Travel Eye on Washington DC (District of Columbia, USA)

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Overview:

Beyond Washington DC's most familiar vistas, the capital city unwinds into a lively urban center.  Casual cafes and upscale bistros line the trendy streets of Georgetown, while the downtown district sizzles with a host of new restaurants. Spontaneous Jazz notes tumble out the windows of U Street's nightclubs, while world-class performers take the stage at the highly acclaimed Kennedy Center. Kayakers tackle the Potomac River as it winds past the elegant marble tributes to America's great leaders.

Experience the glory of all four seasons here in Washington, DC. Warm weather usually prevails from April until as late as October. Winters are short here, with more rain than snow.

Washington DC is a sophisticated city, rich in power, attractions including monuments and memorials. It offers great hotels, architecture, art galleries, the White House, a World-Class zoo and numerous theaters.

Some of the trendy and historic neighborhoods include Georgetown and Dupont Circle.

The city is home to some of the most important museums in America in the Smithsonian Institution (14 separate museums and galleries encompassing everything from modern art to pre history) and the Library of Congress , which holds more than 100 million items.

There are many parks, the White House , and the Capitol Building that the public can visit, as well as theatres, restaurants, and thriving weekend nightlife.

Washington is the site where Americans come to have their say in the running of their country, such as in the million-man march that celebrated the civil rights movement, and the various protests about war. It is also the centre for remembering the dead, and there are memorials to every war the country has fought, and the greatest leaders it has known.

Locality:

DC is located midway along the eastern seaboard of the United States, south of Maryland, north of Virginia and 233 miles south of New York City, the Washington, DC metropolitan area refers to the District of Columbia.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Worth a visit in the area is the town of Baltimore home of the National Aquarium and numerous other sites of historic interest.

Also worth a look for history buffs is the 'Historic Triangle'. This comprises the towns of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg; these three sights give a real insight into colonial life under the British.

For natural beauty there is the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny Mountains and Chesapeake Bay. Richmond, Annapolis, Charlottesville and New Castle are all towns that are worth taking in whilst in the area.

The White House - Standing at the edge of the Mall facing the Washington Monument this has been home to the President since 1800. Each president has added to or altered the building, which was originally designed to mimic grand Georgian houses in Dublin.

The Washington Monument - The top of the monument at 555 feet is the highest point of the city. Made of marble this is the tallest masonry structure in the world.

The Lincoln Memorial -The famous statue of the seated Lincoln is housed in a Greek style temple adorned with 36 columns.

Jefferson and FDR Memorials - The area known as the Tidal Basin is lined with Japanese Cherry trees, these are glorious in the spring. The Basin was designed to prevent he Potomac from flooding the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials.

Compared with many other cities in the US, Washington is not a great place for bars and clubs. There are many to choose from but they tend to be busy at evening rush hour and then quiet even at weekends.

There is a wide choice of places to eat but prices tend to be a little higher than elsewhere in the States. Keep an eye out for the 'food courts', these are fun and quite cheap places to eat but they tend to be very busy during the week.