With the green hills and countryside of north Virginia and southern Maryland on its doorstep, this major international airport serves an attractive rural area – as well as the bustling urban metropolis of Washington and its surroundings. The airport, named after former Secretary of State John Dulles, is around a 30-mile drive east of the US capital city.
The Capital of the USA
You can take the State Route 267 into the heart of Washington, which is around a 40-minute drive. Here, you can see the headquarters of the three branches of the US government: the White House, where the President and the executive are based; the Congress, where the lawmakers reside and the Supreme Court, which is the home of the judiciary. You’ll be able to tour these grand historic buildings, plus landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, set among leafy formal gardens.
The attractions of Washington, D.C
When in Washington, D.C, you can discover hugely entertaining interactive displays about the real world of espionage at the International Spy Museum and poke your tongue out at wax figures of famous Americans at the Washington Madame Tussauds. Get outside and explore the parks of this riverside city, including the wonderful Rock Creek Park. Look out too for a vast array of shops, from the antique stalls of Capitol Hill to the high-end designer outlets.
The state of Virginia
In the centre of the state of Virginia, you’ll find the rolling hills of the idyllic Piedmont area, and further west it’s easy to explore the impressive Appalachian Mountains. And you’re only a short drive from one of the natural marvels of the east coast, the Shenandoah National Park. You’ll be able to lose yourself in this vast natural wilderness. There are 500 miles of hiking trails and, if you’ve got a hire car, a renowned 105-mile Skyline Drive winding across the hills through the centre of the park.
