Day 54 The Ultimate USA Road Trip Warrenton Washington DC
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 13-02-2023
Route Summary I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Warrenton to Washington DXC. This ride is full of historical sights, which is why the ride is short, just under 180 kilometers.
We drive on beautiful winding roads through Virginia to District of Columbia. There are a number of beautiful stops planned along the route and you can combine it with a few days in beautiful Washington DC. I rate this route with 5 stars.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
10h 0m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
183.98 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Our first visit is planned to the National Museum of the Marine Corps located in Triangle near the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. This is the United States Marine Corps Historical Museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is one of the top tourist attractions in Virginia, with over 500,000 visitors each year. In July 2013, the museum announced plans for a major expansion, with sections on the more modern history of the Marine Corps, such as the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, and a martial arts gallery and a global war on terror gallery.
Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps base occupying nearly 22,317 hectares (55,148 acres) of southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County. MCB Quantico is not open to the public and is mainly used for training purposes and is known as the "Crossroads of the Marine Corps". The US Marine Corps Combat Development Command, which develops the strategies and is the largest part of the community of more than 12,000 military and civilian personnel (including families), is stationed here. The Marine Corps Brig, a military prison, was also located at Quantico, until its closure on December 31, 2011, and subsequent demolition. The FBI Academy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's main research and training facility, and the main training facility for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are also located on the base.
In 2001, the base with its 122 buildings was designated by the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Quantico Marine Corps Base Historic District.
After lunch we drive to the beautiful Mount Vernon estate, once owned by George and Martha Washington. A large part of the estate was gradually returned to the public and family after their deaths at the request of George and Martha.
Mount Vernon was a vibrant plantation in the 18th century and is now one of the most visited historic sites in the country. Visit the manor house and more than a dozen historic buildings, such as the blacksmith shop, stables and much more. There are two museums with over 700 artifacts. You can wander through the four gardens or watch costumed actors reenact life on Mount Vermont in days gone by. There is also a fully working grist mill and distillery.
We ride the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac River north towards Washington DC, with a stop in beautiful Alexandria, where we visit the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront, buzzing with more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques next to intimate historical museums and happenings right on the water. As a visitor you can enjoy the beautiful city center with beautifully preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. Founded in 1749, this historic city offers plenty of entertainment and is easily accessible from Washington by water taxi, subway and bicycle sharing, making it a popular tourist attraction.
We continue to Washington DC, the capital of the United States, which we enter via the Arlington Memorial Bridge which is the western end of the National Mall. Arlington Memorial Bridge is a neoclassical arch bridge of masonry, steel and stone with a central bascule, or drawbridge, spanning the Potomac River. Built in 1932, the bridge was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, decorated with monumental statues of courage and sacrifice by sculptor Leo Friedlander.
The Arts of War and Peace Sculptures are on the other side of the bridge and from that point you can also see the back of the "Lincoln Memorial", a national monument built in honor of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Shaped like a Greco-Doric temple, the building contains a large, seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and inscriptions of two of Lincoln's famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address.
The next stop is at Constitution Gardens, which features the famous Vietnam Veterans Memorial, honoring United States Armed Forces soldiers who served in the Vietnam War. The site is dominated by two black granite walls inscribed with the names of the servicemen who died or remain missing due to their service in Vietnam and Southeast Asia during the war. This memorial "The Wall" was completed in 1982 and has since been supplemented by the statue "The Three Soldiers" in 1984 and the Vietnam Women's Memorial in 1993. This is a sanctuary for veterans, family, friends and many others to remember the fallen to honor and commemorate, it is a very impressive monument, where many give free rein to the emotions.
Along the last 5 kilometers to the end point you will see many beautiful buildings that can be visited, such as;
• The Washington Monument, an obelisk-shaped building commemorating George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775-1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the first president of the United States (1789-1797).
• The White House, the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States.
• The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), it is part of the Smithsonian Institution Museum. It was established in December 2003 and opened with a ceremony presided over by President Barack Obama in September 2016. The NMAAHC is the world's largest museum dedicated to African-American history and culture and has more than 40,000 objects in its collection, although only about 3,500 items are on display.
• The National Museum of American History. The Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the United States' heritage of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history in this museum. One of the items on display is the original Star-Spangled Banner.
• The National Museum of Natural History operated by the Smithsonian Institution. Opened in 1910, the museum was one of the first Smithsonian buildings built exclusively to house the national collections and research facilities. The museum's collections contain more than 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts.
• The US National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I. The National Archives building contains original copies of the three most important documents of the United States and its government: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important US historical documents . These are on public display in the main room of the National Archives, which is called the Rotunda for the Charters of Liberty.
• The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, the most recent addition to the National Gallery of Art. Completed and opened to the public on May 23, 1999, the venue provides a park for displaying various pieces from the museum's collection of contemporary sculpture. The collection is centered around a fountain that is converted into an ice skating rink from December to March. Adjacent to the garden is the open-air Paviljoen Café.
• The National Art Gallery. The museum was privately established in 1937 and is open to the public free of charge. The core collection includes major works of art donated by Paul Mellon, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Samuel Henry Kress, Rush Harrison Kress, Peter Arrell Browne Widener, Joseph E. Widener and Chester Dale, the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in America and the largest mobile made by Alexander Calder.
• The Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain, which is a bronze fountain sculpture by Sidney Waugh as a memorial to Andrew W. Mellon, who donated the art and money to build the National Gallery of Art.
• The Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, honoring Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization for Union veterans. The bronze figures were sculpted by J. Massey Rhind, a prominent 20th-century artist. Attendees at the 1909 dedication ceremony included President William Howard Taft, Senator William Warner, and hundreds of Union veterans. The memorial is one of eighteen Civil War memorials in Washington DC
• The United States Navy Memorial, honoring those who have served or are serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Navy. Associated with the monument is the Naval Heritage Center, which offers spaces for rent and is open all year round.
