winterbadger | things to do in DC (before you're gone)

I've been wishing I were in the UK a lot lately, missing the places that I've been that I'd like to go again, and looking forward to places I've not yet been that I'd like to go to (in the UK and other places in Europe--National Geographic has a nice article on Como, for instance, and the grrls have great pictures of lots of Spain and Italy that make them look very enticing).

But I won't be doing that any time soon, so, in an attempt to take a more positive approach, I'm trying to think of all the things I want to be sure to do and see around here before I leave DC.

visit all the Smithsonian museums at least one (or one more) time
see how many of DC's public statues I can find (my old bookstore in Boston used to have a great pocket guide to all the statuary in that city--I wonder if there's one for DC--it would have to be very big!)
alas, I think I missed out on my chance for a personal guided tour of the Capitol :-(
tour the National Cathedral
ride the whole of each of the local bike trails (though maybe not the C&O Canal Towpath Trail...
take another cruise on the Potomac
kayak along the Potomac
visit all the NPS sites in the area (can you tell I'm a bit of a completist?), including the ACW sites in VA, MD, and PA
go to the theatre a few more times
visit Arlington Cemetery
go to the Hillwood gardens and museum
visit the (new) Newseum and the National Geographic exhibition
tour the National Arboretum/Botanic Gardens
have tea at the Willard, chili at Ben's Chili Bowl, and hit up a few more of Bethesda's and Alexandria's inexhaustible supply of restaurants
see the view from the top of the Washington Monument
say goodbye to the animals at the National Zoo
see the cherry blossoms on the Mall in the spring