United States Destinations

U.S. capital offers much to visitors

By Nicholas Spillios

In the present international climate, some of us might be hesitant
about including Washington D.C. among our travel destinations. Despite fears in the wake of the of its charm, its exuberance and its many pleasures. It is well worth your consideration.
You arrive in Washington at Ronald Reagan Airport. Getting there, airport security is tight – be prepared for meticulous security checks including removal of shoes and examination of money belts. After arrival it is only a short shuttle ride (cost $10) to the downtown area.

For first-time visitors, the area to explore is around Capitol Hill. Here you’ll find Union Station, the White House, the National Mall and Arlington Cemetery. In fact, these are still delights for this senior.

The city is divided into quadrants centering on the Capitol Building, with streets identified by letters and numbered. Reasonably priced accommodation is available away from the Capitol Hill area, off Du- Pont Circle and Woodley Park. For security and easy access to transportation, it’s a good idea to book a hotel close to a subway stop.

Subway lines and stops are marked in bold colours. Short hauls on the subway are priced at $1.20 – you must have exact change to purchase tickets from automatic ticket machines. Oh, the frustration in operating these foreign machines! But attendants are most obliging. Escalators descend at steep angles to several levels; elevators are available for the in? rm.

Our first stop was the National Mall, where several superb museums are located, including the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. And they are all free.

The subway will bring you right to the mall – in fact you will ascend to the centre of it. In order to get oriented, it might be wise to begin by starting at the visitors’ centre across from your entry point.

Not far off the mall are the White House, the Supreme Court building, the Library of Congress and the Canadian embassy, which is well worth a look. If you are a walker, this area will be for you, since most sites are well within walking distance.

Your interests will determine which sites to visits. For this senior, the National Gallery is always a highlight. On this trip, my wife Charlotte and I made a special visit to the Holocaust Museum to see the “Life in the Shadows – Hidden Children and the Holocaust” exhibit. A pass is required, as victors are allowed through this moving exhibit at 15-minute intervals, to control congestion.

Of course, you will not spend all your day indoors. The Lincoln Memorial is located in West Potomac Park. Larger than one might expect at 19 feet high by 19 feet wide, it is made of white Georgian marble. Just as impressive for us were the memorials to the veterans of the Vietnam and Korean wars. The Korean War memorial features effigies of soldiers in uniform moving across the battlefield.

Across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial is Arlington Cemetery. It’s a good idea to take the subway to get to this site. You can visit the grave sites by foot, but the guided tram tour is a bargain at $6. At the Memorial Amphitheater the U.S. Third Infantry maintains vigil around the clock, with a changing of the every hour. The amphitheater stop on the tram tour coincides with this ritual.

Another favourite stop for cemetery visitors is the grave site of John F. Kennedy. You can expect crowds both here and at the amphitheater, but every time I have visited the cemetery the tour driver seems to have been able to avoid the worst of it.

For a leisurely walk, the Georgetown neighbourhood is ideal. The Foggy Bottom subway stop is your best access point. Walk four or five blocks from there and you will ? nd yourself on an attractive, upscale street lined with expensive shops and townhouses.

Located here is Dean and Deluca, a gastronomic store where you will find produce, breads and other comestibles that surpass in quality anything you have seen thus far. However it was more than beyond our means.

Washington has a reputation for some of the finest ethnic cuisine in the U.S. In Georgetown, we found an impressive example – Zed’s Ethiopian Cuisine. Out entrees included the harvest vegetable special ($9.25) and fish assa, Ethiopian-style fish served with red pepper sauce. Don’t embarrass yourself by asking for cutlery, as you will presented with injera bread, which serves the purpose nicely.

Speaking of restaurants, Washington offers a range of choices from fast food to the adventurous and the deluxe. One of our discoveries was Nora’s, off Dupont Circle, which features an organic menu that changes with the season. The maitre d’ accommodated our lack of foresight in not making a reservation by permitting us to occupy a table for exactly one-and-one-quarter hours.

This gave us time to savour a couple of appetizers, which at American prices was all we could afford anyway. Yes, it’s expensive, but if you are into organic food, save your pennies and visit this restaurant.

Our last stop was Union Station, which faces the Capitol and other sites. Here we were to board the train for other adventure-filled points. But don’t be fooled by the name, the station is not only for people going somewhere else, it has shops and reasonably priced restaurants and it’s worth spending some time here just browsing and observing.

Of course, by this time you will probably be ready to leave
Washington – or will you?