The White House, Washington, D.C. (Photodisc)

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is not only home to President Obama and the first family but the nave of everything political activity taking place in America right now. Tickets to see the guts of George Washington’s brainchild (coincidentally he was the only president never to live in it) are almost for the reason that illusive as scoring front-row seats to the Super Bowl. But with a bit of persistence (read: annoyance) the 132-room executive mansion is yours to explore (read: self-guide yourself through about a quarter of it with a high level of security keeping a close eye). The first step to the big house is to be willing to plan your trip to the Nation’s Capital round your White House tour; the best way to get tickets is to have flexible visiting dates. With a date in mind, contact your Member of Congress to request tickets. It is best to do this as very much in advance as possible, though they only accept requests six months prior to your travel date.

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Simonstown Guest House is a modern, comfortable B&B featuring 4-star accommodation in Simonstown, Cape Town.

Owned and managed by Steve and Amanda Conradie, this contemporary African themed guesthouse offers fantastic 180-degree sea views from each of the 5 luxury suites. All rooms regard en-suite bathrooms.

Simonstown Guest House overlooks False Bay, famed breeding ground of Southern Right Whales. Glencairn Beach is a 5 minute walk away. Guest comfort, accessibility and safety are of utmost importance.

Facilities for this accommodation in Simonstown include:

• Full Continental / English Breakfast
• Separate Dining Room
• Lounge Room that opens onto a courtyard
• Off-street parking
• Lift Access
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Iron and ironing board
• WIFI Internet access in completely rooms

View photos of Simonstown Guest House.

Check availability or make a reservation for this accommodation in Simonstown.

More here and there Simonstown

Simonstown is a quaint little village, on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula – overlooking a sheltered bay which has had a long be engaged history with the Royal Navy and is now home to the South African Navy.  Award winning restaurants, unique architecture and an abundance of sea life, makes Simonstown a firm favourite with visitors.

Things to do in Simonstown:

Boulders Beach, Deep Sea Fishing, Simonstown Harbour, Navy, Penguins, Restaurants, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Shark Diving & Viewing, Whale Watching, Bird watching, Sea Kayaking, Scratch Patch Mineral World, Heritage Museum, Warrior Toy Museum, Naval Museum, Simonstown Museum, Simonstown Waterfront.

More about Cape Town

Cape Town offers intrigue and adventure to any traveller.

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If you’re in London and would like to be magically transported back by candlelight through the centuries to a Christmas in 18th century East London, then visit the Dennis Severs House in Shoreditch.

The house is set in a Georgian Terrace close to Spittlefield market and is resembling a stage set instead of an 18th century costume drama, where the family who lived in that place have just left the room. The house was created by an American, Dennis Severs, who lived in the house, in it’s unmodernised state just as you see it, until his death in 1999. He created the house as a sensory experience which would transport visitors away from the modern world into a bygone era. For Christmas, the house is open every evening for you to enjoy  in silence by candlelight, soaking up the atmosphere.

The imaginary family who live in the house are Mr Jervis, a prosperous silk-weaver and his spouse Mrs Jervis. Throughout the house you experience their daily domesticity and their treasured possessions artfully arranged to hint at their lifestyle and character.

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Exterior of Cedar House Inn, Georgia (courtesy, Cedar House Inn & Yurts)

The contrast between the sprawling Atlanta ‘burbs and this eco-friendly hideaway in the north Georgia woods couldn’t be more complete. Just 70 miles north of the beating heart of the “New South,” Dahlonega’s Cedar House Inn & Yurts lives almost entirely off the grid and on the land. The three-room cedar inn features a passive solar design that maximizes heat from the sunshine, while quarry tile floors in the living area collect heat from the winter sun to cut back attached heating costs. Two well-appointed yurts on the property’s naturally landscaped grounds up the eco quotient, with composting toilets and low-wattage lighting. The list of environmentally friendly accolades and initiatives goes on. But don’t think this is some austere hippie commune with nothing in the way of good living: organic breakfasts of fresh-squeezed orange juice, free-range eggs, and French toast with homemade seasonal syrup fuel smooth the hardest day out on the area’s many hiking and biking trails.

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