The best way to start exploring the USA
The setting
If you’ve never been to the United States but always wanted to, I cannot think of a better place to start. Here is how to plan a perfect trip to Washington DC.
It’s a beautiful mid-April morning in London, with crisp fresh air and bright blue skies. As I drive to work I’m really hopeful that this is just the beginning of a long sunny season.
I grabbed a coffee with the intention to call my wife for a quick chat. She works in central London while my commute takes me West, right next to Heathrow Airport.
A couple of months before she had told me about an upcoming business trip to the United States where she’d stay for a week. She came up with the idea of me joining her for a few days before the meetings. We could go visit a city or a national park.
I can’t remember why but initially I didn’t think it was a great idea…
That morning though everything changed somehow. Maybe it was the combination of fresh air, blue skies and the wonderful smell of coffee that woke me up.
I had to go, it would be really fun! I told her not to book the flights yet so we can plan something. This would be our first trip to the USA together.
So where could we go? Since we’re both history buffs and you all know my love for aviation, I thought the best way to experience America together for the first time would be Washington DC.
As it turned out this was a very good decision indeed.
The flight
As we only had five days to spend, travel days included, we had to look for the most efficient slots available at a price we could afford.
It did help that her flights were covered by her company, as part of her business travel budget.
Lesson learned: whenever your partner is flying somewhere interesting on a business trip, try to join for a weekend at least. Companies normally accept to arrange the flights for their employees in these situations as long as all other out-of-business expenses are covered by the individual.
We ended up booking an early flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Dulles International Airport (IAD) on Virgin Atlantic. It would be my first flight with them.
The strategy behind picking this flight was simple: it had the best slots (arriving in DC before noon) and it was within our budget. British Airways had a cheaper option by around 15% but we would have arrived in DC in the evening.
Sometimes, especially when you don’t book in advance, you have to find a balance between saving money and gaining more time with your loved ones.
The flight with Virgin was very good, my first experience with this airline and I was impressed. We flew economy on an Airbus A330 named Miss Sunshine with registration G-VRAY. It was delivered to Virgin Atlantic on March 30th 2012.
We had seats 52 A and C, which are next to each other. The economy configuration on this plane was 2-4-2, with the exception of the last five rows which were 2-3-2.
I took the window seat of course, no other way to fly.
Arrival at Dulles International Airport
After an uneventful and quite pleasant 8 hour flight, we landed at IAD and taxied towards the terminal at the same time with a KLM Boeing 777 and a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8. Happy to see them but this would be a big problem for us very soon.
Once the plane stopped and the cabin crew started to prepare for deboarding we realized we were still quite far from the terminal. We then saw the strange part bus part train vehicles approaching to pick us up.
I was intrigued by these machines, so much so that I forgot to take a picture of one.
They are called Mobile Lounges and they have been in use since 1962. Designed by Eero Saarinen, they were meant to reduce the walking time for the passengers. Very interesting history and amazing to still see them in use today.
Once we arrived in the terminal building we stopped for a few minutes to use the first restroom we could find. Big mistake!
Remember when I told you before about the two beautiful airplanes that arrived at the same time as us? Well picture this: three European arrivals, three big planes, we can assume that between 700 to 800 people were now queuing to go through a ridiculously understaffed imigration area. Only about 20% of the lanes were open.
Because we stopped at the restroom we were now among the last. The queue was moving very slow and besides very few staff working, they were also taking lots and lots of breaks one by one.
We waited 3 and a half hours to go through imigration. I was ready to turn back and go home. When it was finally our turn, we were shocked by the very rude attitude of the imigration staff. That’s no way to welcome someone to your country.
Lesson learned: Always use the toilet just before you land. If you normally sleep on a long haul flight, set a timer for at least 30 minutes before landing. This will give you enough time to freshen up and use the facilities.
Once you have safely left the aircraft, dash through as quickly as you can and don’t stop until you reach imigration. Some airports now have automated passenger processing but especially if it’s your first time through an airport, stick to my advice.
Transport from the airport
To get from Dulles airport into DC you have several options. If you take an uber or lyft, it will cost you around $60. A taxi will be around $70.
Public transportation is the cheapest option but quite difficult if you have lots of bags. You will have to take an express bus (Silver Line Express) from Dulles to Wiehle-Reston East Station for $5 one-way. From there you jump on the Metrorail system on the Silver Line. Metro fares vary between $2.25 and $6 per trip.
When I was reading about Washington DC before our trip, I discovered the famous vault design of the metro system. I was absolutely stunned to see it in reality. It is impressive and if you like functional design and architecture then this is a destination in itself.
If you choose to stay Downtown, then you won’t need to use public transportation much. DC is compact and for a tourist it is really easy and pleasant to walk between museums and other attractions.
