HOW TO SELL WASHINGTON DC
stands imperious on the edge of downtown opposite the W Washington Hotel. Guided tours of the 132-room home of presidents are available – but you need to obtain ‘pre- clearance’ from the US Embassy.
In the News Other attractions worth putting on the must visit list include Nuseum and the International Spy Museum. The fi rst pays homage, across six fl oors, to the history of presenting news stories and the freedom to be able to so. It’s an impressive facility that takes visitors from the early printing presses to today’s digital mediums. On permanent display is a moving
exhibit on how the world covered the 9/11 attack, a wall carrying the names of all journalists who have died in the quest for stories and a gallery of Pulitzer-winning photographs. But I spent most time in an area stocked with trays of original front- pages that recorded some of the world’s defi ning events, like the race to the South Pole (1909), the Earthquake and fi re of San Francisco (1906) and the Wall Street Crash (1929). Nuseum is suitable for familes too: kids can record themselves being a news or weather reporter and then buy the video of their two-minute performance in front of the cameras for $5.
I Spy...
Looking down paternally onto the crowds mingling along the National Mall as he once looked over the nation at large, is the imposing Abraham Lincoln Memorial. Built in 1922 the larger-than-life statue of a sitting Lincoln is framed by Doric temples modelled on the Parthenon in Athens. The ‘Great Emancipator’ and preserver
of the American Union will be back in the public mind in January when the Steven Spielberg biopic Lincoln hits UK screens. Lincoln was assassinated in DC in April 1865 while he watched a play at the Ford Theatre. The theatre where John Wilkes Booth fi red the fatal bullet and the small back bedroom of a boarding house across the street where Lincoln died the following morning is open today as Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site. Still a working professional theatre, free tours are available several times a day. Walking away from the National Mall, back to the city centre, the White House
DC is the home of the FBI and CIA and at the International Spy Museum (www.
spymuseum.org) visitors ‘adopt a cover’, identify ‘disguised spies’ and view the tools of international espionage. New is a ‘Spy In The City’ experience that sees ‘new agents' set out around the city on a GPS-guided mission, where they fi nd clues, crack codes and decrypt audio intercepts. DC has been winning reviews in recent times for its restaurant scene, particularly in the Downtown and Penn Quarter. Equinox (www.equinoxrestaurant. com) on Connecticut Avenue is one of many fi ne-dining restaurants and offers a regionally inspired menu using community-sourced, organic ingredients grown within 100 miles of the restaurant.
For lunch, suggest Cuba Libra on 9th and H Street. Housed in a former storage building for the National Mint, it’s designed in the style of a courtyard from 1950s Havana. It has 100 rums around the world – but none from Cuba, due to the 50-year trade embargo.
For nightlife, Du Pont Circle has several
lively pubs, such as the Irish-themed James Hobans, while the Georgetown district, home to a prestigious university, has a lively club and live-music scene. Up and coming for trendy bars is the central U Street and Arts District.
What's New Barack Obama’s Swearing In Ceremony on the Capitol Building takes place on January 21. There’s a spectacular parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, and various balls, parties and other events across the capital – but most hotel rooms were snapped up months ago. One of DC’s leading hotels, The Madison
(
www.madisonhoteldc.com), has undergone a $22 million redesign that saw its 356 guest rooms renovated and the addition of a new restaurant, The Federalist, which serves meals using locally-sourced products. The hotel is located a 10-minute walk to the National Mall. Donald Trump has purchased the city’s
historic bell tower of the Old Post Offi ce and will turn it into the latest Trump Towers in the city.
Ask the Operator RICHARD WIMMS
MD, Vacations to America
“Washington DC is a fascinating network of neighbourhoods, fi lled with trendy boutiques, hip bars and restaurants, art galleries, historic homes and lush parks. Shoppers should head to Georgetown, while jazz fans will love U Street, where Duke Ellington played his fi rst notes. "
“The ‘Spy In The City’ experience sees ‘new
agents' set out around the city
on a GPS-guided mission, where they find clues, crack codes and decrypt audio intercepts. ”
Top: The National Mall is a place to see
memorials, learn about US history, cycle or walk and refl ect by the many fountains and
pools; War Memorial; the roof terrace at the W Washington; all the news at Nuseum
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