Washington, D.C., is a beautiful city of broad avenues, impressive government buildings, inspiring monuments, thought-provoking museums and spacious parks. The names you've heard all your life are there: Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall. No traveler could mistake this city for any other.
And all the everyday details remind you that the local industry is government: cars with diplomatic plates, official guards at entrances, vast regiments of briefcases swinging along the avenues.
Along with the trappings of power and ambition, Washington, D.C., evokes hospitality, perhaps stemming from the city's southern roots. Visitors are welcomed and rewarded plentifully for their time. Stately white buildings gleam all around, museums and galleries are recognized as national institutions, and children receive a fascinating introduction to the nation's past and an overview of its governing structure. Washington, D.C., shows itself well as the nation's capital.