We chose to stay in Crystal City at the Hilton, which is actually in Arlington, Virginia. It was very close to the metro station, much cheaper than Downtown and only 15 – 20 minutes away by Metro. It was also just 5 minutes on a free shuttle from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where my wife was flying from next.
If we go back to DC, we’ll stay somewhere else. With very little time to plan this was our best choice, but there are so many nicer areas to choose from. This was purely a functional choice.
Discovering Washington DC
Even though we decided to take this trip on quite short notice, we did have a plan to visit. I don’t know about you but for me, planning is as exciting as the experience itself.
Planning is critically important if you want to visit popular destinations.
On the first day, we went to the hotel and after relaxing for a while we decided to take a walk and watch the sunset. And what a location for that!
As the light was fading off we walked West through the park and visited two of the most impressive Memorials in the complex.
The first one was Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial which is designed as 4 distinct areas along the Cherry Tree Walk. Each area represents one of his terms in Office.
I’ve always admired FDR and I believe this Memorial truly does justice to his memory. It is also a very good place to learn and reflect on important moments in American history such as The Great Depression or the Second World War.
Our first evening in Washington DC ended with great moments of meditation at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Second day, our first morning in DC. We had exciting plans ahead, we dedicated this day to discovering American history. The start was at 9am with a tour we had booked at the US Capitol.
The tour was guided, very fun and informative. We walked through the historical areas such as The National Statuary Hall, The Cript, The Rotunda. If you want to visit the Senate and House Galleries you will have to get a special pass.
My favourite place was The Library of Congress. Just incredible to discover the story of this place.
For lunch we headed to Capitol Hill, the historic neighbourhood that is home to the US Capitol and the Supreme Court.
This is a very nice area to just walk and admire 19th century houses. I recommend stopping by the Eastern Market, the botanical garden but more than anything just walk around this area.
I never imagined DC could have so much character. There are many nice restaurants and pubs and the architecture is just lovely.
After a few hours in Capitol Hill, at around 4pm we started walking on the National Mall which was where we would spend the rest of the day.
The start point was Union Square, at the feet of Ulysses S. Grant, where we stopped for a few minutes to take in the view of the National Mall with the imposing Capitol building now behind us.
Walking in this area is relaxing and beautiful but sombre at the same time. I recommend either booking a tour or downloading a self-guided one on your phone. You’ll need about 3-4 hours to truly appreciate this place.
Walking towards the Washington Monument we didn’t stop at any of the museums. Once we reached the Monument we realized the real sense of gratitude this country has for the first president.
The Washington Monument was built in two phases, one private and one public. If you look closely, you’ll see the difference in the stones. The flags around it represent the 50 states.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the Monument because there was a problem with the elevator. Later during the year we found out they had to close it completely and began a multi-million dollar project to replace the elevator system and add a modern visitor security screening area.
Next we stopped to pay our respect to the fallen during World War II. This memorial has a remarkable and truly emotional significance, which you must discover by yourself.
There is one thing I want to share with you, in an attempt to illustrate the feeling of respect and love I carry for the fallen heroes. On the West side of this monument you’ll find a wall with many gold stars on it.
It is called The Freedom Wall and each star represents 100 Americans who died in the Second World War. In front of the wall there is an engraved message saying “Here we mark the price of freedom”.
We then walked towards the Lincoln Memorial along the Reflecting Pool.
Holding our hands tight, we looked at each other grateful, realizing how lucky and privileged we are to live in times of peace and prosperity. How lucky we are to have been born under communist rule to then grow up in times of freedom and development.
We stopped at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This place is beautiful and especially immersive, full of symbolism. It has the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. In the circle there is a pool called The Pool of Remembrance surrounded by beautiful linden trees.
There are also 19 statues representing an American platoon on a patrol mission through tough and rugged terrain.
The statues are slightly larger than life-size and create a very realistic and emotional setting.
The next stop on our walk was the Lincoln Memorial. Its imposing architecture resembles a Greek temple and the statue of Abraham Lincoln, placed in the center, gives the Memorial the feeling you are visiting an ancient God figure.
From here you have a beautiful view of the Reflecting Pool and all the way to the Capitol. You can feel the energy and importance of this place, you can almost hear Martin Luther King Jr. giving the “I have a dream” speech in 1963.
We spent the rest of our evening walking on the North side of the park and National Mall, visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Women’s Memorial, then Constitution Gardens.
Our day ended with a view of The White House, from a very large distance though. There was some event apparently because when we tried to get closer through The Ellipse, a Secret Service guy on a bike approached and sent us off.
For our third day we were planning to take a tour of the White House. These can be booked easily for American citizens but as a foreign visitor you must contact the embassy of your country and a request will be submitted on your behalf. We didn’t manage to arrange this with the limited time we had for planning.
