We arrived early at the truly stunning Washington-Reagan terminal. I took a few minutes to tour the facility, as always amazed by its use of retro and modern elements. But, I wasn’t there just to see the airport so I followed the very easy to read signs toward the Metro Station. There, I purchased from an automated outlet a MetroRail Day Pass. At only six dollars, it was really quite a bargain. They’re only good from 9:30 am until midnight on the weekdays, so try not to use it too early on those days. I hopped on the Yellow Line going north into the city. The Washington Metro trains and stations are really some of the quietest and cleanest I have ever seen.

Just as planned, I got off at the Chinatown Station. But I decided to go above ground and get my bearings on my location. Turns out, we were right under the MCI Center in downtown. I saw a sign for Ford’s Theater nearby, so I asked a Metro Agent (they’re usually stationed just outside each station) where it was and she was more than happy to let me know. She also told me that it was just recently reopened to the public. What luck!

Following her directions, I walked south on F Street taking note of the density and height of the buildings around me. People tend not to think of Washington as a city full of skyscrapers, but their height limit makes for incredible variety and density. I then went south on Tenth and there on my left was Ford’s Theater. I visited the gift shop, but, unfortunately, the theater itself was still closed. So after a few minutes, I retraced my steps back to the Chinatown Metro Station and boarded the Red Line for Dupont Circle.

I took the very long subway escalator back to the surface. I am usually one who has a great sense of direction, but at Dupont Circle I was lost! I could not get my bearings on what was east, west or north. So I walked into the circle itself, but still could get no sense. (I had a really good map of the city in a magazine I had picked up at the airport, but hadn’t thought about looking through it. Doh!)

Finally, I realized that a walk down P Street would take me east toward Dupont Circle’s center of activity, 17th Street. I walked the three or so blocks and was finally there. It looked not a lot how I had imagined, so I started walking south from there. It became less neighborhood-y and more office-y until I realized that I was out of the Dupont Circle area all together and was actually in downtown. Being quite a few blocks from Dupont Circle and the nearest station, I decided to keep walking in the same direction just to see what I could see.

What I saw was a very clean and Europeanesque city full of very fit and well-to-do people rushing along with their lives. Every inch of land was developed to the city’s height limit. It was like nothing I had ever seen in this country.

I stumbled onto the Farragut West Metro Station and took the Blue Line back to the Federal Triangle Station, where I knew to get off and see the White House and its neighbors. (If I had looked at my map, I would have known that the Farragut West Station is just a couple of blocks north of the White House, so I could have simply walked there instead of taking a train that actually took me further away... Oh, well.)

I got back onto ground level at the Ronald Reagan Building. I checked a map and walked northwest toward the White House, surrounded by classic government buildings. I found Pennsylvania Avenue and decided to follow it to the White House. I found out, but was not surprised, from a Park official that all roads within a block of the building were closed. I would have to walk north on 15th Street back to Pennsylvania Avenue, where there are spectacular views of the White House from the north. I kept walking west toward 17th Street, where I was in the shadow of the stunning Old Executive Office Building. A walk south on 17th took me to the Ellipse, a large grassy field perfect for relaxation. But I think I saw more people conducting business there than resting.

There was a great southerly view of the White House there. And an even better view of the Washington Monument just a short walk to the south. Still an impressive structure, I was rather disappointed when I arrived to see an ugly, cream wooden fence surrounding the park. An unpainted plywood wall was at the monument itself. But, I guess this security is just something we have to get used to today.

Next was a walk down Independence Avenue just to the south of the National Mall to the Smithsonian Metro Station. There I caught the Orange Line to the Capitol South Station.

The Capitol was just a quick two block walk north of the station. The dome was truly impressive, as were the miles of columns and endless rows of steps out front. Unfortunately, a long cumbersome tour was the only way to see the inside of the Capitol. It was gated off as well; the steps in the front were even off limits. But the building was truly spectacular nonetheless.

From there I headed south on Third Avenue toward the Federal Center Metro Station. I got a little lost, but a parking attendant gave me great directions to the station. In a few minutes, I was back on the Metro. This time I hopped onto the Blue Line headed straight for the Rosslyn area of Arlington, Virginia.

Rosslyn is the capitol area’s only really tall urban skyline, as northern Virginia is not under the restrictions of the district’s strict height limit. I ascended above ground at the Rosslyn Center and made my way east along Wilson Boulevard toward Freedom Park, surrounded by the city’s modern skyscrapers. When I finally reached the park, I thought I had gone the wrong way. Then I looked up. Freedom Park was actually located on a skyway above the city streets, over Wilson Boulevard to the Twin Towers. It was a rather impressive sight.

I reboarded the Metro Blue Line back at the Rosslyn Center, headed toward Reagan National Airport. But I still had quite a bit of time before my flight. So I exited at the Arlington National Cemetery Station to relax and get some skyline views of Rosslyn.

I found myself at Memorial Drive right outside of the cemetery. Saving the cemetery for another trip, I walked east toward the historic Memorial Bridge. There, across the Potomac, was the Lincoln Memorial. Just to the north of my location was the lovely Rosslyn skyline. I relaxed on one of the many seating areas on the bridge watching the many joggers and bicyclists go by as departures from the National Airport flew above. It was the most relaxing point of the trip.

I reboarded the Blue Line, now very crowded with rush hour travelers, and arrived back at National Airport with more than enough time to make my 6:40 pm flight back home.