Visit to Washington DC

During my recent travel to the Unites States, I could manage a layover at Washington DC for a day while returning back to India. Washington DC, being the capital of the United States hosted several iconic buildings and it was in my list of “US Cities to visit” (Look at this link for all posts on US). Two of my colleagues also joined me on this trip. This post explains about our experience in Washington DC.

At Dulles airport

Our flight landed ahead of time and it did not take much time to get the baggage. I had booked a hotel near Rosslyn metro. It was connected to Airport by public transport and was conveniently located to the main attraction in Washington DC. Our plan was to take “5A” metrobus to Rosslyn station, but we realized that we had to wait for more than an hour for the bus due to reduced frequency during weekend. Instead, we took an Uber and within 25 minutes we are in front of the hotel. Uber made sense as we were 3 of us with luggage.

National Mall

Since we were early for check-in, we dropped the bags, had lunch at a restaurant nearby and headed towards National Mall.

What is National Mall?

It is a “park” stretching over two miles from Lincoln memorial to Capitol Hill with many monuments and museums. Most touristic attractions are situated here. Blue, Silver and Orange metro lines has stations near the Mall.

Capitol hill

Our visit to the Mall started from Capitol hill side. We took the Metro from Rosslyn to Capital South station. Capitol Hill is the seat of US Government, very similar to the Parliament House in New Delhi. While we were taking photographs of the building from various angles, we saw people queuing up for the tours. We found out that the tours were free!! Making change to our plans, we decided to go on a tour of Capitol hill.

 

The tour lasted an hour that consisted of a short movie about US history and its democracy followed by the visit to few halls in the building. The halls were very well decorated, and the guide explained it very well. Overall, it was a good experience.

Smithsonian National Air and Space museum

From Capitol Hill, we walked along the Mall. On our list was Smithsonian National Air and Space museum, one of the many museums in the Mall. The museum was huge housing many artefacts about aircrafts, science of flying, space programs and many other related topics. A great place to enjoy for anyone interested in such stuff. We spent more than an hour until the security guards announced that it was time to close!!

By the way, the entry to the museum was free.

Washington Monument

We continued to walk along the Mall and sun was setting down. It provided some nice views of various monuments of National Mall. Washington Monument, an obelisk honoring the first President of USA looked great in the evening. It was a clear but very cold day. The temperature below 0⁰ C and winds made it very difficult to stay for long time though we liked to roam around the Mall in the night. We decided to call it a day and headed to Smithsonian Metro station nearby. Dinner was a Mediterranean restaurant near The George Washington University.

Lincoln Memorial

Our second day started from Lincoln Memorial. This is one of the most iconic buildings in United States. Most people would have seen in various TV programs or movies. Designed in the form of Greek temple, this place has a large sculpture of Abraham Lincoln. This memorial has witnessed many events and world-famous speeches, including Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”.

 

From Lincoln Memorial, we could see the complete view of the mall till Capitol hill.

World War II monument

We walked towards the World War II monument. The strip between Lincoln Memorial and World War II monument should have been filled with water but it was dry during our visit. It may be that we were during winter period. Else, the reflections from the pool would have been beautiful.

 

World War II memorial was built for the Americans who served during World War II. The fountain at the center of the monument added to the beauty of the place but unfortunately it was dry during our visit.

White House

A short detour from the Mall lead us to the White House. Unlike the pictures and videos seen, the reality was much different. Visitors were not allowed to go near the building. From the “viewpoint”, the building looked small.

Smithsonian National museum of Natural history

Another great museum from Smithsonian Institution. We could have spent hours looking at the exhibits ranging from Dinosaurs and rare gems, but we were limited by the time. We had our flight to catch and hence we spent time till we reached our self-defined deadline. A must visit in Washington DC.

 

We took the Metro back to Rosslyn, has lunch at a Mexican restaurant, picked up our bags from the hotel and took an Uber to the Airport. Our short trip to the capital city of United States ended.

Few points

• Silver line metro is being extended till airport. It is supposed to get completed in 2020. It enables smoother travel between Airport and city on public transport.
• Spring would be the good time to visit when Cherry Blossoms bloom.
• Metro is very convenient. Travel card can be purchased at vending machines from any Metro stations.
• You can spend several days in Washington DC based on your interest. There are many good museums. The entry to most monuments and museums is free.
• Security checks are in place at Capitol Hill and museums.
• There are many food carts in the National Mall. Drinking water is available in some museums. Restrooms were seen at many places.