Washington, D.C., is the nation's capital and a city steeped in history. It is home to the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Smithsonian Institution museum complex, famous statues and monuments, and fantastic dining. Moreover, the city has a great public transit system.There are several things to do in Washington, D.C., to keep visiting seniors occupied and entertained.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is one of the nation's premiere art museums, created by financier Andrew Mellon, who willed his extensive art collection to the new museum that had been built with his money. The museum has a large collection including works by Rembrandt and Titian, by popular impressionists such as Degas, Cezanne and Monet, and by modern icons such as Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. The museum offers a variety of free lectures throughout the day, and audio tours are available for many of the rotating exhibits. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Smithsonian Museum Complex
Affectionately called "The Nation's Attic," the Smithsonian houses national and world treasures in a collection of museums around the city. The Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Museum of American History are just a handful of the buildings popular with visitors and locals alike. The museums are open every day but Christmas. The museums and sculpture gardens are all handicapped-accessible.
National Arboretum
The arboretum is a 446-acre tract of rolling landscape serving as a horticultural research area where the public can freely roam. The grounds are divided into different sections according to foliage, including the azalea collection, the dogwood collection, the fern valley and the national grove of state trees, among others. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is one of the arboretum's highlights, where guests can observe a variety of bonsai trees, many of which are hundreds of years old. A long network of roads allows guests access to all of the sections, and many areas have manicured and gently sloping paths for easy access on foot.
Walking Tours
The city is home to a number of walking tours, many of which have different themes, such as "Memorials by Moonlight" and "The Most Haunted Houses." There are also walking tours through neighborhoods such as Georgetown. These guided tours are great for learning information that goes beyond what you find in the standard guidebooks.
Dining
An international and dynamic city such as Washington has a wide variety of restaurants to choose from, ranging from healthy to indulgent. The Dupont Circle area features fare from Greece, Italy and Southeast Asia, while the touristy Georgetown area has local favorites as well as some chain restaurants. Celebrity chefs abound in this city, and Jose Andres's Oyamel and Michele Richard's Citronelle are popular dining spots.
