Meandering Through the Mall

As the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. is a great place to visit with a charter bus hired from Bus Charter Trips. A visit to the seat of the American government will give you and your group an insight into how this great nation of ours came to be.

Most sightseeing in Washington D.C. is centered on the National Mall. This unique national park is a huge green area in the center of Washington D.C. is the heart of the nation. Stretching for 2 miles from the White House in the south, to the U.S. Capitol Building in the east and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in the west, the National Mall has been witness to some of the greatest moments in modern American history.

The National Mall features the greatest concentration of museums, monuments, memorials and government buildings of any city in the United States. Many of its attractions are close to each other, and within walking distance. However, limited parking areas, and security concerns over parked vehicles, means that any kind of public parking in the area is limited to those who work there, or severely time limited. This is where traveling with a charter bus comes in handy, allowing you and your group to be dropped off, and picked up, at your own schedule and location.

Walking through the National Mall, the visitor may get easily confused about what to see, and where. Pick up a handy visitor’s map from any museum or hotel, and plan out where you wish to go, and what you would like to see. It is very unlikely that you will be able to finish the Mall in a day. For instance, if you wish to visit the Smithsonian, do note it is 19 separate buildings, spread across the mall, each concentrating on a specific subject. A museum curator visiting the Air and Space Museum spent 5 days reading each individual exhibit label. This will give you an idea of the scale of some of the buildings on the National Mall.

Most visitors start with the main monuments and memorials. The Washington Memorial with its 555 foot obelisk stands tall over the Mall. The Lincoln Memorial is another firm tourist favorite, having been seen in the background of many a movie. For a sombre experience, visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where it’s black granite walls etched with the names of U.S. servicemen who died in the conflict reflects on the sacrifice of war. You can pause by the Reflecting Pool, scene of many a protest and march by the people during the 60s.

As the day heats up, most visitors retreat into one of the many air conditioned museums along the Mall. Choices include the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, the Air and Space Museum, the family friendly Museum of African Art, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery which displays Asian art and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Plan your visit to Washington D.C. with Bus Charter Trips by giving us a call and find out about our friendly, personalized service.

by Bus Rental PA