Learn about Washington, DC, by reading A Capital Idea For a Trip  by Charlie Spence, Aviation Writer and IFA Member. It features a mini, but thorough tour of the destination, plus all you'll need to know to plan your trip including getting there, objective information on places to stay and eat, and things to do. At the end of the article, we've provided a summary of the contact information for your easy reference. Enjoy!

A Capital Idea For a Trip!

Whether or not you have visited the Nation's Capital in the past, there are at least two new reasons for making a flight to Washington, DC soon: the new World War II memorial on the National Mall to finally honor those who have been called 'the greatest generation,' and the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum Stephen Udvar Hazy Center annex at Dulles Airport.

The WWII memorial was officially dedicated on Memorial Day 2004, which launched a long awaited salute to the heroism of this generation. Visitors may tour the memorial and participate in walking tours, enjoy special exhibitions and enjoy different events, all geared to honoring the World War II participants. Some hotels offer special 'Greatest Generation' packages and many restaurants also are offering specials.

The memorial is located on the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. With its fountains, granite pillars and a wall with 4,000 gold stars to signify the 400,000 Americans who lost their lives, it is both a reverent structure and a proud remembrance of the heroic actions and sacrifices made by this generation. It honors the 16 million Americans who served in uniform and the millions more who sacrificed on the home front. Two 43-foot pavilions and two 70-foot flagpoles, framing the entrance, mark the memorial's north and south entrances. Operated by the National Park Service, the Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Try to visit it at night as well as during the day for a particularly impressive sight.

The new World War II memorial recognizes what has been called 'the greatest generation.'
Photo from Washington Convention and Tourist Corporation

The new World War II memorial recognizes what has been called 'the greatest generation.'

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has always been one of the most popular destinations for residents as well as visitors and the addition of the Udvar Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport makes this even more of a top attraction. The center is named for the person who made the major financial contribution for the facility. The Center is providing space for many of the aviation treasures that heretofore were stored in the Smithsonian's Silver Hills restoration shop. Here you will see many and varied aircraft including the Enola Gay, the plane used to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan that brought the end to the conflict, and the recently retired Supersonic Transport. Shuttle buses can take you from the downtown Air and Space Museum to the Dulles facility.

These two new attractions in Washington are enough to consume much of your trip time but there is a myriad of other structures, statues, museums and centers of power to fill your days as long as you might be able to stay.

The National Mall, in addition to now holding the WW II memorial, has other must-see symbols of American history. The Mall stretches from 3^rd Street N.W. to 14^th Street between Independence and Constitution Avenues. That site was laid out in the city planning for the purposes of rallies and demonstrations. Although this is the official designation of the Mall, locals widely use the term to refer to the expanse of monuments and statues from the grounds of the Capitol Building on the east to the Lincoln Memorial on the west. The Washington Monument towers 555 feet above the Mall at 15^th Street. (It will be closed until January 2005 for installation of new security barriers.) Farther west at Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive is what is often referred to as the 'Wall,' where the names of those killed, were prisoners, or missing in action in the Vietnam war are listed chronologically on the black granite forming a V-shaped memorial. Not far away is the Vietnam Women's Memorial honoring, the service women and nurses who served in the conflict.

Other memorials you might want to visit include the Jefferson on the Tidal Basin, the Marine Corps Monument of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, which is adjacent to the Arlington National Cemetery, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial consisting of four 'rooms' to signify the unprecedented four terms of this president.

Photos from Washington Convention and Tourist Corporation

Not all the monuments and statues in Washington honor government dignitaries. In this city of monuments you will find many like this tribute to Albert Einstein. Walk along the path between quaint houses and the C&O Canal in the Georgetown section of Washington, the original town in Maryland around which the District of Columbia was formed.

The Holocaust Memorial traces the story of Jewish persecution under the Nazi regime. The Spy Museum reveals some of the secret ways intelligence is gathered. Almost every government building has tours. You can watch money being printed in the morning and in the afternoon see the FBI exhibit of John Dillinger bank heists.

There are at least 40 additional memorials scattered throughout the area ranging from the Journalists Memorial and the Robert E. Lee House to the USS Maine Memorial and the Woman's Titanic Memorial. But Washington is much more than memorials. There's everything from watching government in action (or inaction depending on your point of view) to plays and musicals, and dining at restaurants where the persons at the next table might be foreign ambassadors, power brokers, agency heads or member of Congress.

Trying to decide what to take in and what to delay until a future trip can be overwhelming. Your best bet is to determine whether you want a sightseeing journey, a history tour, or close-up look at your government. Either way, a tour might be your best bet.  Your first stop could be the Visitors Center in the Ronald Reagan Building for guidebooks, maps, and any other help you might want.

A one-day tour covers the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress in the morning. At all of these sights, be ready for delays and security searches. Security is very tight but once inside the buildings you will find the experience worth the wait. Guided tours of the Capitol Building take about 45 minutes, and like all government facilities, are free.

