Destination of the month – Washington DC
In honour of President’s Day, we thought we would make our February destination of the month Washington DC.
Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial
We always enjoy a trip to Washington DC. The sightseeing is great. You can check out the United States Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, not to mention all the war memorials from the fountains of the World War II Memorial to the stark granite of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial.
We love the Smithsonian Institute. There are 19 free Smithsonian museums so there has to be something to appeal to everyone. My personal favourite is the National Air and Space Museum. Could not believe how small the Apollo 11 Command Module was the first time I saw it. The National Museum of American History has to be second with the original Star-Spangled Banner on display.
In addition to all of this, the shopping and the restaurants are great. We like to wander around Georgetown, do a spot of shopping (especially in Dean and Deluca) and enjoy a bite to eat.
Finally, Washington DC is a really easy place to get to from the UK. You can go for a single city break or you can easily catch a flight or a train to New York or head south into Virginia and visit Shenandoah National Park, Charlottesville, Richmond and Williamsburg.
Getting there
Most flights from the UK arrive in Washington at Dulles International Airport which is around 26 miles away from Washington. British Airways also operate a flight into Baltimore Washington International (BWI). This is around 30 miles from Washington.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both operate direct flights from London Heathrow to Dulles. If neither of these options appeal we like Expedia for a competitively priced listing of all the operators running flights, including the one flight a day currently running directly from Manchester Airport to Dulles.
If you are looking for a bargain you can sometimes get a cheaper option by catching a connecting flight rather than travelling direct. If possible, try and catch a connection into Ronald Regan Airport as it is much closer to downtown Washington and it is on the metro system.
A few tips for visiting DC…… Wear shoes that you can walk around all day in as exploring by foot is one of the best ways to see and get a feel for everything. Our hotel was at Dupont Circle which is ideal as you are near lots of places to eat and there is a nice buzz about the place. It is also where a big Metro station is so you are able to explore pretty much everywhere from there. The metro is very safe and easy to use, once you have a Metro Pass and a map, there’s no stopping you.
You could spend days exploring everything at The Mall, it is where most of the museums and monuments are. Plan ahead what you want to see, use a map so you don’t end up walking from one end to the other, try to pick your places near each other…..it is 1 mile from The Capitol Building to The Washington Monument (needle) and 1 mile from The Washington Monument to The Lincoln Memorial so you could end up spending most of your day walking rather than visiting the places you want to see.
All of the museums and monuments are free, as is the zoo (a bit further out on the Metro). All museums have a food court/cafe. We found that the American History Museum had the best food, it was varied and very yummy.
It is well worth going around the monuments and memorials during the day and then again after dark if possible. The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument are both spectacular lit up and you can really see how the reflecting pools got their name. The Korean War Memorial is the one will will always remember, especially in the evening as you look at the soldiers emerging from the trees.
Arlington Cemetery is another must visit and the tour bus is well worth the money as you get the commentary as you go around and there are plenty of stops for you to get off and explore, just wait at the bus stop for the next bus, when done. The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is another experience which will say with you long after you leave.