Travel: Experience the incredible monuments of Washington DC

As shafts of fading sun dance through a bank of clouds above the towering Washington Monument, my eyes are drawn east to the Statue of Freedom sitting atop the Capitol Building.

David, my affable guide, points to the 19ft bronze figure. “She faces east as the sun sets in the west,” he explains. “So as long as she stands there the sun will never set on the face of freedom.”

My bicycle tour of Washington’s monuments and memorials is coming to an end and the observation reaffirms what became apparent as I pedalled through the paths of the National Mall. Symbolism pervades the US’s capital city, and no visit is complete without a tour – by foot, bike or bus – of the landmarks that chart the story of a nation through narrative architecture.

My highlight is standing on the granite steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking out on the waters of the Mall’s vast reflective pool from the very spot where, in August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr delivered his era-defining I Have A Dream speech.

Given its storied past, the challenge for Washington has always been widening its appeal beyond its rich heritage and attracting visitors to something new. The freshly reopened National Air and Space Museum is a fine example of how the city is attempting to balance its past with its present.

The collection houses some remarkable items, from the Wright brothers’ plane, which completed the world’s first manned flight, to the Columbia Command Module that brought the original lunar astronauts back to earth. Neil Armstrong’s Apollo space suit is also on display, as is a full-sized Star Wars X-Wing fighter.

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Shutterstock).

I also visit the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights sit side-by-side.

I have the fortune of being able to combine another favourite – the American Art Museum – with a dining experience like no other. One night a year, the museum hosts the Embassy Chef Challenge, a charitable initiative that offers a unique opportunity to sample food from around the world, courtesy of the city’s 175 diplomatic missions.

As I stand beneath the opulent glass canopy of the museum’s central courtyard, sipping a Norwegian cocktail while sampling a Kazakhstani rice dish, I think: “Only in DC…”

I stay in the Thompson Washington DC, whose rooftop bar offers guests bespoke cocktails and sunset views of the Anacostia River.

It is set amid a vibrant waterfront that has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last decade, with industrial warehouses giving way to a modern mix of shops, cafes, restaurants and workspaces.

I could have picked no better spot to watch the celebratory fireworks than my window-side table at the fabulous Japanese restaurant NaRa-Ya.

The popular waterside eatery is one of several restaurants that collectively are propelling DC’s advancing reputation for culinary excellence. The Grill, which is nearby, offers an American menu loaded with wood-fired seafood and red meat, while the Michelin-rated Bammy’s in Navy Yard is worth a try for the Caribbean-style jerk chicken alone.

The rooftop beer garden and restaurant at Takoda is popular with diners and revellers alike.

On my final day in Washington, I head to the cobbled street neighbourhood of Georgetown, with a bracing walk by the Potomac River and brunch at the excellent Farmers Fishers Bakers.

It is home to Georgetown University and a morning stroll around the tree-lined walkways of the famous academic campus is a restorative treat.

A bit more daunting are the steep steps at the nearby corner of 36th Street and Prospect Street, where one of the most famous scenes from the 1973 horror movie the Exorcist was shot.

As I head to the airport for the flight home, I reflect on a quote displayed at the Air and Space Museum from pioneering female aviator Amelia Earhart: “There is more to life than being a passenger.”

It serves as an instructive reminder for all those visiting Washington that there is so much to see and do if you are prepared to go and find it … even if it is behind an unmarked door on 14th Street.

P.S.

Most of Washington’s landmarks are centralised and relatively close together, so you can easily take in all the main monuments in a single afternoon, but don’t forget to take in the highlights, the White House and the Capitol Building along the way.