capitalregionusa.org
AMERICA’S MOST-VISITED
PRESIDENTIAL HOME
★ Without George Washington, there would be no
Washington, DC. It’s very likely that there would not even
have been a United States of America.
The man who led the breakaway colonies to independence and
then held together the federation of disparate states certainly
deserves his recognition as ‘The Father of the Nation’.
illumination makes for a memorable evening visit. Biking and walking
tours around the National Mall are popular and fun alternatives.
Mount V
ernon
T_h ere’s more to the Capital Region than the capital, however. To the
north is Maryland, with the seaport of Baltimore and historic Annapolis,
briefl y the nation’s capital long before Washington, DC was built.
If Annapolis exudes charm and Georgian character, its neighbour,
Baltimore, adds a bit of bite and attitude. Unlike Washington, DC,
Baltimore doesn’t take itself too seriously. It pokes fun at the capital,
reminding people that the city put up a monument to George
Washington well before DC did.
And Maryland is a treasure trove of exciting discoveries for history
buff s. A network of Civil War Trails, the Historic National Road and
places related to the birth of T_h e Star-Spangled Banner all give visitors a
More than 80 million visitors have toured his home – Mount
fascinating glimpse into America’s past.
Vernon (mountvernon.org), just south of the capital city –
In Baltimore, they can fi nd out what life was like on board the USS
since it fi rst opened to the public in 1860.
Constellation, launched in 1854 and the last all-sail ship built by the US
Overlooking the Potomac River near Alexandria, Mount
Navy; visit the city’s cultural crowning glory, the Baltimore Museum
Vernon was the home of the nation’s fi rst President. Visitors
of Art; take in the reconstructed 1676 State House in the state’s fi rst
can tour Mount Vernon and the many outbuildings, including
Williamsburg is a lovingly-restored
the working farm, kitchen, distillery, stables and greenhouse
on the 500-acre estate. It’s easy to reach from downtown
town where you can walk in the
DC along the scenic George Washington Memorial
footsteps of the founding fathers.
Parkway, or by boat from Alexandria or National Harbor.
Stop along the way for a dining or shopping expedition
along the cobbled streets of Alexandria’s Old Town district.
capital, St Mary’s City; and follow the story of the woman who helped
free 300 slaves at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center In DC, the Washington Monument (nps.gov/wamo) is just
in Cambridge. as popular. Near the west end of the National Mall, it stands
To the south is beautiful Virginia. For 40 years, it’s been said ‘Virginia more than 555 feet high by 55 feet wide at its base and is
Is For Lovers’, and it’s certainly for lovers of history, with 400-year-old the world’s tallest obelisk. Opened of_f_i cially in 1888, its mirror
Jamestown, home of the fi rst permanent English settlement, and nearby image can be seen in the aptly-named Refl ecting Pool,
Williamsburg, a lovingly-restored town where you can walk in the which stretches out towards the Lincoln Memorial.
footsteps of the founding fathers.
In gracious Richmond, state capital and site of the ‘Southern White
House’ HQ for the Confederacy, the city’s old warehouse district at
Shockoe Slip is abuzz with shopping and dining distractions, while
the excellent Museum of the Confederacy explains the North-South
confl ict.
Inland, the magnifi cent homes of early Presidents T_h omas Jeff erson,
James Monroe and James Madison nestle in the foothills of the Blue
Ridge Mountains. Jeff erson’s mountaintop Monticello, just outside
Charlottesville, is a joy both in position and illustrating the nature of a
hugely-talented and self-taught architect, farmer and Man of Letters.
T_h e new visitors centre provides a 21st-century introduction to the
remarkable man and his home.
Monroe found peace and solace at his home, Ash Lawn-Highland, on
land adjacent to Jeff erson’s plantation. It’s not as grand as Monticello,
but a welcome, homely retreat for a man who gave 50 years of public
service.
So, for history, scenery and momentous magnifi cence, there’s no
shortage of interest in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. T_h ree
for the price of one, really.
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