Good morning, DMV! It’s Thursday, August 20.
As someone who leans toward minimalism, I often find it hard to buy gifts. I have this tendency to think that people don’t want anything anymore unless it is edible or can somehow disappear — like a candle.
But I recently learned that kids definitely do want gifts. So when my daughter and I were in Chincoteague to see the ponies ahead of their annual swim, we stopped in at the local trading post that sells all variety of souvenirs and found cool gifts for family in France: NASA (Wallops Flight Facility) merch for the nephews and six bags of Old Bay-seasoned Goldfish to give them a taste of the DMV.

(Alisa Tang)
The gifts were appreciated. Hurrah. I asked all of you what you like to buy as gifts from the DMV. Here are some of your suggestions that seem distinctly D.C.:
Old Bay seasoning or Old Bay-seasoned nuts
Mambo sauce (which I’ve never tried!)
Mount Pleasant Library’s “What’s more punk than the public library?” T-shirts and tote bags
Prints from Carlos Carmonamedina’s “DC is My City” series
Capital Candy Jar’s chocolate-covered Oreos decorated with D.C. and political motifs
Politics-themed spirits from Republic Restoratives (Fascist Tears Vodka is sold out.)
Something from the Smithsonian store, such as panda gear
Merch from the National Cherry Blossom Festival
Anything from Shop Made in DC, Shop Made in Maryland and Shop Made in Virginia
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📰 News around the DMV
🍸 Things to do
26 things to do in the D.C. area this week and weekend (Washingtonian)
11 things to do this weekend (The 51st)
📷 Your joy

Michael Tooke, 78, captured this image in Capitol Hill during his daily morning walk.
“This red-shouldered hawk was unperturbed by a couple of mockingbirds that were trying to chase him away,” he wrote in his submission.
The Capitol is so brilliantly lit in this pic that I had missed the birds at first!
🎁

