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Travel Review: Washington, D.C.

by Len Morse

Touring the memorials, monuments and parks of Washington, D.C. (http://www.nps.gov/state/dc/index.htm) is a wonderful experience, and almost all attractions are free. However, you should create a plan of attack that allows time for an unrushed visit. Even when you’re without children and have a planned route, the city contains too many sights to see all in one day.

Instead, consider touring D.C. over at least two days, visiting the National Mall and Arlington, Virginia, which are separated by the Potomac River. Although you can drive between them, highways and local traffic patterns make it difficult. Less driving means less stress, and the area around the National Mall is quite pedestrian friendly.

Below are suggestions on how to visit rarely seen memorials and other structures that you may not know about. These structures off the beaten path of The National Mall offer the potential for avoiding large crowds, school tours, and throngs of families with strollers. Follow these tips to help make the most of your monument-hunting time.

Getting Around

Drivers should park outside the city and take public transportation in. Even on good days, the traffic in D.C. can make you feel like you’re starring in a remake of “Road Rage.” However, if you are adventurous and drive into the city, take a street map (detailed enough to show one-way streets), lots of change for meters, and plenty of patience. Parking is available, but it fills up quickly, especially on weekends.

If you shuttle in on public transportation, the Metrorail (http://www.wmata.com/) is your best option from the downtown hubs of Regan National Airport or Union Station, as well as any hotel. The Metro map looks much like a handful of colored spokes without a wheel, and any outlying Maryland or Virginia stations will have parking.

TIP: Washington, D.C. frequently hosts a number of large events, so if you want a normal day without strained public transportation systems, avoid major holidays, festivals, marathons, or any given inauguration. The popular Cherry Blossom Festival brings in huge crowds as well. Visit the Washington, D.C. Event Guide (http://washington.dc.eventguide.com/annual_events_overview.html) for more information.

National Mall

You will probably not see a larger collection of marble domes, statues, and columns in one place (outside of Europe) than at the memorialized images dotting Washington, D.C.‘s National Mall. If you’ve already seen “big boys” like the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument, try the area between the Capitol, Union Station, and the White House. This triangle hosts five Metro stations, less tourists, and a plethora of monuments, including one that is constantly evolving.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial honors all local, state, and federal officers who have fallen in the line of duty. The monument was dedicated in 1991, but its oldest record dates back to 1792. It is a quiet collection of pathways, flowers, trees, and more than 19,000 names etched into the curved marble walls, located in Judiciary Square. The evolution of the memorial stems from the addition of names from the previous year, honored during National Police Week every spring. Use the Judiciary Square Metro station (Red line).

Other monuments along Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street NW:

Tidal Basin

The Tidal Basin is south of the Mall, and yes, it is possible to walk all the way around the basin. This area offers plenty of photo ops, plus a handful of attractions other than the well-known Jefferson Memorial.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, dedicated in 1997 and located along the western edge of the Tidal Basin, depicts and celebrates the twelve years FDR was in office. It shows statues of FDR at various points in his career, and is the largest presidential memorial on The Mall, covering seven and a half acres. While there are bathrooms, refreshments, and other services around the Tidal Basin, there is no Metro stop in the immediate area, so be prepared to walk from the Smithsonian station (Blue/Orange lines).

Other Tidal Basin structures:

Arlington, Virginia

While The Mall is a great place to visit, the other side of the Potomac is not to be scoffed at. You could easily spend an entire day touring some of Arlington’s sights:

Arlington National Cemetery hosts many of America’s most sacred spots. Pay your respects at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, the Women in Military Services for America Memorial, and the graves of William Howard Taft, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, and John F. Kennedy, among others. The cemetery holds more than 300,000 people, from war veterans to police officers to former slaves. Use the Arlington Cemetery Metro station (Blue line).

Other Arlington attractions:

TIP: Arlington is just as pedestrian-friendly as The Mall, but parking there is not recommended. Use the Arlington Cemetery (Blue) or Rosslyn (Blue/Orange) Metro stations.

Hotels

The Holiday Inn Capitol
550 C Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20024
L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station (Blue/Orange & Green/Yellow)
http://www.holidayinn.com/

The Holiday Inn’s average daily rate for a standard room is $146 with tax. They offer all the regular hotel amenities, plus a rooftop swimming pool and a location close to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and Museum of Natural History.

Henley Park Hotel
926 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Mouth Vernon Square-7th Street-Convention Center Metro (Green/Yellow)
http://www.henleypark.com/

Henley Park’s average daily rate for a standard room is $335 with tax. Their web-only special offers 10% off certain rates, and they boast an excellent business location, near the D.C. Convention Center and Chinatown.

Restaurants

Georgia Brown’s Restaurant
950 15th Street, NW (between I and K Streets)
Washington, D.C. 20005
McPherson Square Metro Station (Blue/Orange)
http://www.gbrowns.com/

Georgia Brown’s delivers traditional Southern cuisine in a simple setting, amid the cosmopolitan bustle of D.C. Featuring such delicacies as deviled eggs, Carolina gumbo, and Southern fried chicken, most items can be enjoyed for approximately $8 to $28 per person. Georgia Brown’s is a stone’s throw from the front steps of the White House. Reservations are recommended.

Ristorante Tosca
1112 F Street, NW (between 11th and 12th Streets)
Washington, D.C. 20004
Metro Center (Red/Blue/Orange)
http://www.toscadc.com/

Tosca dining includes an optional $35 pre-theater menu, some of the freshest ingredients, and the best northern Italian cooking. This experience can be yours for about $9 to $42 per person. This multiple-award winning restaurant is located near many of Washington’s prominent theaters. Reservations are recommended.

Summary

A great trip touring Washington’s monuments means more than just an interest in American history. It means walking shoes, a good map, and possibly an affinity for white marble. Once you know where you’re going and what you want to see, relax during your tour, and take in the city’s hidden gems that commemorate many of the great deeds and people of the United States.

Copyright Len Morse. Published 7 May 2010 in .

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