a keyboardist who is able to generate those sounds on a synthesizer, which cannot compare to the real thing. Watching these songs come to life on stage with a full symphonic orchestra is just too surreal to describe.

 As for the songs themselves…Owen, Kishman, Brosnan and Camilleri opened their set with “Got To Get You Into My Life”, “She Loves You” and “I Saw Her Standing There”. The latter two were probably the only songs that did not feature the symphony.  Much of the rest of the program was taken from the late 1960’s, when the band began to experiment with different sounds and instruments and of course, mind-altering drugs. “All You Need Is Love”, “A Day in the Life”, “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Yellow Submarine” - they were all there. So were “Penny Lane”, “Eleanor Rigby” and “Something”. Each of the Beatles were well represented, with a song list that featured all four singers on lead. Just about every song performed that night was a monster hit. The exception was “Good Night”, the seldom-played lush lullaby  from the Beatles so-called White Album. Camilleri, together with the symphony, did a beautiful job on this gem of a number, which actually was one of the best performances of the night. The rest were all bona fide hits. They even performed a couple of John and Paul’s solo hits, “Imagine” and “Live and Let Die”, respectively.

One of the highlights of the show for me was “Sgt. Pepper’s Long Hearts Club Band”, in which members of the Pittsburgh Symphony became part of the “recording” by acting as the live audience, complete with applause and laughter.  It was like being there in the studio while the song was being recorded. On the downside, Owen’s voice as Lennon’s was overpowered by the music on “I Am the Walrus”. I could barely hear him singing.

The only other things lacking in this “Beatles concert” experience were the raw energy and urgency displayed by the original Fab Four. And, of course, there are no screaming teenage girls in the audience, drowning out every note to come out of the loud speakers. As Brosnan ironically remarked in the first half of the show, “if you remember the 60’s, you probably ARE in your 60’s”.

If the Beatles were still alive, still together and still performing today, one cannot help but wonder if they would end their shows the same way this band does. They closed their second set with the Abbey Road medley. Then they came back for an encore that had everyone on their feet dancing AND singing - “Hey Jude” and “Twist and Shout”.

 I’ve seen plenty of Beatles tribute bands in my lifetime. But none like this. If you’re a Beatles fan, you owe it to yourself to see these four men perform some of the greatest music of this generation - WITH the Pittsburgh Symphony. (Show runs through Nov. 22nd at Heinz Hall).

Live at Gillies Bar in Hartstown, between Greenville and Conneaut Lake, at the fourway, is the areas best action this Friday the 13th, at 9:00 till 1:00 with no cover.

Lights and Sound by Industrial Light and Music, DJ Phantom x will be making his only area appearence at Gillies

Enjoy the 10th Annual Kraut Fest from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in the Haus Cider Mill, 6742 W. Calla Road, Canfield, Ohio. Enjoy ethnic food, a magic show, live entertainment, shred-a-head contest, and more. Admission: $4 for adults, $7 for couples Info: www.hausappleorchards.com

A benefit party for Eric and Becky Ramp West is planned for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at West Salem Volunteer Fire Department, Route 358, Greenville. Eric was diagnosed with melanoma in December 2008. There will be a bake sale and unique gifts for Christmas. Info: 724-376-3763 or 724-699-2770.