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Washington-DC

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Washington-DC
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Washington, DC Travel Guide

  • About Washington, DC
With leafy boulevards, a munificence of monuments and myriad museums that rank among the world’s best, Washington DC is the USA’s political and cultural capital.But there’s more to the city than marble colossi and thrusting politicos. DC has a throbbing social scene (complete with some of the best clubs on the eastern seaboard), quaint little suburbs thronged with bohemian locals and green city parks housing diverse wildlife.For most, however, it’s Washington DC’s abundance of monuments that make the city a must-visit; whether it’s the iconic Lincoln Memorial on whose steps Martin Luther King made his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech or the dominating Washington Monument.Founded in 1790 as a ‘neutral’ capital, straddling the then hotly-contested dividing line between north and south, Washington DC has elements of both. From the north, it takes its patrician architecture and icy winters, while from the south comes the scorching summers and its bonhomie.Washington is a city of buzzing suburbs, with much of the night time action happening, unusually, outside of the city centre. Downtown DC, home to the Capitol, the White House and the Smithsonian, is an oddly somnolent place at night, lacking the buzz of New York and only really coming alive when the Senate is in session.Nevertheless, it continues to draw visitors from all over the world, many of whom come to see its haunting war memorials: the innovative Korean War Veterans Memorial, the touching Iwo Jima bronze sculpture and the ridiculously ugly contraption sent by a grateful Netherlands following the end of WWII.DC is a city that embraces all nationalities. The seat of American power draws all comers, a fact made plain by the imposing edifices along embassy row, and the huge variety of cuisine that dominates the restaurant scene.Oddly enough, DC is one of the best places to try Ethiopian food outside of Africa. That, however, doesn’t mean you won’t find excellent homegrown fare. Near to Chesapeake Bay, Washington is famous for its oysters and lump crab cakes, both of which offer the perfect solution to hunger pangs during a late night debate.
  • Washington, DC History
It is hard to believe, but the land on which Washington, DC’s elegant National Mall and its stately buildings stand was once a marshy swamp. George Washington created this special district as a federal power hub to avoid the problem of establishing the capital city in any one state.Its strategic location, with accessibility to the sea via the Potomac River and between the South and the North, made it an attractive site. Originally designed by the French architect Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, Washington is a city of green parks, wide tree-lined streets and very few skyscrapers, all of which give it a European air.Washington, DC is very much a purpose-built capital with grand buildings (such as the White House and the US Capitol) and impressive monuments (the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, to name but two). Congress and the second President, John Adams, moved to Washington, DC in 1800, but it was a further six decades before it began to look like a true capital. In the interim period, foreign ambassadors considered it a hardship posting.Now, this political centre stage and capital of the most powerful nation in the world, is the place to be. Washington, DC is always in the international spotlight. Occasionally this attention is not welcome, for example, the world’s largest concentration of spies lurks around the city.Washington, DC has also had its share of political scandal, such as the Watergate shame, Mayor Marion Barry’s imprisonment for drug offences, the Monica Lewinsky affair, the painful struggle of the 2000 presidential elections and most recently, indictments in the Bush administration for the CIA leak in 2005.The most tragic of events in the nation’s capital occurred on 11 September 2001, when a hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon. Since that time, barricades, blocked-off streets, police and security checks have given parts of the city a different facade.
  • Did you know?
One of the gargoyles on the Washington National Cathedral is actually Darth Vader. It was sculptured and placed on the west tower following a competition in the 1980s. The Washington Monument is two different colours. In 1854, the Washington National Monument Society ran out of money, and when the construction was completed in 1884, the government used stone from a different quarry. The District of Columbia (DC) is actually named after the explorer Christopher Columbus.
  • Weather in Washington, DC
Washington DC has a temperate climate with four seasons.It’s best to visit in spring, early summer and autumn when the oppressive heat and humidity of the summer has abated.Moderate winters are not unknown with more rain than snow. This is when the hotels are at their cheapest. The busiest time for the city is from March to June when the cherry blossom is in full bloom and the capital is bursting with families and school groups. Hotel rooms are at a premium, so it is essential to book in advance and be prepared to pay inflated prices.

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