Big, boisterous D.C woos its visitors with one of the most formidable arrays of iconic architecture, monument and civic artistry in all of America, not to mention one of its most visceral metropolitan attitudes—with its hard-held opinions and die hard contrarianism.
At its centre, the sprawling National Mall district rises in a sea of white-washed neo-classicism. This is the stamping ground of the president and his aides, where the White House looms high, the Washington Monument peaks above and the Athenian-esque Lincoln Memorial, and the lingering and emotional figures of the Korean War Veterans lurk beneath the woods. Then there’s the Smithsonian, America’s undisputed king of museums, with more than 10 branches beckoning visitors from its various homes in the vicinity.
Away from this beating touristic heart there’s still plenty to see in D.C., and prospective visitors should be sure to ask their Washington tour guide for tips on the smoky blues music joints of Georgetown, the performances at the Kennedy Center, the waterfront at Alexandria, or the wealth of state parks that cluster along the banks of the Potomac.