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TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Why go now?
America’s capital is the ultimate political city, and the centre
of attention as voters prepare to choose their president on 6
November, the occupant of its key edifice, the White House (1).
Whether Obama or Romney wins, Washington is a fascinating, historic
metropolis that merits exploration.
Touch down
Most flights from the UK land at Washington Dulles (001 703 572
2700; metwashairports.com), 26 miles south of the
centre. British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com), United Airlines
(0845 607 6760; unitedairlines.co.uk) and Virgin Atlantic (0844
209 7310; virgin-atlantic.com) all fly here daily from
Heathrow. United also covers the route from Manchester.
Metrobus 5A departs once an hour at weekends (every 40 minutes
on weekdays), taking 50 minutes to the landmark square of L’Enfant
Plaza (2) for a fare of $6 (£4). Super Shuttle (001 800 258 3826; supershuttle.com) runs shared van transfers to
central hotels: $29 (£18) for a one-person booking, $39 (£24) for
two. Washington Flyer Taxis (001 703 572 8294; washfly.com) is the official airport cab
service. The drive takes about 40 minutes, costing $56-$64
(£35-£40).
BA also serves Baltimore-Washington International, 35 miles
north-east, with Super Shuttle. connections.
Get your bearings
Washington was founded as a political capital in 1791. Its
location was chosen by the man whose name it takes, George
Washington, at a point between the established cities of the
north-east and the Southern states. It occupies its own zone (the
District of Columbia), independent of the 50 states, hemmed by
Virginia to the south and Maryland to the north – at the confluence
of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.
The centre spreads out around the National Mall (
nps.gov/mall), a two-mile grassy strip that ebbs
east to west as it plays host to the country’s most significant
monuments and museums. Beyond, the city is organised into a simple
grid. Streets that run south to north are numbered (eg 14th
Street), while major east-to-west avenues bear letters (such as F
Street).
Local transport (001 202 637 7000; wmata.com) consists of the five lines of the
Metrorail subway system, and Metrobuses. Metrorail fares are
complex and vary according to time – but a single journey in the
centre during off-peak hours (9.30am-3pm; 7pm-midnight) costs $1.70
(£1). A one-day Metrorail pass is $14 (£9). Bus fares are $1.80
(£1.10).
For more info see: Washington.org; Capitalregionusa.co.uk; DiscoverAmerica.com.
DAY ONE
Check in
A short hop from the legislative grandeur of the US Capitol (3),
the Hotel George (4), at 15 E Street NW (001 202 347 4200; hotelgeorge.com), is a boutique option with Pop
Art prints of George Washington in the lobby. Doubles start at $155
(£97), room only.
Set up in the former General Post Office at 700 F Street NW,
Hotel Monaco (5) (001 202 628 7177; monaco-dc.com) is all high
ceilings and bold colours. Doubles start at $194 (£121), excluding
breakfast.
The Hay-Adams (6) hotel does wood-panelled pomp behind the White
House at 800 16th Street NW (001 202 638 6600; hayadams.com). Doubles here start at $400
(£250), excluding breakfast.
Take a hike
The National Mall demands a morning of your time. Start at the
Washington Monument (7) (
nps.gov/wamo), the 555ft obelisk that honours
the first US president. It was damaged in the earthquake that hit
the city last year and its public gallery is currently shut. But
even from the ground, it’s an impressive sight.
Head west to the National World War II Memorial (8) (
nps.gov/nwwm), where each of the 4,048 gold
stars represents 100 American war dead.
Continue west on Independence Avenue SW as far as the Martin
Luther King Jr Memorial (9) (
nps.gov/mlkm). Then turn right on to West Basin
Drive SW and right on to Ohio Drive SW for the Mall’s two most
eloquent monuments: the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (10) (
nps.gov/fdrm), where arty sculptures acknowledge
America’s wartime leader, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial (11): a
statue of the third president stands proud in a Neoclassical temple
(
nps.gov/thje).
Track back to the west end of the Mall – to see the ghostly
soldiers of the Korean War Veterans Memorial (12) (
nps.gov/kwvm); the iconic steps of the Lincoln
Memorial (13) (
nps.gov/linc); and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
(14) (
nps.gov/vive).
Then dart east on the top edge of the Mall, turning north into
the green space of The Ellipse (15) – where the pale celebrity of
the White House (1) does not lack visual impact as it sits at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
Window shopping
F Street is a neat encapsulation of Washington’s retail scene.
