Light enough to carry on: Gold medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson lands at Reagan National before heading to the White House to meet President Bush along with a delegation of other Olympians.

The race may be won, the distinctions awarded, but for most Olympic athletes the sprint to take advantage of their 15 minutes of fame is still going on. (We recently saw Usain Bolt leaving David Letterman's stage, and he looked ti-yerd.)

Not every returning hero gets a Phelpstival, but those endorsements and that attention will only be up for grabs for so long before Americans forget about the Olympics. At least Shawn is allowed to wear a T-shirt and Uggs when she's out meeting the nation instead of a leotard and chalk.

Related Stories:
· Phelpstival Finally Official [Jaunted]
· Forget Gymnastics: US Now Challenging China's Olympic Architecture [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Just Jared]]]> egw 2008-10-07T09:15:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/6/91849/3619

JetBlue continues to lead the pack in original ways to convince recession-era passengers to spend their last couple dollars on a flight. First it was eBay ticket auctions; now it's a ticket sale-slash-happy hour for DC-area travelers.

The catch--and it's a big one--is that you have to trek out to Northern Virginia for an afternoon to see what fares are being offered. And of course you have to fly from Dulles. But if you're in desperate need of a last-minute fall Florida trip, it might be worth the time.]]> BS 2008-10-06T10:00:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/2/163051/866

Movie fans mourning Paul Newman in DC can head out to NoVa this weekend, where new-ish Arlington gastropub EatBar is celebrating his life with a Paul Newman movie marathon.

On Sunday, the venue will be screening "The Sting," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Towering Inferno" and "Slapshot."

"Cool Hand Luke deviled eggs" will be on hand for refreshments, as well as complimentary Newman's Own popcorn. Beer sales will go to support Hole in the Wall Camps, an organization Newman founded to send seriously ill children to summer camp.

Related Stories:
· Eatbar [Official MySpace Site]
· Paul Newman Fest at EatBar [Zagat]
· Paul Newman, a Magnetic Titan of Hollywood, Is Dead at 83 [NYT]
· Movie Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> BS 2008-10-03T10:35:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/23/213540/223

Move over giant blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC: You might just be getting replaced by a new, shiner version in DC. September 27 marks the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.]]> sedona 2008-09-24T09:48:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/22/1426/95341

The National Mall becomes an open-air library on Saturday for the National Book Festival, co-hosted by First Librarian Laura Bush. Get psyched for a full day of book shopping, signings and activities by checking out Library of Congress podcasts featuring authors from the fest.

After the click, our picks for a day on the Mall:]]> egw 2008-09-22T15:05:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/18/202650/080

The Capital has a new temple of organic-local-sustainable-seasonal eating: Founding Farmers restaurant, which opened this week on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Chef Graham Duncan's restaurant was designed to meet LEED green standards, and the food celebrates local farmers and considers carbon footprints at every turn.]]> BS 2008-09-19T12:00:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/28/184653/978

Speaking of Legos...

If you're in the Washington, DC area this weekend, you're in luck, because there's a massive Lego fair organized just for AFOLs like you. (That's Adult Fans of Lego, to the uninformed.) Children are allowed, but only if they're in the company of adults.

Brickfair is actually not affiliated with the LEGO company, but is organized by Wamalug, the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Lego Users Group. (This town has an acronym for everything.)]]> BS 2008-08-29T12:00:19-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/