Once described by John F Kennedy as a "city of southern efficiency and northern charm," Washington D.C. is often seen by outsiders as slow and inefficient. Today Washington D.C is awash with a new energy, transforming itself into an exciting vacation destination. As the capital city of the USA’s Washington D.C teems with iconic monuments, vast museums and the corridors of power where visionaries and demagogues roam.
PLACES TO VISIT1.
THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
The Washington Monument and the White house is the two marbleized symbols of the free world.Take a ride in one of Monument's glass-encased elevators to the top observation deck to enjoy 360-degree views of the city. The White House is America's most famous homestead. Touring the building you can visit the State Floor which includes the East Room, the Green Room and the Blue Room.
2.LINCOLN MEMORIAL
The larger-than-life Honest Abe is amongst one of the visitors favorites. The famous second inaugural address and the Gettysburg address is etched into the memorial’s walls. The 36 Doric columns signify the states in the Union at the time Lincoln passed away.
3.NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
The National World War II Memorial was dedicated to the 400,000 Americans who died during the war in 2004. The circle of 56 pilings (representing the then 56 U.S. states and territories) looks over the Rainbow Pool. At night, with lights shining on, this memorial can be quite ethereal.
4.SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
The museum contains a trove of celebrated aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louisand Wilbur Wright's Wright 1903 Flyer, among others. A flight simulator, IMAX Theater and a planetarium is also in the museum.
5.NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The National Archives is a treasure trove of the United State’s founding documents. Inside you will se the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with one of the surviving copies of the Magna Carta and the Emancipation Proclamation.
6.SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL ZOO & CONSERVATIONS BIOLOGY INSTITUTE
The Zoo is home to approximately 2,000 animals from Asian elephants, great apes to sea lions. Chances you will spot orangutans swinging along cables between eight steel towers while strolling beneath the Orangutan Transport System. More exotic animals to South America such as the titi monkeys and silver-beaked tanagers can be seen in the Amazonia exhibit.
7.INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM
The museum covers the techniques, technology, history, and contemporary role of espionage. Photographs, audiovisual programs, and special effects combine give a picture of strategies and methods behind secret espionage missions. The collections include historic spy artifacts along with a wealth of ingeniously concealed and disguised cameras and weapons. Dedicated to the real life spies visit the top floor.
8.NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
The museum traces the political, cultural, scientific, and technological history of the U.S. since the Revolution. On display is Thomas Jefferson’s desk and one of Edison’s light bulbs. Other artifacts on exhibit include everything from gowns, work by First Ladies, and Julia Child's complete kitchen to the Muppets and the actual ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the film Wizard of Oz.
OTHER PLACES TO SEE
- Georgetown Historic District
- U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress
- Vietnam Veterans & Korean War Veterans Memorials
- United States National Arboretum
- National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Washington National Cathedral
- National Mall
- Newseum
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Ford’s Theatre
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Martin Luther King Jr, Memorial
- National Portrait Gallery
- The Phillips Collections
- National Postal Museum
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Renwick Gallery
- Dumbarton Oaks
- Madame Tussauds
- Tudor Place
The best way to get around Washington D.C is by the public transportation system like the metro trains, busses, taxi and on foot.
The best time to visit Washington D.C. is from September to November and March to May. In the autumn, the sweltering summer is gone and all that's left are crisp breezes and changing leaves, which, by the way, look great against all those marble monuments.
