DESTINATIONS WASHINGTON DC | THE US 3
memorials Aside from the museums, the major attractions around the National Mall are the memorials. Some of these, especially the neoclassical Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, look like temples. Others are highly interpretive works of art, and everyone will have their own favourite. The Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial is in four parts, each representing one of his presidential terms, while the Korean War Memorial is striking for the haunted looks on the faces of the soldiers depicted. The memorials are quite spread out, and are arguably best tackled on a bike, but they’re also open in the evening, which can be convenient if you want to save the days for the museums.
Book it: Do Something Different sells a two-and-a-half-hour Washington Monuments by Moonlight night tour for £35.
dosomethingdifferent.com
capitol hill Washington runs on political intrigue and chicanery, and the Capitol building is the epicentre of it. Somewhat surprisingly, it is open to visitors, and offers free tours. Highlights include the Rotunda, where the huge dome is topped with a lavish painting of George Washington becoming a god, and the Statuary Hall, where two people from each state are immortalised as statues – some of the choices are idiosyncratic, to say the least. But the Capitol is not the only warren of gossip. Nearby on Capitol Hill are the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Urban Adventures runs American Politics and Debate tours, which provide insights into the history of the city and the American political system. The tours bravely encourage discussion about current politics and finish with a drink on historic Barracks Row.
Book it: The two-hour Urban Adventures tour costs about £34.
urbanadventures.com 4
national gallery of art Also free to enter is the National Gallery of Art, where the likes of Raphael, Titian and Da Vinci are represented among the paintings, and there’s a six-acre sculpture garden. Most locals will point you to the Phillips Collection as the city’s most impressive art museum, though. Other top cultural sites outside the Smithsonian collections include Ford’s Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and the International Spy Museum. The latter delves into the world of espionage, with plenty of spy-craft tips and tales from spooks who’ve been right in the thick of it.
Book it: Context Travel offers specialised, expert- led tours of the National Gallery for $85.
contexttravel.com ²
travelweekly.co.uk 2 APRIL 2020 23
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