WASHINGTON — Tours of former prison cells, celebrity encounters and exhilarating local exhibits are some of the video highlights of the past year. WTOP is taking a look back at our most-watched videos of 2017 — here are the 18 videos you HAVE to see!
18: Behind-the-scenes look at how a favorite doughnut is made
Duck Donuts moved into the D.C. area in 2015 and has since taken off. WTOP went to see what sets these fresh-off-the-fryer, made-to-order doughnuts apart from others. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
17: Puppies, kittens rescued from shelters hit hard by Hurricane Harvey
It was not just people that were evacuated from parts of Texas and Louisiana because of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation but animals in shelters, too. About 100 of them arrived in August at Last Chance Animal Rescue in Waldorf to find forever homes. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
16: Ghost Roads 2017
WTOP’s Dave Dildine unearthed rundown, abandoned highways in Maryland and Virginia. (WTOP/Dave Dildine/Ginger Whitaker)
15: Picking crabs with WTOP
WTOP Program Director (and self-proclaimed crab-eating expert) Mike McMearty took a trip out to The Point Crab House & Grill, in Arnold, Maryland, to share some of his best tips for eating crabs — a skill he’s been perfecting for more than 30 years. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
14: Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld spotted in D.C.
Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chappelle were spotted in D.C. filming an episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” They were seen at The Diner in Adams Morgan, and may have run into some car trouble… (WTOP/Kristi King)
13: Welcome to Artechouse
Wedged between a vacant retail space and a Potbelly Sandwich Shop, in an area occupied mostly by austere government buildings and the occasional Starbucks, is one of the coolest, most creative places in D.C. Artechouse is a new gallery, dedicated to the emerging medium of art and technology. Just one week after opening to the public, it has quickly become the darling of social media, thanks to its current interactive digital installation, “XYZT: Abstract Landscapes.” (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
12. Looking for a new place to live? Why not in this former Va. prison?
WTOP’s Dick Uliano took us inside a former maximum security facility at Lorton Reformatory. The rows of jail cells were undergoing renovation, turning into modern residential apartments and commercial space. (WTOP Dick Uliano, Ginger Whitaker)
11. Untold story of Gifford’s Ice Cream
His grandfather founded the Washington area’s beloved Gifford’s Ice Cream and Candy shops, but Andrew Gifford’s life story is sickening, not sweet. In his gut-wrenching memoir “We All Scream: The Fall of the Gifford’s Ice Cream Empire,” Gifford reveals for the first time that he was mentally and physically abused. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
10. Therapy dogs bring smiles for Nurses Week
Therapy dogs visited nurses and staff at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in May, bringing smiles during Nurses Week. (WTOP/Michelle Basch/Ginger Whitaker)
9. Educating Amy: The incredible history of a DC public school that taught a president’s daughter
Forty years ago, President Jimmy Carter came to Washington. But his daughter, 9-year-old Amy, didn’t go to a posh private school. Amy attended the Thaddeus Stevens School in downtown D.C. She was only the second child of a U.S. president to attend public school. WTOP revisited the fascinating history behind the D.C. public school that opened its doors to a president’s child and the pioneering educators who made it happen. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
8. RFK Stadium through the years
In October, D.C. United played its last home game in Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. WTOP took a look at some of the stadium’s historical highlights. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
7. Sights and sounds of the Wharf’s grand opening
D.C.’s newest destination, The Wharf, is now open. Three years after groundbreaking, the District’s largest new development project includes condos, apartments, piers, a boardwalk along Washington Channel and hundreds of boat slips. The music venue, called The Anthem, opened its doors with a concert by the Foo Fighters. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
5. Bye Bye Bao Bao!
Fans of one of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s most popular animals, giant panda Bar Bao, said their final goodbyes to Bao Bao in February. The zoo shipped the panda to China as part of a contractual agreement. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker/Megan Cloherty)
4. The Hirshhorn Collection comes to D.C.
Giant pumpkins, floating polka dotted orbs and tentacles grew inside the Hirshhorn Collection in February. See inside the show and hear about how complex it was to curate. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
3. 40 years later: Hanafi Siege in D.C.
WTOP looked back on the 40th anniversary of the Hanafi Siege, when a dozen gunmen seized control of three D.C. buildings for nearly 40 hours. Nearly 150 people were taken hostage, and two were killed. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
2. Jerry Seinfeld says ‘no thanks’ to hug from Kesha
WTOP was there as Jerry Seinfeld rebuffed Kesha’s attempt at a hug three times at the Kennedy Center. The viral video took the internet by storm. (WTOP/Jason Fraley)
1. WTOP’s Omama Altaleb talked to Syrian refugees who have resettled in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. to learn how they are using the skills they already have to try and make a living for themselves and their families. (WTOP/Omama Altaleb)
