Sights—The exterior of the White House; tours of the Capitol; the Supreme Court; the Washington Monument; the Lincoln, Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorials.

Museums—Any of the branches of the Smithsonian Institution, especially the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art; the Phillips Collection; the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Memorable Meals—World-class cuisine at Equinox and Vidalia; ethnic restaurants from around the world; the oyster bar at Old Ebbitt Grill; romantic settings at 1789 and Citronelle.

Late Night—The illuminated Lincoln and Jefferson memorials (until midnight); first-class musicians at the 9:30 Club; drinks at the top of Hotel Washington.

Walks—Strolling down the museum-lined Mall; by the Tidal Basin; along the cobblestoned streets of Georgetown; on one of the several trails in Rock Creek Park; through the gardens at the Washington National Cathedral.

Especially for Kids—The National Air and Space Museum; a ride with DC Ducks; the National Zoological Park.

When Frenchman Pierre L'Enfant was contracted to design the city, he added diagonal avenues (named for the individual states) to the plan—in addition to a logical grid pattern of streets—forming squares and circles when they met with the grid streets. One theory is that L'Enfant designed the city this way so that encroaching armies would get confused by the pattern and have trouble attacking the capital city. Unfortunately, that idea didn't work, as the British had no problem burning the White House in 1814. The only result of the design was that he caused visitors and locals alike to get lost. Nevertheless, if one is patient and doesn't mind backtracking a bit, the city is not too difficult to traverse. L'Enfant's plan also called for plenty of open spaces and parks, which has greatly added to the beauty of the city.

Washington, D.C., is divided into four geographic districts—Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast—whose center is the Capitol. Addresses in Washington include a quadrant indicator at the end. For instance, because the White House is in the Northwest quadrant, its address is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Check that indicator before heading out so you don't end up in the wrong part of town. The majority of sights, hotels, restaurants and shops of interest to visitors are in the Northwest quadrant.

The most visible landmark in town is the 555-ft/169-m obelisk known as the Washington Monument, a good place for orienting yourself to the city. It's in the middle of the grassy expanse called the Mall. Stand with your back to the monument, facing the White House: Off to your right are many museums and the major federal buildings; on the hill in the distance are the Capitol and—blocked from view behind it—the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. To your left are the Reflecting Pool, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and—in the distance across the Potomac—the hills of Arlington National Cemetery.

The city's major thoroughfares are Constitution and Independence avenues (flanking the Mall), Pennsylvania Avenue (connecting the White House to Capitol Hill) and Massachusetts Avenue (connecting Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle and Embassy Row). Also of interest to visitors are Connecticut Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue, abounding with shops, hotels and restaurants. A great boon to residents and visitors alike is another "thoroughfare," Washington's excellent metro. Keeping a map of the subway system on hand is a good idea.

For a town built on the swamps of the Potomac River, Washington has evolved not only into a center for international politics, but also into a charming, world-class city dedicated to history and culture. Almost all of its wide avenues and gleaming white buildings have a story to tell.

A major factor in the evolution of Washington, D.C., was air-conditioning. Without that modern convenience, government would not have become a full-time, year-round occupation—at least not in this city, which was built on swampland in the center of the original American colonies. George Washington chose the site and talked some landowners into donating it to the new government. He and the other founders thought the capital should exist as a separate entity, distinct from the interests of any individual U.S. state. So it was not made—and has not become—a state.

Not until after the Civil War did Washington come into its own, capable of meeting its promise as a symbol of the country's best hopes. Politicians became more eager to go to Washington, and so did intellectuals, artists and African Americans seeking a tolerant atmosphere (though blacks often found themselves treated as harshly in the District of Columbia as they were in segregationist states).

The fact that Washington, D.C., has never been granted statehood is a bone of contention, especially for the more than 550,000 people who live within its borders. Washingtonians can vote for president and vice president of the U.S., but they have no representation in the Senate and only one nonvoting member in the House of Representatives. Congress must approve the city's budget and has veto power over any laws it passes. Because Washingtonians pay federal taxes, the phrase Taxation Without Representation is sometimes seen on license plates in protest. In the 20th century, Washington residents were given something called "home rule," meaning that they may elect a mayor and city council, but their government is still subject to oversight by the U.S. Congress.

Most visitors will not see signs of the city's internal troubles: The streets may be potholed, but the taxis are relatively inexpensive, the subways run on time, and many of the sights and monuments are administered by the federal government and operate efficiently, as a rule.

Near the Reflecting Pool, between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, is Constitution Gardens. A small monument to the signers of the Declaration of Independence can be found there. The gardens are a peaceful respite from sightseeing and provide a shady resting spot during the summer months.

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan has been honored with the airport that now bears his name and the addition of the Ronald Reagan Building to the grand government office buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue. Massive, yet graced by a soaring foyer, it houses museum exhibits as well as bureaucrats.

The lettered streets in the district, running perpendicular to the numbered streets, do not include the letters "J," "X," "Y" or "Z." The missing "J" is because of Chief Justice John Jay's treaty with Great Britain in 1794, which was considered the instigator of the XYZ Affair and nearly brought the U.S. and France to war.

Every U.S. president since Madison has sat at least once in Pew 54 at St. John's Church on Lafayette Square.

It was George Washington who commissioned Pierre Charles L'Enfant to draw plans for the city. Less well-known is the contribution of Benjamin Banneker, an African-American surveyor who helped make L'Enfant's grandiose designs practicable.

A tribe of albino squirrels inhabits the White House lawn.