• The J. Edgar Hoover Building, headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), a United States domestic intelligence and security agency and the primary federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the authority of the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is also a member of the U.S. intelligence community, reporting to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence.
When staying in DC, be sure to visit The National Mall (aka just The Mall), which is the area between the Capitol and the Washington Monument in Washington with gardens, fountains, trees, flowerbeds, and monuments open to the public. The extended stretch between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial is also generally considered part of the Mall, although it is officially part of the Constitution Gardens.
The buildings on the National Mall are part of the cultural and political center of the United States.
The National Mall is home to the following museums and landmarks:
• Washington Memorial
• National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Gallery of Art, sculpture garden
• West Building of the National Gallery of Art
• East building of the National Gallery of Art
• Capitol
• Memorial to Ulysses S. Grant
• United States Botanical Garden
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Air and Space Museum
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• Arts and Industries Building
• Smithsonian Institution Building ("The Castle")
• Freer Gallery of Art
• Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
• National Museum of African Art
The end point of this beautiful day is in Washington DC's Penn Quarter and Chinatown, a vibrant neighborhood with sports bars, music venues, restaurants and shopping centers. Plan a few days in this beautiful city with its many attractions and, as mentioned, visit the National Mall, with its rich history. In addition to the sights already mentioned in this review, a visit to the International Spy Museum and the Newseum, a high-tech exhibition about journalism, is definitely worth it. The Verizon Center offers basketball, ice hockey and concerts. So enjoy one or two days in the capital of the USA.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Maryland
About this region
Maryland (US: MERR-ə-lənd) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. Baltimore is the largest city in the state and the capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. It is named after the English Queen Henrietta Maria, known in England as Queen Mary, who was the wife of King Charles I.Before its coastline was explored by Europeans in the 16th century, Maryland was inhabited by several groups of Native Americans – mostly by the Algonquin, and to a lesser degree by the Iroquois and Siouian. As one of the original Thirteen Colonies of England, Maryland was founded by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, a Catholic convert who sought to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England. In 1632, Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore a colonial charter, naming the colony after his wife, Queen Mary (Henrietta Maria of France). Unlike the Pilgrims and Puritans, who rejected Catholicism in their settlements, Lord Baltimore envisioned a colony where people of different religious sects would coexist under the principle of toleration. Accordingly, in 1649 the Maryland General Assembly passed an Act Concerning Religion, which enshrined this principle by penalizing anyone who "reproached" a fellow Marylander based on religious affiliation. Nevertheless, religious strife was common in the early years, and Catholics remained a minority, albeit in greater numbers than in any other English colony.
Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Chesapeake Bay. Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco. Britain's need for cheap labor led to a rapid expansion of indentured servants, penal labor, and African slaves. In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Maryland was an active participant in the events leading up to the American Revolution, and by 1776, its delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. Many of its citizens subsequently played key political and military roles in the war. In 1790, the state ceded land for the establishment of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.
Although then a slave state, Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War, its strategic location giving it a significant role in the conflict. After the Civil War, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution, driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015, Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, higher education, healthcare, and biotechnology. The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita.
Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature. In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.
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Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Chesapeake Bay. Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco. Britain's need for cheap labor led to a rapid expansion of indentured servants, penal labor, and African slaves. In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Maryland was an active participant in the events leading up to the American Revolution, and by 1776, its delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. Many of its citizens subsequently played key political and military roles in the war. In 1790, the state ceded land for the establishment of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.
Although then a slave state, Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War, its strategic location giving it a significant role in the conflict. After the Civil War, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution, driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015, Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, higher education, healthcare, and biotechnology. The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita.
Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature. In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.
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Route Collections in this region Ultimate USA road trip part 06
Michel van Hagen challenged me to follow the Roadtrip of Dr. Randy Olsen as a basis to create the Ultimate USA Road Trip for the MyRoute app RouteXpert Library. I took up that challenge and started in February 2022.
The scientist Dr. Randy Olsen, who became known for using his knowledge of algorithms to find 'Waldo' in the well-known American 'Where's Waldo' book series, has been challenged by Tracy Staedter, from Discovery News, to use the same algorithm to create the perfect Road Trip by creating the US, which will visit almost every state in the US. Alaska and Hawaii are not included in this Road Trip due to their geographical location.
The following three requirements formed the basis of the route: In all 48 countries there must be at least one stop at famous points, monuments, historical sites, national parks, etc. I have added additional interesting points, beautiful tours and routes.
After more than 26 months, the job is finished and, with a lot of support from Nick Carthew, I have created 129 routes that run through the 48 states of the USA and part of Canada. This is the sixth collection that takes you from Kill Devil Hills in ten days through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island to Salem, Massachusetts.
The scientist Dr. Randy Olsen, who became known for using his knowledge of algorithms to find 'Waldo' in the well-known American 'Where's Waldo' book series, has been challenged by Tracy Staedter, from Discovery News, to use the same algorithm to create the perfect Road Trip by creating the US, which will visit almost every state in the US. Alaska and Hawaii are not included in this Road Trip due to their geographical location.
The following three requirements formed the basis of the route: In all 48 countries there must be at least one stop at famous points, monuments, historical sites, national parks, etc. I have added additional interesting points, beautiful tours and routes.
After more than 26 months, the job is finished and, with a lot of support from Nick Carthew, I have created 129 routes that run through the 48 states of the USA and part of Canada. This is the sixth collection that takes you from Kill Devil Hills in ten days through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island to Salem, Massachusetts.
View Route Collection