Best places to visit: Washington, DC

Washington, DC is the capital of the United States of America. The city is blessed with some of the best museums and art galleries in the world, as well as gorgeous parks and a fantastic selection of high quality restaurants.

All trips to Washington are focused on \"the Mall\". Here is where the focus of all the museums are. All of them are worth a visit. The National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum (kids seem to love this one), the National Gallery of Art, the US holocaust Museaum and the National Museum of American history are the favourites. Note that the US holocaust museum can be a quite scary for little kids, but it\'s a good education for them at the same time. Another tip, if you enjoy IMAX movies, book your tickets in advance for the IMAX showings at the National Air and Space museum as they sell out quick.

There are really four must see monuments to look at while in Washington. The Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington memorials are all on the mall and are definitely worth the visit. Just visiting these four monuments will take a least a 1/2 day and will involve alot of walking. The Korean war and Vietnam war memorials are also worth a visit if you have the time.

Everyone wants a picture of the White House. A synonymous image with the USA. Expect to see a ton of security around the building. While the White House is open for visitors, you need to plan at least 3 months in adavance. The only way to arrange a tour is through local congress if you are American, or through your embassy if you are not American. The work is definately worth it though to be able to see for yourself what the inside looks like.

At the east end of the Mall stands the gorgeous Captiol building. The visitor center was recently renovated and is now a amazing facility. Take a tour and see American democracy at work. I actually think this building is more impressive than the White House. If you have time, stop off at the Library of Congress just behind the Capitol to the east for the largest library in the world. Take the free hourly tours available to see everything.

Further in the east end you will find the Spy Museum and the FBI building. If you only have time for one of these, I would recommend the FBI building. Especially interesting is the live range shooting demonstration put on at the end of the tour! See the FBI 10 most wanted, learn about the history of the FBI, all interesting stuff. The spy museum is interesting if you are interested in that kind of thing. They have sections detailing how spies are trained, bios on spies throughout history, etc. I would recommend getting tickets in advance for the Spy Museum as well.

Across the river from the core area of Washington, lies the Arlington National Cemetery. These gorgeous grounds are the backdrop to a sombre location where many of presidents are laid to rest (including John F. Kennedy) as well as the countless soldiers who\'ve fought for America over the years. The Kennedy graves and the Tomb of the Unknown soldier are popular locations to visit while here. There is a bus tour that runs through the grounds, if you don\'t take it, expect alot of walking.

This restaurant serving Mediterranean inspired food got a boost by it\'s head chef appearing on the Bravo television show \"Top Chef\". The space is still beautiful and has retained it\'s hip feel. The inspired food is served tapas style so you\'ll have a chance to try many different dishes.

This restaurant is a staple of the north side of Washington. President Obama made an appearance here when he first showed up in Washington. The chilli is definitely worth the hype. Cheap and delicious is always a good combination. From this writer\'s perspective, the classic chilli is still the best.

Specializing in baked goods and you guessed it - bread, the Bread Line is an excelled spot for a quick lunch. Try to avoid the lunch hour though as the crowds become quite huge. The best baguettes and a multitude of sandwich choices greet patrons. Everything is made fresh on the premises and the taste really shows it.

Washington is blessed with many quality African restaurants. Meskerem is my favourite. Their decor is nice and bright and your dishes come family style accompanied with thin sourdough bread. Ask the servers for suggestions if it\'s your first time with this type of food, but everything is delicious. My favourite here is the kitfo, a tasty beef dish that needs to be tasted to believe!

I hope this brief guide of places to visit in Washington and a few nice places to eat was useful. Washington is really a wonderful place to visit with so much history and so many places to see. You really need a week here if you enjoy museums especially.