A Walker's Guide to Washington D.C

Washington D.C. is a wonderful place to visit! There is so much to see, and it is best seen on foot. Walking not only gives you exercise, it allows you to see parts of the city you might otherwise miss. I lived in D.C. for a summer without a car, and loved it! This guide offers some suggestions for walking around Washington D.C. based on my time in the city. I hope you enjoy all of the history our capital has to offer!

I was lucky enough to live in Georgetown when I was in the city, so our tour will start there. If you have the cash, consider staying at the Four Seasons in Georgetown. It is a good place to stay if you want to walk. The nearest Metro station is a 10-15 minute stroll down the street. If you want to try some new cuisine, head across the street to Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine. There are many pictures of Presidents and foreign dignitaries all over the restaurant. If this doesn't sound like the meal for you, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from along M Street. There is also a nice selection of bars and clubs here, if you are interested in some nightlife.

Now that your belly is full, let's get to walking! Start with walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Be sure to look at the embassies and other interesting buildings along the way. This is a good chance to stretch out the legs before you begin the start-and-stop routine of sight-seeing.

Next, head south on 17th Street NW to the Washington Monument. This is the first of several American icons you will see on this walk. Be sure to look into ticketing before you go if you plan to take a trip to the top. There are a limited number of tickets sold each day.

From here, head down to the Jefferson Memorial. This is another mile, so I hope you packed your walking shoes! If you time your trip right, you can catch the famous cherry blossoms in bloom near the tidal basin. At this part of the walk, I usually felt a little outside of D.C.

The FDR Memorial is our next destination on the urban hike. So far, each segment has been about a mile. This is definitely one of my favorite monuments in D.C., and it was usually less crowded than the others when I was there. The combination of water and stone is amazing!

The shortest leg of the journey so far takes you to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This is a moving tribute to these soldiers. The life-like statues are quite a sight, especially at dusk.

Another mile takes us to one of Washington's big guns, the Lincoln Memorial. I could spend hours staring at Abe and the reflecting pool. You will always find inspiration here.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the final stops on the tour. Be sure to make time to walk along the entire wall. There are books available to locate the names of fallen soldiers, and paper and crayons to rub a print.

The last stop on the tour is a little know favorite of mine, the Albert Einstein Memorial. tucked away, near Constitution Ave NW and 22nd St NW is a wonderful giant bronze of Albert Einstein sitting above a map of the stars. Be sure to stand on Polaris, look at Albert and talk. You will hear an echo. From here, just head back to your hotel.

It is important that you plan for several hours and several miles of walking. I cannot overstate the following: Be sure to bring walking shoes! You will definitely want to use the Metro once in a while, but it is very user-friendly. Also, be sure to have a map handy before you go to check your route. This is a great way to see many of the landmarks. I walked this route a few times a week while in D.C., and loved every time. Come back and let me know how you liked this walk.