Who are we who are those strange and complicated people who like to call themselves Americans?

We're exploring some of the high points of the American landscape today on Travel with Rick

Steves. Tour guide Rick Garman readies us for a street-level tour of Washington, D.C. to enjoy the city

like the locals do. Whether it's an air-conditioned look at our history or groven at a street fair

with a multi-ethnic vibe.

50 years ago, John Kennedy said something like Washington was a city of northern

hospitality and southern efficiency.

And Ken Burns spent six summers filming the National Parks.

He tells us what a great idea all those parks turned out to be.

If there were no National Parks, the Grand Canyon would be lined by mansions of the rich.

Without the National Parks, Yellowstone would be called Geyser World.

We'll start out on the beach in France of all places where the summer job is also a tradition,

but this time with a real French twist. Load up that minivan at

summer in America and France on Travel with Rick Steves.

Summertime and the living is easy.

Hi, I'm Rick Steeves.

Today on Travel with Rick Steeves, we're exploring some quintessentially American options

for summer adventure.

Filmmaker Ken Burns explains how six years of filming in America's national parks

taught him what a brilliant idea these places are.

And tour guide and local resident Rick Garman shares some of his favorite things about Washington, D.C.

But first, let's start with another aspect of summer, the summer job at the beach,

...