Washington, D.C. rocket launched me into a life of adventure. On my 13th birthday, I bravely set out for Georgetown from Roslyn, where I lived on Colonial Terrace. Striding across Key Bridge, I trembled at the spinach green Potomac River undulating far below. After that first intrepid trek, my courage blossomed. I went on safari, meeting wrinkled Asian elephants, fuzzy Canadian polar bears, and roaring African lions at The National Zoo. By age sixteen, my Saturdays were thrilling ambles through The Smithsonian, where I stood inside a million year old shark jaw and pretended to interview tribal cultures from Papua New Guinea and Amazonian jungles.

Wanderlust burst out of me like rocket fuel. I set my sights on Planet Earth.

I left Washington at age 17 and now at age 56, wondered: could I go home again? We all have ghosts and demons from our past and I have an attic full. Swallowing my fear, I booked a flight from Charleston South Carolina and landed at Reagan International Airport two hours later. Within minutes, I was in company with two childhood heroes: Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, regal as ever in their glorious memorials. My throat tightened as The Washington Monument came into view. She's still grandly vaulting skyward into an enameled blue sky, a stunning 555-foot high marble obelisk. I'd climbed her airless dizzying stairs every month during my senior year in high school, Peering out the window, I stared at the horizons of my city, my life.

Woodley Park

Bed and breakfast owners/managers Courtney and Joe Lodico welcome my friend Shirley Jones and me to Woodley Park Guest House. Guests relax in front porch wicker chairs, overlooking lawns brightened by purple and pink pansies. New arrivals chat in the library, checking e-mail and browsing The Washington Post. There's a happy buzz of strangers getting acquainted and sharing vacation ideas.

'My favorite things to do are seeing the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Vietnam Veterans Wall, Korean Memorial, and FDR Memorials,' Courtney enthuses. 'Of course, you must visit The Museum of Natural History and The National Gallery of Art. That's just your first day,' she jokes. 'Seriously, DC offers so much that's fabulous. Best of all, most of the museums are free.'

Day one

The next morning, I walk a few blocks to The National Zoo and Shirley takes the metro to The Newseum. Luck is on my side, I capture terrific close up portraits of cheetahs and giant pandas. At the elephant exhibit, Zoo curators bathe two youngsters, which humans and pachyderms enjoy to the max.

A quick Metro ride and I'm inside The National Gallery of Art. All my favorite artists are in the Gallery's permanent collection, but today I'm taking meetings with Paul Cezanne, Leonardo da Vinci, and Claude Monet.

Cezanne's 1893 'The Peppermint Bottle,' one of his most intriguing paintings, is a colorful composition of fabric, fruits and glassware. Da Vinci's 1474 portrait of 'Ginevra de' Benci' is magnificent, his only painting exhibited in the Western Hemisphere.

On this magic day, I'm alone in Gallery 85 with Monsieur Monet. Reclining on a butterfly blue velvet couch, I contemplate The Master. How do sheer tints of beige oil paint emulate the ethereal 'Rouen Cathedral'? How can green and white brushstrokes bring alive fragrant white water lilies and a chorus of frogs? Monet's shimmering Giverny garden captured in 'Japanese Footbridge' transports me from Washington to France.

'To me, the motif itself is an insignificant factor,' Monet wrote. 'What I want to reproduce is what exists between the motif and me.' His explorations of color and mood are eternally inspiring.

At the Museum's airy Cascade Café, Shirley reports on her morning exploring The Newseum. 'Extraordinary,' she raves. 'Pulitzer Prize winning news photos, an actual section of the Berlin Wall, great moments in sports history, and a 3-D film called ‘I-Witness.' Newseum is definitely one of DC's coolest attractions.'

We walk to The National Portrait Gallery, home to a painting of a very handsome young Abe Lincoln, the exotic beauty Pocahontas, Founding Fathers, and celebrities like Leonard Bernstein, Toni Morrison, Kate Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Elvis. Completed in 1868, this Greek Revival National Historic Landmark has porticos modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, vaulted galleries, and was the site of Lincoln's inaugural ball in 1865.

Hours perusing portraits of presidents and poets, visionaries and villains, actors and activists gives us a big appetite. So we hop aboard The Metro to fashionable Union Station. Slurping thick gooey chocolate shakes at Johnny Rockets, we groove to Herman Hermits 'I'm Into Something Good.' Amen to that.

Embassy district

After two restful nights at Woodley Park Guest House, Shirley and I move over to the Embassy Guest House. Owners Raymond and Laura Saba have lovingly restored this 1900's Georgian/Edwardian house to her original splendor. At happy hour, the Sabas welcome guests from around the world who mingle in the elegant living room, sharing their day's experiences over chilled wine. Murano glass chandeliers, sumptuous Persian rugs, and colorful paintings by Justina Selinger and other former guests create a serene ambiance.

Laura and Raymond, a lively cosmopolitan couple, are passionate about their city, and regale us with anecdotes and observations.

'Washington has evolved into a first class city,' Laura says. 'Our symphony, theatre and dance companies are top notch. Any International cuisine is delicious here. DC is really the capital of America.'

The next morning we linger over breakfast, joining other guests in lively discussions on politics, current events, and city restoration. Over the lavish feast of smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, orange juice and coffee, we realize the joy of this special place is savoring leisure time with so many fascinating people.

Tourist in my home town

Rarely can any of us set aside the time and emotional baggage to journey home with fresh eyes. These few days I've rediscovered The Zoo, The Smithsonian,

astonishing architecture, fabulous restaurants, and two hospitable bed and breakfasts. The city welcomed me home with wild animals, inspiring art, and a hug.

As my taxi speeds toward the Airport, I wave goodbye to my muse, my Washington Monument. As a young girl, I'd climbed her steps with curiosity and an open heart. Who knew someday Washington D.C. would rocket me all over Planet Earth?

Sharon Spence Lieb is creator of The GLOBETROTTERS, a photo travel feature published monthly by The Moultrie News She covers great destinations worldwide through dramatic and funny first person essays. www.moultrienews.com Click Travel and explore Planet Earth!

She lives in Mt. Pleasant, with her filmmaker/photographer husband Warren Lieb.