So right after opening time, we went directly to visit the National Air and Space Museum. Truth be told this was my main objective of the entire trip. It just so happens that between all the government buildings, we discovered a city that’s full of history and character.
The National Air and Space Museum has two locations, one is right on National Mall practically. If you go there by Metrorail stop at L’Enfant Plaza. Check before you visit, they are doing some renovations at this location but the museum remains open, with some exhibitions closing in phases.
I am not going to spoil anything for you, this museum is simply amazing. Some of the fantastic things you’ll see include The Spirit of St. Louis – the airplane in which Charles Lindbberg flew solo across the Atlantic, the Bell X-1 in which Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier, Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 Spacesuit and many others.
The other location is Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and it is just South of Dulles Airport in Chantilly. Getting there is a little bit more complicated but it is absolutely mandatory to visit if you love aviation and history.
As my wife (girlfriend at the time) had enough aviation lessons for one vacation, I went to this one alone. Using public transportation can be challenging and can take up to 90 minutes.
I went on the last day just before going to the airport. My flight wasn’t departing until late afternoon so right after breakfast and saying goodbye to my wife I made my way towards the museum.
This location is even more amazing than the one downtown! I joined the first free guided tour of the day and I was simply stunned by how great it was.
I learned about the Cold War and saw an SR-71 Blackbird (surreal!!!), I was taken through the fascinating history of commercial aviation, from the early days of flight to a prototype of the Boeing 707 and seeing the majestic Concorde.
Perhaps one of the most exciting museum exhibits in the World can be seen here (I am really biased and I’m not even sorry), in the James S. McDonnell hangar. I am referring to the Space Shuttle Discovery.
The Discovery entered service in 1984 and was deployed on 39 missions spending a total of 365 days in space. It is absolutely fascinating to see it up close and admire the thermal tiles built to protect it from the immense 1,600 °C temperature of atmosphere reentry.
The guide was an Air Force veteran who had just flown into work that morning with his own Cessna… as you do. When I say work I must mention that all guides I met on this trip were volunteers, most of them veterans and absolutely wonderful people.
They all love aviation and history so if you’re willing to learn, then I cannot think of a better place.
On the fourth day we booked a visit to The Pentagon. Book in advance if you want to go because visits are strictly supervised and accept a limited number of people. It was interesting but I would only recommend going if you have lots of time.
The Pentagon is not a must visit because the tour is very limited, you’re basically seeing some hallways and that’s it. Also getting there can take some time.
I can’t share any photos because you’re not allowed to use cameras or phones at any time. Understandable.
Then we visited Arlington National Cemetery. We got there by taking the Blue Line to Arlington Cemetery station.
I recommend booking a tour, it costs about $15 for an adult and gives you access to a line of trams with really great guides.
Some of the must see places in the cemetery are the Kennedy Gravesites, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (where you can see the changing of the guard).
Take the time to walk, meditate and pay your respect here in silence and peace.
We ended this beautiful day in Georgetown. A historic neighborhood, home to the main campus of Georgetown University, the Old Stone House (oldest house in Washington) and many embassies.
I really liked the character of this neighborhood, a completely different energy from what we had experienced anywhere else in Washington. The houses were lovely, there were many coffee shops and restaurants but also shopping opportunities if that’s something you’re interested in.
On the last day my wife and I had breakfast together then she headed for the airport to fly on her business trip. I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the Udvar-Hazy Center and then I headed for the airport to catch my flight back to London.
As I sat at the gate admiring the gorgeous Airbus A340-600 that was going to take me home, I started to think about the great memories I had just made with my wife. How silly to think that this trip almost didn’t happen.
Although it wasn’t planned in advance this has been a really good experience. It gave us the opportunity to explore together, to learn more about the history of the US and opened up so many opportunities to further discover this country with a completely new mindset.
It also gave us the chance to learn more about each other. To be together, just the two of us in a completely foreign city with nobody we know around for thousands of miles.
This is what I love about travel. If you open your mind and your heart, travel will not just physically get you from one place to another.
Travel will offer you the opportunity to take a piece of that place with you forever. It will make you a kinder, more understanding person.
I hope you liked coming along with me on this journey. For me it’s been fun and at times a bit emotional.
If you have any questions, ask me and I’ll do my best to help.
What to read next:
- What is Ethical Travel and How To Be an Ethical Tourist
- How To Plan Your Perfect Ethical Trip to the Grand Canyon
- Best resources to prepare you for Global travel during Covid-19
- Reflecting on my last pre-pandemic business trip
Have you ever been to Washington DC? If yes, what was your favourite thing to do there? If not, are you considering a visit?
Do please share this post if you found it useful and remember to always seek personal growth by exploring the World responsibly.
