Mid-Atlantic bucket list

To showcase a space shuttle, supersonic jet and other literal and figurative giants of aviation history, the National Air and Space Museum ventured out of downtown D.C. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is made up of two large hangars. In addition to the exhibits, there’s an IMAX theater, observation deck, and an area where visitors can see artifacts being restored.

The National Scenic Byways Program designates 150 such routes, selected for archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic qualities, including 17 in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia or West Virginia. Two of the longer ones offer alternatives to major interstates. The Historic National Road, which goes from downtown Baltimore all the way to the Mississippi River, roughly tracks Interstate 70. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway, from Gettysburg to Monticello, parallels Interstate 81.

For five weeks every winter, a residential block in North Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood becomes a nightly holiday carnival centered around the simple fact that every house decks out — all out — for Christmas. The seven-decade tradition in the 700 block of West 34th Street is so embedded legend’s spread that a requirement to decorate is written into homes’ deeds. There’s, in fact, no formal obligation, but as one homeowner said, when “you live on the Christmas street, you don’t want to be a Grinch.”

Covered in thousands of icicle strings, holographic stars and gold LED lights, and reaching around four stories tall, Washington’s oldest holiday tradition is easily appreciated even without getting up close. But you should — not just to gaze at the big tree, but to study the 56 smaller ones surrounding it, each representing a state, territory, or the capital city itself.

The biggest ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic is also one of the best. The highest elevated, West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain gets the most natural snow and has the largest vertical drop. Of its 60 trails, about 40 percent are for beginners, over a third intermediate, and about a quarter advanced. Just as skiers and snowboarders of all abilities will feel welcome, so will those who want to stay off the slopes altogether. Alternative activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow tubing, and cross-country skiing. Indoors, there are dozens of dining, shopping and nightlife options to indulge day-trippers and resort guests.

Cameras routinely roll when the president signs bills and Congress’ work is streamed gavel-to-gavel on C-SPAN, but the only way to see the nation’s top judicial officers in action is to snag one of the limited public seats at Supreme Court oral arguments. Outside the courthouse, visitors can choose between two lines: One to view an entire argument, let in starting at 9:30 a.m., and other to observe for just a few minutes, let in starting at 10 a.m.; each is first come, first seated. The dates of arguments and the cases being heard are listed on the court’s online calendar.

Hailing National parks as “America’s Best Idea” for their power to connect visitors not just to the land but to each other, filmmaker Ken Burns was introduced to the uniquely American creation, it turns out, in the Mid-Atlantic, on a visit to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia at age 6. The park in the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of 10 National Park Service sites in the region where regular entry fees are waived on national fee-free days throughout the year. Dozens more NPS sites in the Mid-Atlantic never charge admission.