Traveling alone in Washington DC doesn't mean being bored, not with this starter list of top tourist attractions and things to do by yourself.
If you're a first-timer to the District of Columbia, there are plenty of solo attractions to beckon your attention. Here's a handful of our favorites.
PUT ON YOUR WALKING SHOES
You won't need to rent a car if you're visiting America's capital. Not only does it have an excellent, economical and expansive subway system but it's compact and pedestrian-friendly enough for you to cover a lot of ground in your tennies. Spring and fall, of course, are the optimal times for hoofing it and seeing the sights. One of the best walks in the city can be found on Massachusetts Avenue, one of the "spokes" of Dupont Circle. If you can get up early on a weekday morning, you'll be in time to watch the respective flags being hoisted outside the estates comprising Embassy Row. The majority of these mansions used to be private residences until the onset of the Depression made it impossible for their owners to pay for their continued upkeep. Accordingly, they were sold or forfeited and became the Washington address of foreign dignitaries from around the world. The end of your walk will bring you to Rock Creek Park, a pleasant stopping spot to contemplate nature and meditate on a few verses of Kahil Gibran. This 1,800 acre nature preserve has been in existence since the 1890's and was once roamed by buffalos, bears, bobcats and all manner of deer. Today, only the latter continue to put in an appearance.
CONTEMPLATE THE SYMMETRY
The city's meticulous layout was the brainchild of Charles Pierre L'Enfant. His picture-perfect alignment of memorials and government buildings is best enjoyed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where you can look past the reflecting pool (inspired by the Taj Mahal) to the Washington Monument and, beyond that, the nation's capitol building. On either side are the massive museums of the Smithsonian. What's especially remarkable about this vista, of course, is that""prior to L'Enfant's blueprint""this entire area was under water (courtesy of the Potomac) and had to be drained before any serious construction could commence. How deep was it, you ask? Consider that the below-surface infrastructure supporting the Lincoln Memorial is as deep as the building itself is tall. While you normally wouldn't think that sitting in the middle of a heavily traversed marble stairway would be a good idea, you'll be pleasantly surprised at what a comfortable berth your fellow tourists will accord you, allowing you to enjoy your own bubble of serenity in the shadow of the 16th president.
PEOPLE WATCHING
Whether you opt for a park bench along the curved path leading to the Jefferson Memorial or dine at any of the outdoor ethnic eateries in Kalorama or Adams Morgan, there will be no shortage of characters to entertain you. And speaking of food, you could easily dine in a different country every night of the week. Some of the very best restaurants in the district are also the smallest, allowing you to engage in chit-chat with the proprietors and enhance your knowledge of the world at large. Another great site for people watching is your pick of any museum of the Smithsonian or on the grounds of the capitol building (where you can almost always find someone protesting something). Nor will you be bored watching the parade of humanity at Union Station, the Bonsai Gardens at the National Arboretum, or the Eastern Market. The latter, whose origins go back as far as 1873, is an open air farmers market on Saturdays and a flea market on Sundays.
PAYING RESPECTS
Photographs simply don't do justice to this peaceful expanse of land that was once the private property of General Robert E. Lee. You'll be left to your leisure as you stroll amongst the headstones of Arlington Cemetery, look upon the gravesites of the Kennedy brothers, or pay your respects to the men and women who lost their lives aboard Challenger. Save time for a tour of the Lee's hillside mansion. Watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Another place to ponder the enormity of freedom's price is at the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall. One can't help but be moved by the trio of soldiers who stand at its entrance or the statuary dedicated to the bravery of its females who have served in the combat zone.
Nearby is yet another hallowed site, that which honors those who fought in the Korean War. If your trip to Washington is during the winter months when a blanket of snow covers the ground, it is one of the most haunting memorials you will ever visit.
SHOPPING
One of the problems of shopping with other people is that they will rarely, if ever, want to shop at the same pace that you do. The good news, though, is that you're on your own. You can either flit from one venue to the next like a pollinating bee or you can park yourself somewhere interesting and wile away the hours. Best venues in my view can be found in Old Town Alexandria (including the Torpedo Factory), trendy Georgetown, any of the Smithsonian gift stores, Tysons Corner or The Shops at National Place. If you're looking to acquire some new objects d'art, Dupont Circle is where you'll want to be on the first Friday of the month. That's where local and national artists display their wares and talk shop with strolling buyers looking for a bargain.
THE CAROUSEL
Want to feel like a kid again? There's an old fashioned carousel set up in the National Mall by the Smithsonian Castle that is not only inexpensive to take a couple of spins on but it's also surrounded by vendors hawking all the kind of junk food that a parent or spouse would frown on. Hey, who said you can't eat popcorn and cookies for lunch? It's a free country"¦and you're in the heart of the city that proves it 24/7.
