Hidden USA: The Capital Region

To outsiders, the Capital Region is often a confusing concept. ‘Is Washington, DC a state?’ is just about the most commonly asked question. (Answer: no, it’s a district – cue puzzlement). Then there’s what lies beyond America’s political centre. There is more to this region than the West Wing, something that is swiftly apparent as you explore DC and the packed states around it – particularly Maryland and Virginia.

Through DC runs the mighty Potomac River, with breathtaking mountains to the west, glistening bays and beaches to the east, and close to 300 years of history rammed in between. What’s more startling is that much of this lies within just an hour’s drive of the iconic Washington Monument.

In the far north of Virginia you’ll find Loudoun County. This is DC’s wine country: a rolling landscape of hills braided with vineyards and dotted with wineries and breweries. County seat Leesburg buzzes with hipster bars and restaurants in its downtown, while nearby Purcellville gives off more of a family-friendly, Norman Rockwell vibe.

The Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Lincoln Memorial at night in Washington D.C. (Shutterstock)

Never has there been a more misleading name. The National Mall is no shopping centre, but ‘America’s Front Yard’: 400 hectares of urban green space stretching from the Capitol building to the Potomac.

In some ways it’s a kind of collective memory bank. It’s here that you’ll find the iconic Lincoln Memorial, the towering Washington Memorial and the austere Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There are also 11 Smithsonian museums, displaying everything from the tattered garrison flag that inspired ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ to one of the first Apple Macintosh computers. The National Air and Space Museum just re-opened its west wing, while the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian fill in many of the blanks missing from older institutions, recognising, at last, the contributions these cultures have made. Entry to all DC Smithsonian museums is free.

USS Constellation docked at Inner Harbor (Alamy Stock Photo)

It says much about Baltimore that the city made world-famous as the focus of the gritty TV series The Wire also boasts the world’s largest public collection of Henri Matisse paintings. This is proudly on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art, just down the road from Johns Hopkins University.

Inner Harbor provides the city’s focal point, home to the National Aquarium, a Hard Rock Café and the esoteric American Visionary Art Museum, just across the way. Fell’s Point is a vibrant area of bars, cafés and shops; it also accommodates The Sound Garden, the birthplace of Record Store Day, when all the vinyl shops around the world celebrate their resilient niche.

The retro Camden Yards is home to the world-famous Orioles baseball team and, just around the corner, you’ll also find the birthplace of one of America’s biggest sporting stars, Babe Ruth – a museum marks the spot. There’s the new Sagamore Spirit distillery to see, which pumps out award-winning rye whiskey. Then finish with a plate of local soft-shell crab, which is to die for – especially when combined with an ice-cold ‘Natty Boh’ (National Bohemian), the iconic local lager.

Winery in Loudoun County (Shutterstock)

Loudoun County is where stressed-out politicos go to unwind. Barely an hour north-west of downtown DC, its low hills are dotted with historic towns, secluded hamlets and countless wineries, craft breweries and field-to-fork farms. There is even a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, known as ‘The Roller Coaster’ for the many small ridges and hollows that walkers power through.

On the cultural side, there’s an outdoor art trail in Leesburg, the annual LoCo Musicians Festival at the 868 Estate Vineyards and the Middleburg Film Festival, where Oscar-hopefuls tout their wares. But the reason city folk flock to LoCo for the weekend is more to do with what grows there.

For foodies, the bounty of what George Washington dubbed ‘The Breadbasket of the Revolution’ is not to be sniffed at – or rather it is. Follow the Loudoun Wine Trail, then, if you’re still standing, kick on to the LoCo Virginia Ale Trail. Finish with a farm-to-table feast at Patowmack Farm, or simply head to downtown historic Leesburg and sample all of the above in its many hipster bars and restaurants.

Streets of Alexandria (Alamy Stock Photo)

George Washington laid out the original street plans for Alexandriain 1749. Close to 300 years later, this charming colonial city is still best explored by foot: leafy King Street is recognised as one of the ‘Great Streets of America’; Captain’s Row, on Prince Street, offers a serene pocket of cobblestones and colourful Federal-style houses; and historic Carlyle House and Market Square exude a stately grace.

The city is also steeped in African American history, which is best explained on the Black history walking tour that starts at the sobering Freedom House Museum. Afterwards, drop in on Intertribal Creatives on N Lee Street, which celebrates Indigenous art and culture, to see another side to the city.

There’s no shortage of eateries to fuel your endeavours. Start with breakfast at Bob & Edith’s, an old-school diner near the station. Lunch at Augie’s Mussel House and Beer Garden, halfway along King Street. And finish at BARCA, right on the Potomac, where you can enjoy tapas and gaze over to where the sun sets over the Capitol building barely a half-dozen kilometres upriver.

George Washington’s plantation, Mount Vernon (Shutterstock)

Just 24km from DC and home to the most dramatic falls on the Potomac River, the 323-hectare Great Falls Park in Virginia serves up a multitude of walking trails, rapids (classes 5–6) and what’s left of the Patowmack Canal, built under George Washington and one of the earliest examples of a lock system in the US. Indigenous American petroglyphs are etched into the cliffs above the tumultuous falls and the picnic areas are perfect for an All-American grill-up. And that flash of red? It’s probably a cardinal, Virginia’s striking state bird.

Nate and Sarah Walsh are the ‘It Couple’ of the Loudoun County viticulture scene, farming 21 hectares of wine grapes across six distinct sites to produce world-class vintages. Their Walsh Family wine is best experienced in their sun-drenched tasting room in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and ideally soundtracked by a vinyl record chosen from their vast and eclectic selection. Make sure you try ‘What Will The Women Drink?’, a cheeky riposte to a visitor who thought their wines might be a little too complex for the ladies. It’s delicious.

To understand modern America, visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Just 25km south of the capital, the former plantation is both a shrine to the iconic founding father and a paean to American exceptionalism. Watch a 4D spectacular at the Revolutionary War Theater, gaze upon Washington’s dentures (made from animal and human teeth), marvel at Martha’s bold interior-decorating choices in the restored mansion, and then consider the other side of life here with a visit to the slave cemetery, where a memorial to the plantation’s indentured workers is finally granting them the recognition they deserve.

Washington Monument, Washington D.C. (Shutterstock)

Geography: Capital Region consists of Washington, DC and the states of Virginia and Maryland.

Getting there: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) welcomes daily non-stop flights from London Heathrow with British Airways, American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Flights cost from £492 one way and take eight hours. If you fly in from elsewhere in the US, you’ll likely land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is more conveniently located – only four metro stops from the rail links of Union Station.

Getting around: Public transport is a viable way of getting about in the Capital Region, especially with a SmarTrip® Card. This can be used on the Metrorail, Metrobus, DC Circulator and bus networks in Virginia and Maryland. In Baltimore, water taxis are an affordable way to reach waterfront locations such as Federal Hill and Fell’s Point. A single adult ticket costs $12 (£11); a $20 (£18.25) pass gives you unlimited rides for a day. In Alexandria, a free trolley bus shuttles King Street, linking the train station and waterfront. Uber and Lyft are the local ride-sharing apps of choice.

Deals: Alexandria’s Key to the City pass offers discounts on various sites and activities, including free entry to Carlyle House Historic Park and Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, plus a 40% discount on Hornblower Water Taxi cruises and entry to Mount Vernon.