Flag Day, held on June 14th, is a significant day in the United States. It is dedicated to paying homage to the national flag. This holiday marks the anniversary of the day in 1777 when the design for the country’s first national flag was officially approved.
This is why today’s Friday Five post is dedicated to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Washington fascinates both American and international visitors. It is especially popular as a family destination, for school trips, and for groups visiting the shrines of their interests. It is difficult to imagine a better live textbook of democracy, history, and current affairs.
Here are 5 attractions your clients will want on their itinerary when visiting.
1. U.S. Capitol
The U.S. Capitol is on a hill looking down the National Mall to the Potomac. A number of sights either are on the Mall or on Constitution Avenue, which runs parallel to the Mall. Pennsylvania Avenue is a diagonal, beginning to the north of the Capitol just off the Mall and interrupted by the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
2. The White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the U.S. President. The house is open to the public. The National Park Service distributes free tickets in the White House Visitor Center. With advance notice, reserved tickets for Congressional guided tours are possible. Changes in tour schedules and last-minute cancellations are occasionally made because of official events or security concerns.
3. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall with inscriptions of the names of the men and women who gave their lives in the country’s longest war, one of the most visited sights in the capital. Nearby are the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
4. Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, directly across the river from the Lincoln Memorial. Veterans from the country’s wars are interred there. The cemetery was established during the Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, the former estate of the family of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s wife, Mary (Custis) Lee, a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. The Tomb of the Uknown Soldier and the John F. Kennedy Gravesite are popular attractions.
5. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Holocaust Memorial Museum is a moving attempt to tell the story of the horrors of the genocide of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and during World War II. The Museum is fully accessible to visitors who use mobility assistive devices and has a cafe and gift store inside.
BONUS: Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is in three buildings on Capitol Hill and is the world’s largest library by shelf space and number of books. Treasures are Thomas Jefferson’s books, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and two Stradivarius violins. Only those who are issued a Reader Identification Card may enter the reading rooms and access the collection.
Enroll in The Travel Institute’s Destination Specialist North America course to learn more.
