Travel: Washington DC
Tamara Hinson discovers why Washington DC should be on your must-visit list for the US
The world’s first purpose-built capital is one of the greenest cities I’ve come across. I discover this on one of the popular Big Bus Tours, when my guide shouts a panicky warning about a low-hanging branch. The abundance of greenery is the result of strict regulations which forbid overly vigorous pruning of trees. There are also laws relating to building height – nothing can be taller than the Capitol building’s rooftop statue, which depicts a toga-wearing woman clutching a sword. Known as the Statue of Freedom, it was added to remind Americans that nothing comes higher than freedom.
Another of this beautiful city’s most famous monuments is the Lincoln Memorial. I head there on my first day, imagining myself sitting on the steps, gazing down the National Mall. The reality is less romantic. A tour guide shepherding her charges up the steps shoos me aside, before I narrowly avoid being blinded by a tourist’s selfie stick. Despite the chaos, I’m still bowled over by the enormous statue of Abraham Lincoln, which seems even larger than I expected, each foot a gigantic slab of marble. The statue has racked up countless movie cameos, for example, in Forrest Gump, Nixon and In the Line of Fire.
It’s not the only time I feel as though I’ve stepped on to the set of a Hollywood blockbuster. I become accustomed to the sight of earpiece-wearing FBI agents outside nondescript buildings, and to the buzz of helicopters flitting across the sky. I turn my attention to the museums which surround the National Mall. The latest addition is The National Museum of African
American History and Culture, a jutting, rust-red building near to the Washington Monument. But the most spectacular of the Smithsonian museums (there are 11 surrounding the Mall, all with free admission) is the National Air and Space Museum, where rockets dangle from the ceiling like chunky chandeliers. Exhibits include the 1903 Wright Flyer and a lump of lunar rock that visitors can touch.
But the nearby National Museum of American History is my favourite. One of the most important items on display is the original star-spangled banner. Its appearance marked the end of the so-called War of 1812, a conflict between the fledgling nation and Great Britain. On 14 September 1814, Francis Scott Key saw the flag through the smoke and jotted down his thoughts. His words became the national anthem. There’s also a section dedicated to the Vietnam War. One particularly moving exhibit is the letter written by a soldier to a fallen comrade. It expresses his sorrow that he’ll never get to buy his friend the drink he owed him; next to the note is the promised can of beer. But it’s not all doom and gloom. In the hall dedicated to America’s more recent history, there’s the original whip used by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones films. Nearby are Sesame Street’s original Bert and Ernie puppets and Muhammad Ali’s scuffed boxing gloves.
In Washington’s Georgetown neighbourhood, 18th-century mansions replace museums. The main artery, M Street, is a shopper’s paradise filled with high-street brands, but wander down its side streets and you’ll discover the city’s best independent boutiques and galleries. This is also where you’ll find Georgetown’s prettiest buildings – red-brick mansions with beautiful lawns and window boxes exploding with flowers. If hunger strikes, head to Filomena Ristorante, famous for its handmade pasta and beautiful desserts.
Another fine neighbourhood is Kalorama Heights, although when I visited it was a hive of activity, with President Trump speaking at a conference and the streets filled with official vehicles. With its tree-lined avenues and Georgian mansions, it’s hardly surprising that Barack Obama moved here after vacating the White House. Ironically, he lives around the corner from Ivanka Trump, which could result in some awkward encounters should they ever meet at the grocery store.
If you fancy heading further afield, there are plenty of options for day trips. Arlington National Cemetery, to the south, can be reached on the Big Bus Tour’s blue loop, and the National Harbor, also to the south, is also worth checking out. Clusters of restaurants surround a yacht-filled marina, and there’s an enormous outlet mall and a shiny new MGM hotel and casino. Even if you’re not a gambler, I’d recommend a quick visit, if only to check out the spectacular floor-toceiling floral displays and ‘dancing’ fountains.
The election of America’s 45th president has perhaps seen Washington DC thrust into the global media spotlight as never before. Presidents get elected on a four-year term, but I hope to return to the city much sooner than that.
‘I feel as though I’ve stepped on to the set of a Hollywood blockbuster’