USA Guide
The Capital Region
The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and the four surrounding states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are collectively known as the Capital Region. Since the days of the first American colonies, US history has been shaped here, from the Jamestown landings to agitation for independence, to the battles of the Revolutionary and Civil wars to 1960s Civil Rights milestones, to protest movements on issues including war, abortion, and gay rights.
Washington DC, itself, with its magnificent monumental architecture, is an essential stop on any tour of the region, or of the country in general. Virginia, to the south, is home to hundreds of historic sites, from the estates of revolutionary leaders and early politicians to the Colonial capital of Williamsburg. Great expanses of wilderness, crashing whitewater rivers, and innumerable backwoods villages await you in less-visited West Virginia.
Most tourists come to Maryland for the maritime traditions of Chesapeake Bay, though many of its quaint old villages have been gentrified by weekend pleasure-boaters. Baltimore is full of character, enjoyably unpretentious if a bit ramshackle (it has a phenomenal concentration of bars in its grand old Fell's Point district), while Annapolis, the pleasant state capital, is linked by bridge and ferry to the Eastern Shore. New Castle, across the border in Delaware, is a perfectly preserved colonial-era town; nearby are some of the East Coast's best and least crowded beaches.
Highlights
1 National Gallery of Art, Washington DC One of the country's premier institutions for art and culture, laid out in spacious, elegant surroundings on the National Mall.
2 Georgetown, Washington DC Though now part of Washington, this eighteenth-century neighbourhood long predates the capital and draws visitors with its architecture, dining, and shopping.
3 Colonial Williamsburg, VA This close replica of colonial America, apothecaries and all, makes for a fun and interesting trip.
4 Monticello, VA Thomas Jefferson's home is for many as much an architectural icon as it is a symbol of democracy.
5 The du Pont Mansions, DE Wilmington is the site of some of the East Coast's greatest, most palatial mansions, once owned by the industrialist du Pont family, and now open to the public.
6 New River Gorge, WV A spectacular river canyon with a 1000-foot chasm carved in steep-walled limestone cliffs – one of the country's outstanding natural attractions.