WASHINGTON DC: THE
CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES
BY CLAY
LARROY
Traveling is the kind of activity, which almost all the people love. For someone it
is an opportunity to relax and abstract from everyday busy life. For others it
is interesting to observe the way people of other cultures and
mentality live. Some people consider it to be the best
way to have fun and always try to visit as
many clubs, pubs, restaurants and cafes as possible for their wallets and time
limits. When you want to plan a
vacation contact me!
With leafy boulevards, a munificence of monuments and a clutch of
museums that rank among the best in the world, Washington DC is both the USA's
political and cultural capital. But there's more to the city than marble
colossi and thrusting politicos. Behind all the marble lies a throbbing social
scene, complete with some of the best clubs on the eastern seaboard, quaint
little suburbs thronged with bohemian locals and green city parks that house
wildlife as diverse as the city's human population.
For
most, however, it is Washington DC's abundance of monuments that make the city
a must-visit; whether it's the iconic Lincoln Memorial on whose steps Martin
Luther King made his ‘I Have a Dream' speech or the enormous Washington
Monument that dominates the city skyline.
Founded
in 1790 as a ‘neutral' capital, straddling the then hotly contested dividing
line between north and south, Washington DC has elements of both. From the
north, it takes its patrician architecture and icy winters, while from the
south comes the scorching summers as well as the bonhomie that lifts a night
out in Washington.
Its
imposing National Cathedral owes its Gothic looks to the UK, while Washington's
street plan and overall design came from the mind of a Frenchman, Pierre
L'Enfant. Its history, greatly discussed on any tour of the city, also owes
much to outside forces with the majority of locals happy to sit down and regale
visitors with the tale of how the fledgling city was sacked and burned in 1814
by an angry regiment of British redcoats led by Major General Robert Ross.
Despite his best efforts, the city survived and now thrives with barely a scar
to show for it.
Today,
Washington is a city of buzzing suburbs, with much of the night time action
happening, unusually, outside of the city center itself. Downtown DC, home to
the Capitol, the White House and the Smithsonian, is an oddly somnolent place
at night, lacking the buzz of New York and only really coming alive when the
Senate is in session. Nevertheless, it continues to draw visitors from all over
the world, many of whom come to see its haunting war memorials: the innovative
Korean War Veterans Memorial, the touching Iwo Jima bronze sculpture and the
ridiculously ugly contraption sent by a grateful Netherlands following the end
of World War II. Sometimes a box of chocolates really is better.
The
Dutch contribution to the skyline notwithstanding, DC really is a city that
embraces all nationalities. The seat of American power draws all comers, a fact
made plain by the imposing edifices along embassy row, and the huge variety of
cuisine that dominates the restaurant scene. Oddly enough, DC is one of the
best places to try Ethiopian food outside of Africa. That, however, doesn't
mean you won't find excellent homegrown fare. Just over 30 miles from the
Chesapeake Bay, Washington is famous for its oysters and lump crab cakes, both
of which, as generations of politicos have discovered, offer the perfect
solution to hunger pangs during a late night debate.
Things to do in Washington, DC
Activities
Wildlife watching
Just
outside central DC is the beautiful, and vast, Rock Creek Park, which bisects
the city north of the Anacostia River and covers an impressive 809 hectares
(2,000 acres) of thickly forested hills. Along with strolls along its many
hiking trails, the park is also a haven for wildlife watchers who can do their
best to catch a glimpse of everything from raccoons to coyotes within its
boundaries. Less exotic but just as lovely are the huge herds of deer,
inquisitive squirrel population and vast flocks of birdlife.
Watch an American football
match
Washington, like every US city worth its salt, is home to its own
American football team. In this case, it's the Washington Redskins (www.redskins.com).
Although not hugely successful in recent years, the club has amassed an
impressive trophy cabinet that includes no fewer than five NFL titles and is
considered the second most valuable NFL franchise in the US. Games take place
at the FedEx Field just outside the city in Maryland at the end of the Blue
Line, but plan early to secure tickets.
Although considered to be a Southern city, Washington's winters
are cold in the extreme. While that isn't so wonderful for sight-seeing, it
does mean the city's al-fresco ice rinks come into their own during the winter
months. One of the best is the Canal Park ice rink (tel: (202) 465 7012; www.canalparkdc.org/ice-rink)
which opens each winter to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Set in the
heart of the beautiful Canal Park, its capacious runs make it particularly good
for newcomers to the sport.
The motion and controls might take a bit of getting used to but a
spin on a Segway is hard to beat - for laughs if nothing else. Washington, like
the rest of the US, has no shortage of companies offering tours of all the main
monuments by Segway or electric bike. Segs in the City (tel: 1 800 734 7393, in
the USA only; www.segsinthecity.com)
is more than a brilliant pun, with hire, classes and tours available.
Thanks to its prime position on the banks of the Potomac and
Anacostia Rivers, kayaking, canoeing and sailing are all hugely popular among
locals. Boating in DC (www.boatingindc.com)
can sort you out with canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard and pedalo hire as
well as lessons. One of the nicest places to test your sea legs is along the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which offers calm waters and easy paddling. The
loveliest scenery is to be found between Georgetown and Violettes Lock, as well
as along the Potomac itself. Be warned though: river kayaking is considerably
harder and not a great idea for beginners.
