A Foursquare Guide to Washington, DC

If you're a badge junkie on foursquare, you're probably wondering how to go about getting some of the more unique badges. Here is a quick tutorial on where to go and what to do to get those special badges in Washington DC:

The "I'm On a Boat" Badge: This one is easy and fun to get. Just head over to any of the places along the Potomac where they rent canoes and kayaks, like Jack's Boathouse or the Thompson Boat Center. Rentals are pretty cheap and you'll get a unique view of the city, plus the lovely "I'm On a Boat" badge when you check in.

The Photogenic Badge: This badge is surprisingly hard to get because of the sheer randomness of places that have a photobooth. Some bars will count toward this badge, like Madhatter in Dupont and Grand Central in Adams Morgan. You can also pick up the badge at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Union Station.

The Swarm Badge: This one is also tons of fun and can be picked up at pretty much any sporting event. The Nationals may not have a lot of fans, but a lot of them are on foursquare. Hitting the town on a Friday night might get you the badge but it's a lot less likely, unless you're at the most popular place in town at just the right time.

The Warhol Badge: I would venture to say that DC is the easiest place to get this badge because all our museums are free! You need ten check-ins at a gallery or museum. If you're really ambitious you could get this badge in one or two days at the Smithsonian museums.

The Animal House Badge: This one is awarded for check-ins to places frequented by frat boys. A lot of campus locations will earn you this badge. If you're not in college, but you want to party like you are, you can stop by places like Hawk and Dove and Tom Tom to earn this badge.

The Historian Badge: This badge requires not only that you check in to certain places, but that you're friends with The History Channel profile. You already have a leg up on the rest of the country for being in the nation's capital. A visit to most of the monuments, the white house or the Capitol building will earn you this badge.

Bravo Badges: These are earned by visiting places somehow related to Bravo shows and you must be friends with the profile to earn them. The easiest one to earn is the Bravo Newbie badge which requires just one check-in. You can get it at places like Lima and Good Stuff Eatery. If you're lucky, you might actually catch Chef Spike from Top Chef there serving up your burger.

The Ziggy's Wagon Badge: This badge is earned by visiting three food trucks. Some popular ones are DC Slices and Fojol Brothers. You can follow them on Twitter to check for their location.

There you have it. An easy guide to unlocking Washington DC, one badge at a time.