Lunch would be normally at the Union Station, a beautifully restored railroad station only about two blocks from the Capitol Building and the Senate office buildings. Afternoon will cover the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Museums. There are 14 Smithsonian Museums and it would be impossible to visit them all in one afternoon, particularly if you select the Air and Space Museum, which can entrance pilots for hours.

For night life head for Georgetown, Adams Morgan, or Dupont Circle areas, all trendy neighborhoods known for their taverns, restaurants, shopping and clubs.

The Metro rail subway or taxis are the best ways to get around the city. Taxis have the zone system of fares, meaning that the fare is the same within a zone but adds the second zone fare if you cross the zone line. You'll pay more going two or three blocks crossing a zone line than you might when traveling much farther within a zone. Check your cab driver about fares.

Washington has many fine hotels and so do the suburbs. Rates for good hotels outside the District generally are less but you also have the added cost and some time constraints getting to the places you want to visit.

Flying to Washington isn't quite as easy as it was prior to the 9-ll terrorist attacks. Before that day that changed our lives you could fly your approach along the Potomac River and catch a good aerial view of the city going in to Reagan National Airport. Now that's off limits to all general aviation. There is also an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around the entire area. Three general aviation airports once convenient are now closed to itinerant traffic - College Park (CGS), Washington Executive/Hyde Field (W32), and Potomac Airfield (VKX). Others in the ADIZ, like Montgomery County, are available but you must be on a flight plan, have a discrete transponder code and two-way communication. Make sure you know the boundaries of the ADIZ and the specific routes into those airports that are open. The natives don't like to hear the sound of jet fighters flying low over their homes to escort errant flights away.

Your best bet might be to stop at the Frederick Municipal Airport about 30 miles north of the city. Since the restrictions around Washington, this airport has seen roughly twice its normal activity. Commuter trains are available from Frederick to Union Station on Capitol Hill in the District.

Tourism, along with politics and government, is a vital part of the Nation's Capital so the city officially and businesses in general are geared to provide a welcome atmosphere for the visitor. Before starting your trip, visit the tourism web site, www.washington.org, and get the answers to many questions and fine suggestions for scheduling tours, finding lodging, and getting around.

Details

Getting There:

The Frederick Municipal Airport is considered one of the finest general aviation airports in the East. It has full FBO services 06:30 to 21:00 daily.

Runway 5/23 is 5,220' x 100' with ILS approach to runway 23 on 110.3 frequency. Runway 5 has a GPS approach. Runway 12/30 is 3,600' x75'. Taxiways are 35' wide. Field elevation is 304' MSL. VOR on the field frequency 109.0 Unicom 123.0

Airport is base for Maryland State Police Trooper III MEDIVAC helicopter.

Landing Fee: none. Parking/tie down: $6 singles, $10 twins, $15 turbos.

Other Airports

Other airports in the area might be convenient for you but are within the ADIZ, which you might want to avoid. Among them are College Park, Suburban, Montgomery County Airpark, Leesburg, Manassas, Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International. Reagan Washington National is closed to general aviation. College Park is accessible only to pilots who have gone through special security clearance and training. All the others are open to GA but a clear knowledge of the ADIZ is needed. You need a VFR-ADIZ or IFR flight plan; activate the VFR prior to entering the ADIZ, keep radio contact with Potomac Approach and continue squawking a discreet code. Unless you know the ADIZ rules you will do yourself and others a favor by staying clear of it.

Where to Stay:

You have a wide, wide variety of facilities in the area, including fine hotels in suburban Maryland and Virginia. Here are just a few in the District of Columbia by location:

Foggy Bottom Area

• Best Western, rates from $119
• Doubletree Suites, rates from $159
• Marriott Washington, rates from $109
• Washington Suites, rates from $149
  

Dupont Circle Area

• Courtyard by Marriott, rates from $89
• Hilton Washington, rates from $165
• Radison Barcelo, rates from $239
  

Downtown

• Capital Hilton, rates from $99
• Hay Adams, rates from $259
• Holiday Inn, rates from $80

Rates may vary with season and are subject to change. Check rates and make reservations plus reserve a rental car through the IFA Online Travel Booking Service. Deep discounts may apply.

Places to Eat:

Downtown

• District Chop House- entrees $16-25.
• Occidental Grill - walls practically papered with pictures of Washington bigwigs.
• Old Ebbitt Grill - here since 1846.

Capitol Hill Area

• The Monicle - American classic food but the people you see might be even more interesting.
• Caf' Berlin - among the few German restaurants in town, Classics like Wiener Schnitzel.

Adams Morgan Area

• Felix - elegant nightspot. Try the saut'ed shrimp with angel hair pasta.

Notice: This information is current as of September 2004. It is recommended that you contact the numbers, and/or visit the websites above to determine any changes to the information.