Chesapeake Bay is famous for its wonderful oysters and just over
30 miles from Washington DC. As a result, there's no shortage of oyster bars in
the city, which means it's a great place to try them for the first time - or
brush up your shellfish know-how if you've eaten them before. Most are stocked
with the Eastern or Atlantic oyster which, despite being the same species,
changes in flavor depending on whether they're raised in the salty lower
reaches or at the freshwater top. Tuck into some oysters at the Rapphannock
Oyster Company (tel: 202 544 4702; www.rroysters.com) and wash them down with a decent glass of
wine or craft beer.
City Attractions in
Washington, DC
Franklin
Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial pays tribute to the
accomplishments of the 32nd US president. With sculptures, waterfalls, pools
and walls of grey granite, it honours his services to the country during four
terms of office and highlights historical events like the Great Depression and
WWII. Most interesting are the two FDR bronze statues. Since Roosevelt never
wanted to be pictured in a wheelchair, the monument includes a larger-than-life
statue in which he is wearing a floor-length cape. The true-to-scale sculpture,
where he is sitting in his wheelchair, was added later. There is also a bronze
likeness of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Website http://www.nps.gov/fdrm
All is
not entirely what it seems at one of Washington's most entertaining museums.
Through multimedia presentations, hands-on exhibits and audiovisual effects,
the focus at the International Spy Museum is on educating the public about
espionage's impact on current and historic events. Among the highlights is the
collection of quirky spy paraphernalia such as decoder machines, miniature
cameras and a lipstick pistol, while other exhibits allow visitors to test
their powers of observation, analysis and surveillance at interactive stations.
'Operation Spy' allows visitors to assume a cover, and among other things,
conduct video surveillance, carry out a polygraph test on a suspect agent and
escape from a high-security compound.
Website http://www.spymuseum.org
Korean
War Veterans Memorial
Located
just south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the marble and limestone
Korean War Veterans Memorial was built using funds donated from individuals. It
was dedicated in 1995. Sitting on a 0.9 hectare (2.2 acre) site, the sculpture
features 19 stainless steel soldiers depicted in combat, with the American flag
as their symbolic objective. There are images of thousands of the ordinary
personnel who supported the combat troops in the military operation and a mural
wall is inscribed with the words: 'Freedom is not free'. Within the triangular
structure is a small pool lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of
elegant Linden trees, all of which are dotted with inscriptions remembering the
wounded, killed and missing.
Website http://www.nps.gov/kwvm
Housing the largest library in the world, the Library of Congress
contains collections of rare American history materials and more than 144
million items. Among them is theGutenberg Bible and
a copy of the musical score of the 'Star Spangled Banner'. The library itself
is embellished with murals, stained glass windows and statuary. Exhibitions
change regularly. There are daily guided tours of the 19th-century Thomas
Jefferson Building. Free public tours are available Monday to Friday at 1030,
1130, 1230, 1330, 1430 and 1530 as well as 1030, 1130, 1330 and 1430 on
Saturday.
Website http://www.loc.gov
Lincoln Memorial
The imposing 5.8m (19ft)
marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States,
gazes from the Lincoln Memorial across the Reflecting Pool to the Washington
Monument. The style of the memorial is that of a Greek temple with 36 Doric
columns, but it is the statue of Lincoln, sculpted by Daniel Chester French,
that steals the show. On the interior walls are inscriptions from the
Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural speech. As a symbol of
freedom and racial harmony, the Lincoln Memorial was the site of Martin Luther
King's 'I Have a Dream' speech in August 1963.
Website http://www.nps.gov/linc
National Air and
Space Museum
The most popular of all
the Smithsonian Museums, the National Air and Space Museum traces the
development of air and space travel. It is home to the original Wright
Brothers' 1903 Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis, the Bell X-1 (the
plane that broke the sound barrier in 1947), the Apollo 11 lunar command module
and a vast collection of aviation and space technology memorabilia. Free
90-minute tours trace the history of air and space at 1030 and 1300. The museum
also houses an IMAX film theatre and the Albert Einstein Planetarium. A second
vast NASA museum next to Dulles airport houses historically significant craft
including Space Shuttle Enterprise and the Enola Gay.
Website http://www.airandspace.si.edu
National Museum of Natural History
Arguably the most
impressive of the three museums administered by the Smithsonian Institute, the
National Museum of Natural History has a superb collection of dinosaur fossils,
an insect zoo, the worlds largest preserved bush elephant, the 45.5-carat Hope
Diamond and an IMAX film theatre. The Mammal Hall is devoted to mammal and
human diversity, evolution and adaptation, while the Sant Ocean Hall uses
state-of-the-art technology to demonstrate the oceans' essential role and
includes a coral reef teeming with marine life. The newest exhibition, the
David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, tells the epic story of the evolution of
man.
Website http://www.mnh.si.edu
National Museum of
the American Indian (NMAI)
NMAI is a tribute to
Native Americans. The impressive structure is circular and faces east in
accordance to American Indian traditions. Decorated in earthy tones, it is
designed to reflect indigenous aesthetics. The museum is divided into four
sections: 'Our Universe' focuses on Native philosophies related to creation and
the relationship between man and the universe; 'Our Peoples' relates the life
of Native Americans via videos; 'Our Lives' focuses on the contemporary life
and identities of eight Native Communities; and there is also a changing
contemporary exhibit. In the Lelawi Theater, the audience is put in the middle
of a unique multi-media presentation about tribal life.
Website http://www.nmai.si.edu
REFERENCE
SITES:
It's almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington.
Carol Burnett
Travel
to create marvelous memories for you and your family or friends!
