World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Arlington National Cemetery: Just across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial is America’s largest national cemetery. Over 260,000 US soldiers, who fought in wars from the American Revolution onwards, are buried here, together with President John F Kennedy and the world champion boxer Joe Louis. Arlington (tel: (703) 607 8000; website: www.arlingtoncemetery.org ) is open every day 0800-1700 (until 1900 April to September) and admission is free. The nearest Metro station is Arlington National Cemetery. Tourmobile Sightseeing Trams (tel: (202) 554 5100 or (888) 868 7707; website: www.tourmobile.com ) operates a narrated tour of the cemetery daily 0830-1830 (0930-1630 October to March) starting at the Arlington Cemetery Visitors Center and costing US$6.

National Air and Space Museum – Steven S Udvar-Hazy Center: The newest of the Smithsonian offerings, the Steven S Udvar-Hazy Center, is big in both physical size, 70,611 sq metres (760,057 sq feet) and exhibits, containing as it does 80% of the National Air and Space Museum’s collection. From two catwalks within its hangars, visitors can view the Space Shuttle Enterprise and two space capsules along with such goodies as the Concorde, the Enola Gay (the plane that dropped the atom bomb) and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a high-speed, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. On the far side of the museum is a control tower for observing air traffic at Dulles Airport and an IMAX theatre.

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Virginia
Tel: (202) 357 2700.
Website: www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhzy
Transport: Shuttle service from National Air and Space Museum on the Mall approximately every 90 minutes beginning at 0900 until 1700 (cost: US$7).
Opening hours: 1000-1730
Admission: Free. US$8 (planetarium); US$8 (IMAX); US$13 (combined ticket). Car park: US$12.

For a Whole Day

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Garden: Located in Virginia around 26km (16 miles) from the city, the delightful home of George and Martha Washington covers 200 hectares (500 acres) and includes his mansion, tomb, Slave Memorial, gardens and restaurants. The estate and gardens (tel: (703) 780 2000 or (800) 429 1520; website: www.mountvernon.org ) are open 0800-1700 April-August, 0900-1700 in March, September and October and 0900-1600 November-February, with an entrance fee of US$11 (concessions are available). A pleasant way to travel is to take the Spirit Cruise Line (tel:(866) 211 3811; website: www.spiritcruises.com , from US$32), which leaves Pier 4 at Sixth and Water Streets, SW, at 0900 for the 90-minute journey and returns from Mount Vernon at 1300. The fare of US$30 (concessions are available) includes admission to the estate and gardens. Gray Line of Washington (tel: (202) 289 1995 or (800) 862 1400, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.graylinedc.com ) also runs tours, which also include Alexandria for $30.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Just 90 minutes from Washington, Abraham Lincoln made a two-minute speech to dedicate the new cemetery to the Civil War dead. His famous Gettysburg Address at Cemetery Ridge reminded the nation of the true purpose of the sacrifice the people had made. Gettysburg is also the site of the largest battle ever fought on American soil when, in July 1863, the Union Army under General George C Meade defeated the Confederate forces under General Robert E Lee. There are numerous places of interest in the town, including houses that featured significantly in the fighting, now open to the public. Information can be obtained from the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, 35 Carlisle Street (tel: (717) 334 2100; fax: (717) 334 6905; e-mail: info@gettysburg.com; website: www.gettysburg.com ). The tour bus company Gray Line of Washington (tel: (202) 289 1995 or (800) 862 1400, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.graylinedc.com ) runs tours to Gettysburg lasting 10 hours and costing US$68.