Tourists! (Photo by Eric Greaux)

Summer is half-over. Have you planned a vacation yet? If not, U.S. News and World Report is up with an index of the best domestic vacation spots, and D.C. took third place. All the landmarks and scenic destinations in the country, and our fair city beat all but two of them.

Unfortunately, U.S. News’ recommendations for what to do while in town aren’t terribly creative, instead advising tourists to keep to the well-worn spots—Smithsonian museums, tours of the U.S. Capitol, the monuments along the National Mall and the shops in Georgetown. Basically, with the exceptions of the Tidal Basin and the Smithsonian facilities along Independence Avenue SW, U.S. News’ guide to D.C. is pretty fixated on certain enclaves of Northwest D.C. Read, for instance, it’s recommended spots for live entertainment:

If you’re more in the mood for music, Northwest Washington boasts a vibrant entertainment scene. There is open-mic nights at Busboys & Poets and live music at the Black Cat to the opera at the Kennedy Center and plays at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Writers also recommend taking in a show at Ford’s Theatre, where President Lincoln was assassinated, and at Warner Theatre—both of which are also in Northwest.

Well, OK. That’s about the most you can expect from travel guide that still claims that Union Station has a functioning movie theater.

But which places bested D.C.? New York, naturally, is one of them, coming in at No. 2. In keeping with U.S. News’ lame-ass recommendations for Washington, we’re guessing the New York tips included can’t-miss stuff like Times Square, the Fifth Avenue Apple Store and dirty-water hot dogs.

Coming in on top, though, is Yellowstone National Park. And what complaints do we have with that? Nothing, actually. Yellowstone is pretty amazing; one of the places that doesn’t disappoint. Except maybe for when this happens: