SMART TRAVELLER


WASHINGTON, D.C. TALK OF THE TOWN


All eyes are on the US capital, but beyond the politics, there’s a bevy of new openings and anniversaries to celebrate


Regardless of your political persuasion, 2021 looks set to be a celebratory year for the Capital Region, with several major institutions marking milestone anniversaries. Chief among these is the Smithsonian Institution, the city’s multi-museum masterpiece, celebrating its 175th anniversary. The world’s largest museum, education and research complex comprises a whopping 19 museums, nine research facilities and the National Zoo. The forefather of this ‘family of museums’, the United States National Museum, now called the Arts and Industries Building, is gearing up for a new era with FUTURES, an exhibit showcasing prototypes, robots, speculative fiction and new worlds. If that’s not enough erudition, the DC PUBLIC


LIBRARY celebrates its 125th birthday with a roster of events focused around the newly renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Meanwhile, the nation’s first museum of modern art, THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION, home to works by such artists as Matisse, O’Keeffe and Rothko, marks its centenary with a year of celebrations. Further south, on the Potomac waterfront, THE KENNEDY CENTER turns 50 this year, commemorating its namesake president with free daily concerts on Millennium Stage, performances by house acts, the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, and interactive offerings at The Reach, a ‘living theatre’. capitalregionusa.org si.edu dclibrary.org phillipscollection.org kennedy-center.org SARAH BARRELL


GET OUTTA TOWN


HIT THE TRACKS The US’s national railroad network, Amtrak, was founded in Washington, D.C. and marks its half-century this year. Celebrate with a trip aboard the high-speed service from the recently restored Washington Union Station to Boston. amtrak.com


CRUISE THE CANALS


It’s 50 years since the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was designated a National Historic Park. Hike, bike or boat along the 185-mile route from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland to celebrate the preservation of the canal network’s natural riches. nps.gov/choh


STEP BACK IN TIME


Learn about nation-shaping battles in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, founded 300 years ago. Nicknamed ‘the Crossroads of the Civil War’, it features a 70-mile route through battlefields that saw more than 100,000 casualties. A stop at the 18th-century town of Fredericksburg is a must. spotsylvania.va.us


NEW D.C. DIGS RIGGS WASHINGTON DC


This hotel set in a former bank is from the brand behind the Pulitzer


Amsterdam. Stop by the cocktail bar, where the menu riffs on US history. From $179 (£135). riggsdc.com


CITIZENM WASHINGTON DC CAPITOL A short walk from The Smithsonian, the first foray outside Europe for


the low-cost lux brand comes with a shiny craft cocktail bar ‘canteen’,


and a library popping with colourful art. From $92 (£70). citizenm.com


CAMBRIA HOTEL WASHINGTON, D.C. CAPITOL RIVERFRONT


Set to open in early 2021, this hotel in southwest D.C. will be topped with a rooftop bar overlooking the Capitol. From $199 (£150). cambriadccapitolriverfront.com


Jan/Feb 2021 21


IMAGES: ALAMY; JENNIFER HUGHES FOR RIGGS WASHINGTON DC


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