White House - Washington DC - Capitol Hill Tours<< >>
White House Washington DC - Capitol Hill tours are a big draw in the capital city of the United States of America.
Although not as immediately glamorous as New York, it is an excellent city to visit.
You can include it in a longer itinery or just go for the weekend even if you do not live in the USA.
Washington was founded in 1790 and is officially the District of Columbia. This is because the US Constitution states that this is a permanent national capital to be distinct from all the states. So it borders Maryland and Virginia but is in neither and is located north of the Potomac River. Washington is a purpose built city to house government and was designed in 1791 by Pierre L’Enfant. I should think the wide avenues and spaces are reminiscent of main areas in Paris. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has to be the most famous house and address in town, if not the whole of the US and I can’t imagine anyone visiting Washington without at least walking by. It is possible to take a tour of the White House but these have to be arranged in advance. If you are a US citizen these can be arranged through your Congressman but if you live outside the US then you have to contact your Embassy in Washington. Also be aware that for obvious reasons tours can be cancelled at any time but they are free. When visiting an important city, packed with very varying sights, it is always difficult choose which ones to see. Although it is controversial I think the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is worth a visit. It consists of three separate parts; the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Veterans Wall. It is impressive in its simplicity, just a huge wall of black marble with all the names and ages (average age 18 or 19) of all soldiers killed in the conflict. I found it very moving.
To suggest visiting museums if you go with children or teenagers might not seem like a good idea, but you would be wrong. The Smithsonian museum in Washington is the largest complex in the US, probably the world. Visit their website to see the full range but one I can highly recommend is the air and space museum. We took our son and daughter as teenagers and they loved it. We were all thrilled to be able to touch a piece of moon rock. You don’t have to be especially interested in space or planes to have a really good time there. To stick with the political theme there is also the Capitol building to visit. This is an interesting place to visit even if you are not a US citizen. There is an excellent Visitor Centre with films and exhibits and of course tours. The Capitol Dome is world famous and the tours are free but you do need a pass that has to be applied for in advance. It is not possible to list all the places to visit but a good way to acquaint yourself with the city is to take a tour and there are several options. There are trolley buses to hop on and hop off, river tours or you can combine coach, boat and walk. There are also night tours speaking of which we haven’t touched on the nightlife, or the shopping or the sports events and entertainment. This page is meant only to encourage you to look into what Washington has to offer. It is great for a few days, but there is plenty to keep you interested for much longer. It is not just for grown ups either but I would say that as with any city it can be tiring so pace yourself and enjoy! << >>
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