DC

Washington Post: Established: 1940. Vibe: The fictional Monk’s Cafe from “Seinfeld.” Signature dish: Roast turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce and gravy. Read more.

Washington Post: Here it's more about seasonings than toppings. Burgers are cooked "pink or no pink" and standouts include No Burger, No Cry (habanero); Curried Away (curry, of course); Pardon My French (truffle oil). Read more.

Washington Post: You might have to wait in a long line, but this sufficiently juicy patty tucked into the lightly crisped bun is (fairly) fast food that pays a compliment to the genre. For dessert, pick the Monu-Mint. Read more.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Discovery flew more missions than any other space shuttle. It flew 39 times from 1984 to 2011, spending altogether 365 days in space. We kept it as-is to preserve its space-flown history. Read more.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: See the Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103), Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Concorde, and Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay." Visit the Observation Tower to do some plane spotting! Read more.

ESPN: The Presidents Race takes place in the middle of the 4th & features Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln & Roosevelt. Don’t pledge your allegiance to Teddy. He hasn’t won since the race’s inception in ’06.