Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
north through
Richmond
, where students, Dixie aristocracy and African American
neighborhoods combine to form a fascinating whole, before rolling back into DC.
Two Weeks
Head to
Charlottesville
to experience Virginia's aristocratic soul (and good dining
and B&B scene), then drive down the mountainous backbone through
Staunton
,
Lexington
and
Roanoke
. Follow the
Crooked Road
on a weekend to hear some of
the nation's best bluegrass. Truck through West Virginia, stopping to hike, moun-
tain bike or ski in the
Monongahela National Forest
, then go rafting in
New River
Gorge
before returning to Washington via the hallowed battlefields of
Antietam
.
Capitol Hill
The Capitol, appropriately, sits atop Capitol Hill (what Pierre L'Enfant called 'a pedestal
waiting for a monument'; we'd say it's more of a stump, but hey), across a plaza from
the dignified Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Congressional office buildings
surround the plaza. A pleasant brownstone residential district stretches from E Capitol St
to Lincoln Park. Union Station, Capitol South and Eastern Market Metro stations serve
this area.
Capitol
LANDMARK
(East Capitol St NE & First St)
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American
government - ie Congress - has met to write the country's laws. The lower House of Re-
presentatives (435 members) and upper Senate (100) meet respectively in the south and
north wings of the building.
Sat)
showcases the exhaustive background of a building that fairly sweats history. If you
book in advance (
http://tours.visitthecapitol.gov
)
, you can go on a free tour of the interi-
or, which is as daunting as the exterior, cluttered with the busts, statues and personal
mementos of generations of Congress members and a museum-worthy collection of art.
Note that it is also possible to queue for same-day tour passes at a walk-up line near an
information desk of the visitor center; arrive early if you want a pass.
To watch Congress in action, US citizens can request visitor passes from their repres-
entatives or senators ( 202-224-3121); foreign visitors must show their passports at the
House gallery. Congressional committee hearings are actually more interesting (and sub-
