A City With Heart
Written by Jennifer Lader
Washington D.C. Washington, D.C.
Are you ready for an easy, fun vacation without leaving the U.S.? Even better, how about a chance to feel the heartbeat of the United States?Washington, D.C. connects visitors with this country’s greatest leaders and most significant moments in history. The city’s intentional layout presents most of this within one mile. Washington, D.C. makes history and big city attractions available to anyone who cares to take this country’s pulse.
If you and yours don’t mind the cold, consider traveling in late winter or early spring when the Capitol is less crowded. The winters in D.C. tend to be mild in comparison to those in Missouri. President’s Day or Martin Luther King Day weekends are ideal for bringing home the meaning of these holidays for your children and for you. If you don’t mind crowds, you could book well in advance for the blooming of the many cherry blossoms in the spring. If you don’t mind either the crowds or the heat (D.C. rivals southern Missouri for humidity), summer is open. And then there is Autumn…
Let’s say you decide to drive. Hop on I-70 and just keep going 850 miles to the D.C. area. Approach from the south and pull into Mount Vernon for a tour of Washington’s home. If you bring along a picnic, the lawn provides a scenic overlook of the Potomac River.
If you decide to fly, go into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just south of downtown, Dulles to the west, or Baltimore-Washington Airport. You can rent a car, but you will not need a car. It may only slow you down. Instead, roll your bags down to the Metro entrance, and pick up a map of the subway system.
The Metro Map is color coded, with all arteries leading to Metro Center, at the heart of the subway’s “red line” in central D.C. The cost depends on how far you are going. The Metro tends to be clean and relatively safe well into the evening hours, but full of commuters at rush hour.
When it comes to a place to stay, you can opt for a familiar chain, located mainly south of the city along a strip in Alexandria, Virginia. If you are contacting a chain actually located in D.C., beware of reasonable prices. It’s probably in a not-so-safe area.
Or, you can choose something off the beaten path in the form of a local D.C. hotel or B&B; see www.bedandbreakfastdc.com. Check www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/washington-dc for ideas and more travel information.
It will cost around $14 to park your car overnight in a public or hotel garage. Depending on the number of people in your party, it may be cheaper to leave it there, and take the Metro around the city. If your accommodations are, let’s say, south of M Street, you can probably skip the Metro and walk—as long as you really like walking.
Washington, D.C. is laid out in the form of a cross stretching from the western to the eastern sides of the city, with the Lincoln Memorial at the top, and the Capitol building one mile away at the bottom of the cross. Looking at it that way, the Jefferson Memorial is to the left, or south. The White House is to the right, or north. At the heart is the Washington Monument.
Across the river just west of D.C. beyond the Lincoln Memorial is Arlington National Cemetery. Between the Lincoln and Washington Monuments are the memorials of past wars.
Constitution and Independence Avenues run the full length of the cross. The Smithsonian Institution’s many excellent museum buildings are located along these avenues.
Do not tell yourself that you are going to go in early and get a good parking space. You will be lying to yourself. Early commuters get these spots. If you actually find a space it will mean one of two things: You will have to move your car in two hours (quarters, please!), or the parking meter is broken and you will have to move your car right away.
From there, amble along the rectangular Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial. Give yourself a chance to sit on the steps and soak in the vibes of this historic location of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Climb the impressive white steps to stand at the feet of Lincoln himself. It’s not just a statue. The scale of the white marble work, the ceiling-to-floor chiseled words of some of his most famous speeches—go ahead and read them!—give this hall an aura of optimistic gravity that will make your heart swell with pride in our beloved country.
The crowds here tend to be families, school groups, and foreign tourists. D.C. has more of a down home feel than you’ll find in other big cities. It’s friendly enough that you will not have problems if you grab a park bench along the Reflecting Pool and get out those sandwiches. It may be one of the most satisfying lunches you’ll ever have. That’s even if you have kids, because there’s room to run, and big steps to climb.
If you want to see something special, pop across Constitution Avenue and look for the huge statue of Albert Einstein outside the National Science 
Academy at the corner of 22nd Street. It’s textured bronze, kid friendly, and available for them to climb on while you mention a few choice nuggets about Einstein’s accomplishments, with the help of the nearby brochures.
Once everyone has used up that excess energy, it’s time for something a little more serious. The Vietnam War Memorial is located back across the street, along Constitution Avenue. Approach it from the end closest to the Lincoln Memorial. It is black marble, and very simple. You see names, one after the other, row upon row. They are organized by year. As the number of names increase, you find you are being pulled into the heartbreak of the war.
You are actually walking down a slope and the wall with all its names looms over you, filling your mind and your heart. You see people with pencil and paper taking a rubbing of a loved one’s name. You see flowers on the ground, perhaps mangled artwork, a medal, a pair of old army boots. Family members, and veterans themselves, leave these tributes.
Your spirits lift as you drift away from the memorial and over the hill toward the museums. Now—which ones? The Air and Space Museum is a must see. That’s why it’s always crowded. If time is limited, skip the IMAX in favor of the Wright Brothers exhibit on the second floor.
Some nearby good bets are the National Art Gallery where you can find many well known works. Also nearby, and an excellent choice if you are traveling with children, is the National Museum of the American Indian. It is brand new, and so well does it reflect the native cultures that the building is not even shaped like any other building you have ever seen.
From here, the Capitol building is a short stroll. If you want to see the inside of the Capitol or the White House, contact your congressional representative at least six months in advance of popular travel times. If you do go in late winter, you may get by on less advance notice. To return to the Washington Monument, just head towards the setting sun.
Check local maps for other sites that pique your interest, such as the National Cathedral, American History Museum, Asian Art Gallery, Holocaust Museum, or the National Aquarium (don’t miss the feeding of the alligators!). Arlington Cemetery is worth a good half-day tour and includes the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. See www.visitingdc.com for more ideas.
With all this walking, you have to feed yourself well in D.C. If you like a square meal with local class, try Old Ebbitt Grill on 15th Avenue. Afterwards, stroll around the perimeter of the White House grounds, lit up for the evening. You may see a dignitary coming or going by helicopter in the park just south of the President’s home.
Feeling a little more adventurous? Check out Georgetown, located in D.C., for a great variety of ethnic or trendy restaurants and nightlife. If you brought your car, skip the nightcap and follow the pearly string of headlights down 14th Street and across the bridge to the Jefferson Monument. Leave your car in the lot and join the night visitors to this impressive tribute. Back at your lodging, you’ll sleep great, ready for the dawn of another day in our Capitol city.