Where is the best place to catch a view of Washington DC?
This used to be an easy question to answer. You simply go to the center of the city, look for the giant white stick protruding from the ground (pssst….it’s the Washington Monument), and climb to the top. Bam! Instant monumental view of every monument and important governmental building in every direction. Thanks to a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in 2011 that rocked the capitol city and damaged the 555 foot icon, 800,000 visitors each year are scrambling for another fabulous view of the city. Projected repairs could have the monument opening again in 2014, but it’s the government y’all; timely efficiency isn’t a hallmark of the city. Nobody is really holding their breath, here.
It’s time to start the search for another sweet spot to catch the best views. If you have ever visited Washington DC before, you have probably joined the hoards of other visitors and walked right past this hidden hot-spot, looked up at it admiringly, and never known the views you were missing at the top. I’m talking about the Arlington House at the center of Arlington National Cemetery. You’ll see it on your way to the Eternal Flame and pass it again on your way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Perched elegantly on the hill, you can admire the soaring columns and stately grace of the 200 year old house. It’s that view from below that discourages visitors to go to the top. After trudging the rolling paths that stretch to the main attractions of the cemetery, your desire to climb one more steep hill is banished.
The climb up the hill is absolutely worth the view from the top. It is a better view than you could ever get from the Washington Monument, plus you don’t have to wait in line and there is never a crowd. There may be some huffing and puffing to get to the top, but your efforts will be rewarded with cinematic views of everything from the Potomac to the President’s House.
With the unending white tombstones in mesmerizing rows as the foreground the flows effortlessly out into the city center, it is a view and an experience that fitting for a city filled with so much history and significance. It’s also a great place, we learned, for kids to play I-Spy. My kids, weary from the general marching around the city, were thrilled to grab a cool seat along the porch of Arlington House and gaze out at the monuments they had first seen at street level.
It was long before there were excited fingers pointing in every direction.
“Look, there’s the Washington Monument!”
“I can see the Lincoln Memorial!”
While I was soaking in the beauty of my kids fully engaged in their surroundings, one of them let loose a zinger that simultaneously burst my traveling momma balloon and convinced me that we had indeed found the best views in all of DC.
“Hey mom! If we had just come here first, we could have seen everything right from this spot and we wouldn’t have needed to go on that stupid walking tour you made us take.”
Sure. I resisted the urge to let loose a lecture and instead just sat back and enjoyed the view. It was the best view in Washington DC, after all. Why let it go to waste?
~This post is a part of Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox~
Ha ha, Children certainly have a different View of things. I love the view you have captured from Arlington House.
The view from Arlington House tells such a sad story, and I love how you've captured that. Yes, children can certainly cut to the chase! Ours used to hate walking tours too 🙂
Great photos. Happy New Year!
Beautiful photos and a great tip!
They may appreciate that stupid walking tour you made them take when they're older, or they could be like my kids and have one more "Remember when mom tortured us by making us………" to talk about at family gatherings. 🙂
Loved the pictures you took. I'll remember this post next time we're back in DC.
Wow, that is a great view. In all my trips to D.C., I've never been there. I have another secret spot that is closer in, so not as dramatic. It's the Montpelier room, white-tablecloth dining room at the top of the Madison Library building. (I'm not sure if it is still open to the public, because I could only find references on line to it being used for events.)
I never knew about this! I lived in DC for awhile and now I feel cheated. This just means we will have to plan a trip to take the kids.
Fantastic set of shots and what a great time of year you were there for a visit. It's hard to belive how look it will take to fix the monument.
Great views. DC is such an easy city to recognize from every angle.
Yeah, just enjoy – but they'll thank you for the walking tour one day! Those views are staggering!! Happy New Year
I climbed every step up the Washington Monument in 1961. Not the brightest move I ever made!
Excellent spots for views of that awesome city. Something I notice when I'm in DC is that I can see the Washington Monument (even if just the top) from so many different places in the city. There's something comforting about that.