Washington, D.C. monuments

Photo credit: PhotoDisc

In the White House, our nation's most-recently elected president presides, having been inaugurated in January. Three miles east of the White House, at the U.S. Capitol, the 109th Congress gets underway, and an expansive visitor center, set to open in early 2006, takes shape beneath the building. Across the street, the Supreme Court deliberates over a new caseload. Down the hill from the Capitol, the final Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, is only months old but already a smashing success. Further along on the Mall, the National World War II Memorial, dedicated Memorial Day Weekend 2004, attracts crowds eager to honor all those who served in that Great War. Alongside the Potomac River, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts grows bigger with every breath, as a decade-long expansion makes the nation's theater ever more accessible and inclusive. Welcome to Washington, D.C., in 2005.

At any given time, in any given year, so much is happening in the nation's capital. From the new science museum downtown (the Marian Koshland Museum) to the spectacularly luxurious new hotel near the Mall (the Mandarin Oriental) to the new petting farm at the National Zoo, this joint is jumping.

Within its city limits (67 sq. miles), Washington teems with history, made and in the making; the arts; cosmopolitan culture; magnificent parks, gardens, and architecture. Put it all together and you have a world hub of power, diplomacy, beauty, and intellect. So much to do, so much to see. If you don't know where to begin your trip planning, you've come to the right source. Read on and enjoy.

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