The Mount Vernon Trail is located just across the river from Downtown Washington, DC and is a great multi-use recreation trail. The recreational trail is nearly 18 miles long and it follows the Potomac's Virginia shoreline from Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington's Estate located at Mount Vernon. The excellent scenery and consistently well-maintained condition of this paved surface makes the Mount Vernon Trail a favorite of cyclists, hikers and runners.
Considering how much history there is in Washington and its surrounding areas, taking a walking tour will get you even closer to these venues and help you gain an even deeper insight to the lives of the people that shaped history. The Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center schedules various informative and detailed guided walking tours of historic Fairfax. Some of the highlights along the way include a handful of the city's oldest structures like the Gunnell House that dates back to 1830, the Old Fairfax Jail that originated back in 1891 and the Moore House that was originally constructed in 1840.
Deciding that you will take a day to see the Smithsonian Institution is allowing too little time, as the Institution is much wider in scope than you may have originally thought. It actually encapsulates 19 museums as well as the National Zoo, all home to must-see exhibits and attractions. Some of the more popular stops within the Smithsonian include the National Air and Space Museum, the national Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Indian. The depth and breadth of everything here justifies the time and space that it takes to see it all.
C & O Canal Boat Rides offers outdoor enthusiasts a chance to get closer to nature while learning some interesting history about the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It begins as a history lesson in the 1870s when these waterways were used for trade, and that era is highlighted as you pass several historic buildings as the tour progresses. Beautiful foliage and even some trails can be seen from the boat, as the 1 hour canal boat ride is both an historic and visually appealing experience sure to delight visitors who are out to learn as much as they can about this area of the country.