36 Hours In Washington DC

The US capital offers a spirited culinary scene amid a swirl of cultural sights, history and discovery, says Robert Draper.

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THOSE VISITING THE

US capital for the first time in a decade or so are in for a pleasant surprise.

No longer does the city derisively referred to as “the swamp” by its inhabitant in chief have the starchy, insular appearance of a white male fief. As a destination, Washington today possesses a dynamism that, along with its fabled history, qualifies it as a great American city.

It’s now entirely possible to spend a couple of memorable days here without once eating a New York strip steak or darkening a marble corridor. Check those boxes on your first visit, then come back for more.

Friday 

3pm: History of struggle 

Since its opening in September 2016, the city’s hottest draw has been the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall. The museum’s immense collection is well worth the long lines. The artefacts — including Nat Turner’s Bible, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and the first edition of Booker T. Washington’s 1907 book The Negro in Business — are themselves impressive. But the three-tiered layout lends the feeling of a journey, by turns painful and triumphant. The path ends with a moving video collection of contemporary African-Americans reflecting on their life experiences.

Free admission; walk-up tickets are available on weekdays starting at 1pm.

6.30 pm: Laid-back deliciousness