USA & Mexico 2024

Visiting Washington DC means seeing select landmarks as a must, and enhancing your stay with some more peripheral sightseeing. Although I had visited the capital of the modern empire less than two years before, notable changes can still be felt, and seen. The Capitol, a stunning marble sight cresting the Mall’s eastern hill, had yellowed and lost its sheen, most likely a result of the elements prior to what must be regular cleans. The walkway surrounding the Lincoln memorial was barricaded off, and the White House, its south fence already unapproachable on my last visit due to further barriers, had even its Ellipse and national Christmas tree inaccessible for most of my stay.

That being said, the aforementioned peripheries of Washington DC are definitely worth a visit. I saw these for the first time and found each location wholly enjoyable; the Library of Congress proudly stands afore Capitol Hill with an impressive inner décor, the Botanic Gardens replicate environments from around the world with realistic atmospheric control, and the Washington Monument, with free access, allows one to see what must be all of District Columbia from its apex.

You’ll find a voluminous collection of European and American art, furniture, and sculpture in the National Gallery of Art ranging across centuries of history, enough for more than a day’s viewing. The Air and Space Museum had been renovating its east wing two years ago when I last came, and was still working on it now, meaning its accessible moon rock was, unfortunately, still unavailable.

Locals advised us to pay a visit to Georgetown, a luxurious and historical municipality boasting a wide collection of coffeeshops and a perfect replica of Paris’ Notre Dame with the National Cathedral. Seeing a gothic European behemoth standing in the United States, a young country of only some two and a half centuries, was a pleasant surprise.

If you happen to visit the west coast, namely San Diego, it is less than half an hour’s drive to the border, then unto Mexico. Be advised that anybody can leave the country this way, but without documentation you will not be able to return, so travel with your passport. A little over an hour’s drive south and you’ll reach Ensenada, a quaint town clearly catered for tourists but enjoyable nonetheless. Baja California, the Mexican side of the Californian peninsula, is renowned for its wineries, and after taking a wine-tasting tour to its valley with olive oil trying thrown in as well, I can declare that it deserves the recognition it gets. Back in Ensenada, we were even graced with a demonstration of authentic salsa making.

With our flight delayed in San Diego, we were able to see what this southern American city had to offer. And although the San Diego Zoo with its generous collection of animals from all around the world, and the Maritime Museum with real historical galleys used in Hollywood productions, entertained us for two days, you would do best to steer clear of this city as a whole if your flight goes back across the Pacific. Most planes travel west from either Los Angeles or San Francisco, and the drastic weather changes affecting the country, with evening fog in the west and blizzards in the east, meant that planes either couldn’t land, take-off, or were waiting for crew to arrive from another city to man them. Of course, unpredictable weather isn’t year-round in the United States, but it can make for a trip that overstays its welcome both temporally and monetarily.

As a whole, America delights in puffing its chest through Hollywood when it comes to depicting its quality of life. Ergo, many foreigners picture an almost fantastical representation of what this nation has to offer (I should know, I used to be one of them). You’ll never be bored when it comes to food and drink, as there are a myriad options in a colonial country such as this. The cities, although, obviously, lacking much historical sightseeing, are still spectacular vistas to look at and visit, and with 188 flags (though I am sure there are more) counted during my visit to Washington, American national pride can always be felt. Despite their humble beginnings, it can indeed be confidently said that the United States have built themselves a striking nation with a cultural influence that spans well beyond its borders.