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Visiting
nation’s capitol gives every citizen
the American experience
By
Sonya Smith
Online
Forty-Niner
Editor in Chief
Most students begin summer with dreams of
tropical getaways and random road trips.
But a visit to our nation’s capitol
could be even more fulfilling.
Washington, D.C. is the cornerstone of our
country.
One should plan at least a day for walking
around and taking in the famous sights.
D.C. is home to many memorials, including
the new World War II memorial located near
the Lincoln Memorial. These memorials are
places to stop and think about all the people
who died for our country.
Washington also features some of the most
significant places in our country today,
such as the Capitol building and the Supreme
Court.
The Library of Congress, which is the nation’s
oldest federal cultural institution, is
a beautiful place to visit. Its displays
change every few months.
The White House, though small in reality,
is a place everyone should visit; you can
get a great photo of everyone in front of
it. The best thing to do, though, is contact
a local congressman six months in advance
so you can get a guided tour inside. But
be sure to read all rules before going,
because all you can bring with you is your
driver’s license or ID and cash due
to tight security.
Another stop to make in the capitol is Freedom
Park, a place dedicated to freedom fighters.
It includes a sculpture with journalists’
names on it who have died in wartime, a
bronze casting of the jail-cell door from
Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 imprisonment
in Birmingham, and pieces from the Berlin
Wall. The exhibit is in Arlington, Va. and
30-minute guided tours are available by
reservation.
For nightlife, the area around Georgetown
University is the best. Bars and clubs abound
in this artsy region, along with more student-oriented
shops. The best way to get there is also
one of the easiest ways to get around D.C.
The area’s metro goes throughout the
capitol and is fast and easy to figure out,
but it always helps to pay attention and
look at a map.
Once you have checked out the famous buildings
and had a few drinks in Georgetown, the
Smithsonian Institution is another trip
to behold. For those of you who have visited
Washington before, the Smithsonian’s
16 museums and galleries can constitute
another trip.
The National Air and Space Museum is known
for its collection, including the plane
flown by the Wright Brothers, and the recently
added National Museum of the American Indian.
The best way to choose is to get a pamphlet
detailing all the Smithsonian has to offer.
The best way to not get lost or miss something
in D.C. is to get a map of the capitol before
going, and if you can, a tour guide. AAA
members can get these for free with their
member ID card. Then, on the five-or-so-hour
flight to the capitol you can highlight
or mark the places you definitely want to
see.
Web sites like Expedia and Travelocity offer
good ways to find discount flights.
With three airports in the area, you should
check on which one is closest to your hotel.
Expedia is currently offering a hotel and
airfare pairing to D.C. for Memorial Day
weekend for $290.
Food
• Ice cream made just the way you
like it at Maggie Moo’s. Try cookie
dough with cake butter ice cream.
Fact • The Smithsonian’s
National Museum of American History includes
Evil Knievel’s Harley Davidson XR-750,
Celia Cruz’s Cuban Rumba dress and
an egg used in the movie “Alien.”
Activity • Walking
through and looking at the various war memorials.
Hot Spot • Georgetown,
a great place for college students to drink,
party and be merry.
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