If you like history and enjoy interesting cities, you will like Washington DC, the capital of the United States. The name Washington is in honor of the old American president and Columbia (DC means District of Columbia) comes from the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus. I noticed that Americans generally talk about their capital as DC, although in the rest of the world we call it Washington more. But know that both are the same thing.
The city was planned to be the capital and was “inaugurated” in 1800. It went through British invasions and that was why the president’s official residence became known as the White House: according to the wise Wikipedia, after the invasion, the construction it was painted white to hide the black stains on the burned walls. The city also saw the Civil War, Lincoln’s assassination, the Watergate scandal and many of the important political events in United States history.
And even those who are not so interested in history or politics can find interesting things to do in the city, such as visiting the many cool and free museums. And the best thing is that you can do everything on foot. This was a city where I didn’t take public transport for anything, except to go to the airport. But, in any case, there are subways and buses for those who want them.
Practically everything important is located on the National Mall, or simply, The Mall, which is a park that runs from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. There are also the White House and the Smithsonian museum complex. The first important tip is to divide the Mall into sections and visit half on one day and half on another, because the walk seems longer than it actually is.
See too: Where to stay in Washington
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My itinerary in Washington DC
I arrived in Washington near the end of the day and went straight to the White House. You can only see the construction from the outside. The back side is close to a square. The other side, which is the more famous one, can be seen from further away. Unfortunately, Obama did not show his grace during my visit.
From there, I walked to the center of The Mall, which is the Washington Monument, or the giant version of Praça Sete Lollipop (hello, hello Beagá). Jokes aside, the monument is a huge marble obelisk that sits on top of a hill, right in the middle of the park, guaranteeing a super cool view of the Capitol on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other. The Washington Monument was once one of the tallest buildings in the world. There is a way to go up there, but this visit has been closed since August 2011, due to an earthquake. As it was late afternoon, I saw an incredible sunset at the foot of the Washington Monument. In fact, it was so beautiful that I recommend anyone visiting the city to plan their visit for that time.
The next day, we started the day early at the Capitol. For those who don’t know, the Capitol, or in English, the US Capitol Building, is that white building with a huge dome, where the US Congress – Senate and House of Representatives – operates. The city was planned with the Capitol as its center. As it is an important historic building, they also have a visitor center. The guided tour is free, but in English. You get to know the building from the inside, see what it looks like “underneath” the dome and learn a little more about the history of the United States and also about the art in construction. It is also possible to get hourly passes to follow a legislative session.
Leaving there, I headed to the Library of Congress, which is the largest library in the world in terms of storage space and number of books. You can’t enter everywhere, so as not to disturb readers or “threaten” the books, but the Thomas Jefferson Building area and some special exhibitions are open to the public. In addition to being a beautiful building, the library displays documents such as the Gutenberg Bible.
Leaving there, still in the Capitol Hill region, you can visit the Botanical Garden. It’s very cute and has thousands of plant species. Following the path, you arrive at the Smithsonian Institute complex. It is the largest museum complex in the world: there are 19, open every day, free of charge. As time is short, choices had to be made and I chose the National Air and Space Museum, which appeals to practically everyone as it is an interactive museum that covers everything from space issues to the history of planes and spacecraft, with life-size models.
Outside the Smithsonian complex, I went to two other entertainment and interactive museums. The Newseum, the News museum. Needless to say, I, a journalist, loved the place. The whole concept is really cool and they go through different areas of journalism and its history. This is where the largest piece of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany is located. And also a part of the fallen World Trade Center tower. In addition, there is also Madame Tussaud from DC, a story that I tell here.
On the other side of The Mall is the Lincoln Memorial. It is a tribute to the president who was assassinated in Washington, near the end of the Civil War. In front of the memorial – which was made in Greco-Roman style and has a gigantic Lincoln sculpture inside – is a reflecting pool. When I went to visit Washington, in early 2009, the lake was empty, due to Obama’s inauguration. There are also war memorials nearby: the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
After this huge text, you may have already realized that there is a lot to see and do in Washington DC. The city streets and areas like Georgetown and Chinatown are very interesting. The nightlife is also worth it. I was in the city for three days, right after I visited New York. I got there after a four-hour bus trip and I recommend visiting: the ticket costs around 30 dollars for those who buy it online through Greyhound. And there are several other companies that also do this route, some even cheaper. Visit DC!
