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Last updated on 29th December 2007
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Washington DC is probably our favourite city in the world, demonstrated by the fact that we have been there three times, and hope to go again soon.
Washington is not at all as you imagine America, there are no high rise buildings, in fact nothing is permitted to be higher than thirteen storeys, as that is the height of the Washington Memorial.
Places to visit include Arlington National Cemetery which is located just over the Potomac River into Virginia, the last resting place of John. F. Kennedy, his grave situated next to an eternal flame. There are over 260,000 graves, with a further 5,400 burials conducted every year. The Tomb of the Unknowns can also be found at Arlington, it is the last resting place of three unknown servicemen killed in action, one each from World War I, World War II and the Korean Conflict. The Tomb of the Unknowns is the only US Monument to be guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Other monuments include the Korean War Memorial, which has 19 life-size bronze statues walking across a paddy field towards an American flag. The 19 statues are mirrored in a marble wall, creating the image of 38 soldiers, reflecting the fact that the Korean War was fought over the 38th Parallel.
In a similar vein, the Vietnam War Memorial is depicted by three life-size bronze soldiers alongside a marble wall etched with the names of every soldier lost during the conflict.
Both of these memorials along with the Iwo Jima US Marine Corps Memorial have to be seen to be believed, and they are especially eerie at dusk as the light fades.
Other places of interest include the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the US Capitol Building, where if you are prepared to queue from 8 a.m. the first 250 people are given tickets for a free guided tour, the White House and the Smithsonian Institute, a collection of museums and art galleries spread throughout the city.
Getting around is easy, the daily Metro pass at $5 gives you unlimited access to the Metro all day, or for a reasonable price you can take the Trolley-Bus Tour, a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour of the city taking in all of the monuments and sights.
The food is good too, but we have to make a couple of recommendations. The Front-Page restaurant in Dupont Circle have the best ribs I have ever tasted, Champps is a chain of sports bars similar in concept to TGI Fridays. The prices are typically cheap and the portions huge. Finally a trip to Washington wouldn't be complete without a trip to The Cheesecake Factory in Chevy Chase, where they boast 37 varieties of Cheesecake.
Shopping in Washington is great too, brilliant malls such as Tyson's Corner, Pentagon City and Potomac Mills where you can pick up bargains galore.
We stay at the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington, walking distance from Ronald Reagan National Airport (shame we have to fly in to Dulles from the UK), the Pentagon, the Pentagon City Mall and the Metro. Its a great hotel and well situated for most things.
If you get the opportunity a trip to Washington is a must.