The capital of the United States is home to the main symbols of democracy - the Capitol and the White House, and the suburbs of Washington are a whole complex of parks and dozens of world-class attractions. To visit the main city of the States means to feel the spirit of America and try to understand why this country invariably attracts the views and thoughts of millions.
Tobacco port
This small town, 10 kilometers from the capital of the United States, appeared in the 17th century and was founded by English colonists. There were huge tobacco warehouses here, and the port on the Potomac River, which flows into the ocean, served as a transshipment point for sending the valuable product to the Old World.
A shameful spot in the history of this suburb of Washington was the existence of a huge slave market here, providing labor for the plantations of New Orleans and Mississippi.
The Historic District of Alexandria is a true open-air museum. Old mansions alternate with antique shops, and the best restaurants are housed in authentic buildings. A metro line connects the suburbs with Washington, DC, and the observation deck at the Lincoln Masonic National Memorial offers great views of the US capital.
Famous pentagon
In one of the suburbs of Washington, the US Department of Defense, called the Pentagon, is located. The building in the form of a regular pentagon firmly holds the title of the largest office on the planet, because about 26 thousand employees work within its walls:
- The construction of the Pentagon building was completed in 1943 and took only two years.
- The length of the perimeter of the pentagon exceeds 1400 meters, and the total area of five floors is 600 thousand meters.
- The Pentagon's corridor system is designed in such a way that even the most remote location can be reached in less than seven minutes.
- The building has its own metro station and a shopping gallery.
To presidents and astronauts
A popular tourist destination in the suburbs of Washington is Arlington National Cemetery. Many famous Americans are buried here, whose contribution to the development of the country turned out to be worthy of national memory. They can be members of the military and their families, presidents and individuals who have the most important awards in the United States.
At Arlington National Cemetery, you can visit the graves of D. F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline, composer Glen Miller, some famous astronauts, including Charles Peter Conrad, who was the third to set foot on the lunar surface.
