OBAMA'S D.C. - Washington: Presidential Pad by Daphne Beames

Across the aisle a young couple chatted airily to a hostess. “How long is the flight to D.C.?” they asked.

We were on the ground at Tampa, Florida, en route from Miami to the ‘First City’ - a destination we had previously called Washington. Now we were learning that Americans always refer to their federal capital simply as ‘D.C.’ - Washington being reserved for a north-western state of the same name.

The ‘District of Columbia’, carved from Maryland and Virginia, belongs equally to each of the fifty States and is the custodian of a rich cultural history.

The National Airport is conveniently situated near downtown D.C. and approaching planes swoop low over the Potomac River on their descent - affording a unique view of the designer capital with its imperial architecture: impressive monuments ambitiously arranged on a grand scale. (This is the domestic terminal known as DCA. If you arrive on a long haul flight you will land 40 kms from the city centre - at Dulles Airport.)

The ‘National Mall’: a 2-mile long promenade links the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol. It is lined with buildings of shining marble, adorned by massive columns, water features and statues, and is flanked by the outstanding Smithsonian Museums. From the terrace of the Washington Monument there are panoramic views over an expensive cityscape: the green expanse of the Mall (snow-covered in winter) running from east to west, the White House rising in the north and the Potomac flowing to the south-west – with the distant fields of Virginia beyond.

A short taxi ride carried us to the Hay-Adams Hotel on Lafayette Park - just across from the White House. Formerly two adjacent homes belonging to President Lincoln’s Secretary (John Hay) and to Henry Adams, great-grandson of President John Adams - this gracious residence, with its crystal chandeliers and walnut panelled interior, is a classic treat: an island of traditional elegance amidst a frenetic whirlpool of political activity.

After breakfast at the hotel’s Lafayette Restaurant, we crossed the Square to visit the White House where security is tight; Marines stand guard and advance bookings are essential. This neo-classical mansion, supported by Grecian columns, is not only a world famous home but also a working administrative seat and the President may, at any time, be in his office.

The historic landmark, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been the official residence of every American President since George Washington - who approved the plans. Although still early in the day, the sidewalks were crowded with sightseers as we passed the Rose Garden and entered through the East Wing. Among the attractively decorated rooms to be viewed before exiting through the North Portico are: the Library, the Vermeil Room, the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room and the State Dining-room.

The East Room, with its classical décor, is the largest and most formal of the state reception rooms - its treasures include a famous, 1796 portrait of George Washington and a Steinway grand piano. The room has witnessed the Lying in State of seven Presidents including Abraham Lincoln - after the 1865 assassination - and John F. Kennedy in 1963. Next in line is the Green Drawing Room, furnished in the federal style and containing Sheraton antiques; while the oval Blue Room is decorated along French Empire lines - as is the elegant Red Room where the First Lady receives guests. The State Dining Room is resplendent in gold and cream and can seat 140 guests. Carved in the mantel, below a portrait of President Lincoln, is an inscription by John Adams: “I pray Heaven to Bestow the Best of Blessings on THIS HOUSE and on All that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under this Roof”.

The mansion is surrounded by a magnificent park containing rare and exotic trees - it is an evocative museum to the memory of every President. Visitors are welcome but foreign nationals need to contact their US Embassies for tickets.

We discovered a great way to see the sights of D.C. - simply board the ‘Old Town Trolley Bus’: a vivid, red people-carrier that circles all the major attractions. It really is too good to be true - just buy a day ticket and hop on and off at will.

All eyes are fixed on the commanding presence of a scene-stealer: the 258ft cast-iron dome crowning Capitol Hill and topped by Thomas Crawford’s statue of ‘Freedom’. Pierre L’Enfant, the 18th-century, French architect who planned the city, decreed that the then unfashionable ‘Jenkins Hill was ‘a pedestal in need of a monument’, and today, no building in D.C. may be more than thirteen stories high – ensuring that the Capitol remains the tallest edifice in town. All roads lead to this Renaissance Revival structure marking the centre of the District, and the White House is exactly 1-mile away. The two focal points are linked by a ceremonial street, Pennsylvania Avenue.

Elaborate re-construction is presently in progress on the hill and visitors may need to wait in line for entrance tickets, but the most amazing fact about the Capitol is that absolutely everyone is welcome.

Enter through the huge, bronze Columbus Doors at the top of the steps – opening into a massive, central vestibule: the ‘Rotunda’; and look up to view Brumidi’s magnificent fresco in the eye of the dome - ‘The Apotheosis of Washington’.

The North Wing houses the Senate. The semi-circular and half-domed Old Senate Chamber has been authentically restored in rich crimson and still retains the original, gilded eagle above the Vice-President’s chair as well as an original portrait of George Washington by Rembrandt Peale. The present Senate chamber (seating 100 Senators) is decorated in deep blue and, from the Gallery, visitors may hear debates in progress. The South Wing is the impressive home of the House of Representatives; it contains the fifty flags of the individual States and busts of famous law-makers (including Caesar and Napoleon I) circle the walls. A bird’s-eye view of proceedings can be gained from the Gallery. Free guided tours of the Capitol are conducted Mon – Sat.

Before leaving, visit the Supreme Court Building, the Library of Congress and the Senate Cafeteria - to taste the famous U.S. Senate ‘bean soup’.

Back on the ‘red bus’ we headed for the Mall where our next stop was the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This is literally where money is made and the self-guided tour traces the entire process of paper currency production. It is absorbing, if not enriching!

Born in France and educated at Oxford, James Smithson was the unlikely benefactor who provided the legacy for the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution: the largest museum complex in the world. The next best thing to a walk in Space is a visit to the ‘Air and Space Museum’. The evolution of Air and Space Technology is on display and here you can touch the Apollo II Moon Capsule; view the Saturn Rockets and Sky Lab; gaze at the Spirit of St. Louis, in which Charles Lindbergh flew the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic; and marvel at the Wright Brothers’ first plane. The exhibits are grandiose, awesome and not to be missed. (Open daily. Free.)

There are fourteen museums so choices must be made and we opted to explore the diverse National Museum of American History. This amazing show house traces the development of the United States through scientific, technological and cultural exhibits - from the original ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and a full gallery of Inaugural Ball gowns worn by the First Ladies to George Washington’s false teeth, old motor cars and early movie strips. (Open daily. Free.)

Other sensational trolley bus stops include: the Jefferson Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the Kennedy Centre, and the Lincoln Memorial.

From marshland to international showcase: this custom built city, in its spectacular setting, presides (on the 20th of January every fourth year) over an ostentatious inauguration ceremony for a newly elected President – the most powerful man in the world.