Chas Schwartz & Sons (16), at 1400 NW, is Washington’s oldest
jewellers, dating to 1888 (001 202 737 4757; chasschwartz.com). And Fahrney’s Pens (17), at
1317 NW, has been dispensing writing equipment and ink to politicos
since 1929 (001 202 6289525; fahrneyspens.com). If you prefer your ink
invisible, the International Spy Museum (18), at 800 NW (001 202
393 7798; spymuseum.org; $18/£11), has a shop that’s a den
of gadgets.
Lunch on the run
Enjoy a slice of Americana at Ollie’s Trolley (19), a classic US
diner at 425 12th Street NW (001 202 347 6119; olliestrolleydc.com).
Take a ride
Visit Bike and Roll (20) at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Rental
starts at $12 (£7.50) for two hours, $30 (£19) for a day (001 202
842 2453; bikethesites.com). Pedal west along the National
Mall and over the Potomac on the Arlington Memorial Bridge (21). At
the end, you drop into Virginia – and find the gates of Arlington
National Cemetery (22).
A walk in the park
There is a moving calm to the main US military graveyard
(Memorial Drive; 001 877 907 8585; arlingtoncemetery.mil; daily 8am-5pm). John F
Kennedy’s resting place (23), on Sheridan Drive, is positioned so
that it gazes at the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.
An aperitif
A mile north of the Mall, U Street is evidence of Washington’s
multi-ethnic make-up – an avenue that was known as the “Black
Broadway” in the Fifties. Gentrification has changed its face, but
left an area alive with evening options. Nellie’s Sports Bar (24),
at 900 NW (001 202 332 6355; nelliessportsbar.com), is a splendid hybrid,
equal parts baseball hot spot, gay bar and old-school pub (beers
for $5/£3).
Dining with the locals
Ben’s Chili Bowl (25) at 1213 U Street NW (001 202 667 0909; benschilibowl.com), hit the headlines in January
2009 when Barack Obama ate here. Its chili half-smoke (a pork and
beef hot dog) is $3.25 (£2). Off U Street at 2007 14th Street NW,
Marvin (26) serves a chic take on soul food (001 202 797 7171; marvindc.com), with chicken and waffles for $17
(£10). Back in town at 480 7th Street NW, Jaleo (27) (001 202 628
7949; jaleo.com) sells tapas such as cod loin with
parsley sauce for $12 (£7.50).
DAY TWO
Sunday morning: go to church
The National Cathedral (28) lurks a fair trek from the
centre at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW (001 202 537 6200;
national cathedral.org); take the Metrorail Red Line to Tenleytown
station. Sunday services are at 7.45am, 8.45am, 10am and
11.15am.
More convenient is St Patrick’s Church (29), at 619 10th Street
NW (001 202 347 2713; saintpatrickdc.org), an 18th-century refugee
founded in 1794 with a cool interior of marble and stained glass
(Sunday services 8am, 10am, noon).
Cultural day
The Smithsonian is the world’s finest cultural collective – 18
museums, many based on or around the National Mall. All are free,
share the same basic contact details (001 202 633 1000; si.edu) and
are open 10am-5.30pm daily, unless stated below.
Focus on the institutions that do something unique: the National
Museum of American History (30) (1400 Constitution Avenue NW;
americanhistory.si.edu), which displays exhibits from first ladies’
ballgowns to early Apple computers and Ford motorcars; the National
Air and Space Museum (31) (6th Street SW and Independence Avenue;
airandspace.si.edu), where you can see the Wright Flyer alongside
Apollo 11 artefacts; and the joint American Art Museum and National
Portrait Gallery (32) (F Street and 8th Street NW;
americanart.si.edu; npg.si.edu; 11.30am-7pm daily), where art by
Hopper and O’Keeffe hangs with official portraits of each
president.
Out to brunch
At the excellent National Museum of the American Indian (33)
(4th Street and Independence Avenue SW;
americanindian.si.edu) the Mitsam Native Foods Café serves
bowls of thick buffalo chili for $7 (£4.50).
Icing on the cake
Ford’s Theatre (34) at 511 10th Street NW (001 202 347 4833;
fords.org), where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, still
stages plays. Tickets for the latest production, A Christmas
Carol (16 November to 30 December), cost from $51 (£32).
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