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Continental Airlines Flights from London, Great Britain (LHR) to Washington (IAD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Continental Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from London, Great Britain (LHR) to Washington (IAD) regularly scheduled to depart at 12:00pm and arrive at 3:25pm. Usually an Airbus A340-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from London, Great Britain to Washington, DC is 8 hours and 25 minutes.
During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Korean War Veterans Memorial
This privately funded memorial, founded in 1995, honors those who served in Korea, a 3-year conflict (1950-53) that produced almost as many casualties as Vietnam. It consists of a circular "Pool of Remembrance" in a grove of trees and a triangular "Field of Service," highlighted by lifelike statues of 19 infantrymen, who appear to be trudging across fields. In addition, a 164-foot-long black-granite wall depicts the array of combat and support troops that served in Korea (nurses, chaplains, airmen, gunners, mechanics, cooks, and others); a raised granite curb lists the 22 nations that contributed to the U.N.'s effort there; and a commemorative area honors KIAs, MIAs, and POWs. Plan to spend 15 minutes for viewing. Limited parking is available along Ohio Drive.Tip: If you don't mind a walk, try to snag a parking spot along West Basin Drive near the FDR Memorial; the Korean War and the Vietnam War Veterans memorials, as well as the Lincoln Memorial, are then all within reach.
Anacostia Museum and Center for African-American History and Culture
This museum is inconveniently located, but that's because it was initially created in 1967 as a neighborhood museum (which makes it unique among the Smithsonian branches). It's devoted to the African-American experience, focusing on Washington, D.C., and the Upper South. The permanent collection includes about 7,000 items, ranging from videotapes of African-American church services to art, sheet music, historic documents, textiles, glassware, and anthropological objects. In addition, the Anacostia produces a number of shows each year and offers a comprehensive schedule of free educational programs and activities in conjunction with exhibit themes. Allow about an hour here.
Washington National Cathedral
Pierre L'Enfant's 1791 plan for the capital city included "a great church for national purposes," but possibly because of early America's fear of mingling church and state, more than a century elapsed before the foundation for Washington National Cathedral was laid. Its actual name is the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The church is Episcopal, but it has no local congregation and seeks to serve the entire nation as a house of prayer for all people. It has been the setting for every kind of religious observance, from Jewish to Serbian Orthodox.A church of this magnitude -- it's the sixth largest cathedral in the world, and the second largest in the U.S. -- took a long time to build. Its principal (but not original) architect, Philip Hubert Frohman, worked on the project from 1921 until his death in 1972. The foundation stone was laid in 1907 using the mallet with which George Washington set the Capitol cornerstone. Construction was interrupted by both world wars and by periods of financial difficulty. The cathedral was completed with the placement of the final stone on the west front towers on September 29, 1990, 83 years (to the day) after it was begun.English Gothic in style (with several distinctly 20th-century innovations, such as a stained-glass window commemorating the flight of Apollo 11 and containing a piece of moon rock), the cathedral is built in the shape of a cross, complete with flying buttresses and 110 gargoyles. It is, along with the Capitol and the Washington Monument, one of the dominant structures on the Washington skyline. Its 57-acre landscaped grounds have two lovely gardens (the lawn is ideal for picnicking), four schools, a greenhouse, and two gift shops.Over the years the cathedral has seen much history. Services to celebrate the end of World Wars I and II were held here. It was the scene of President Wilson's funeral (he and his wife are buried here), as well as President Eisenhower's. Helen Keller and her companion, Anne Sullivan, were buried in the cathedral at her request. And during the Iranian crisis, a round-the-clock prayer vigil was held in the Holy Spirit Chapel throughout the hostages' captivity. When they were released, the hostages came to a service here. President Bush's National Prayer and Remembrance service on September 14, 2001, following the cataclysm of September 11, was held here.The best way to explore the cathedral is to take a 30- to 45-minute guided tour; they leave continually from the west end of the nave. You can also walk through on your own, using a self-guiding brochure available in several languages. Call about group and special-interest tours, both of which require reservations and fees (tel. 202/537-5700). Allow additional time to tour the grounds or "close" and to visit the Observation Gallery, where 70 windows provide panoramic views. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon tours are followed by a high tea in the Observation Gallery for $22 per person; reservations required. Call tel. 202/537-8993.The cathedral hosts numerous events: organ recitals; choir performances; an annual flower mart; calligraphy workshops; jazz, folk, and classical concerts; and the playing of the 53-bell carillon. Check the cathedral's website for schedules.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Washington area, including:
Hay-Adams Hotel
An extensive $18 million renovation completed in spring 2002 was the Hay-Adams's first major refurbishment in its 75-year history. Some improvements, like the new heating and air-conditioning system and structural changes that make the hotel accessible to guests with disabilities, were long overdue. Other improvements, like the modernized kitchen, are invisible to guests. Whether or not you've stayed at the Hay-Adams before, you'll appreciate the hotel's elegant decor of sage green, off-white, beige, and gold tones, the CD players, high-speed and wireless Internet access, custom European linens, new furnishings (the hotel donated its old furniture to local homeless shelters), and thermostats in each room.But the best of the Hay-Adams remains much the same. The hotel still offers the best views in town. Reserve a room on the sixth through eighth floors on the H Street side of the hotel (or as low as the second floor in winter, when the trees are bare), pull back the curtains from the windows, and voilà! -- you get a full frontal view of Lafayette Square, the White House, and the Washington Monument in the background. (You'll pay more for rooms with these views.) The view from rooms facing 16th Street isn't bad, either: Windows overlook the yellow-painted exterior of St. John's Episcopal Church, built in 1815, and known as the "church of the presidents."The Hay-Adams is one in the triumvirate of exclusive hotels built by Harry Wardman in the 1920s (the Jefferson and the St. Regis are the other two). Its architecture is Italian Renaissance and much of the original features, such as ornate plaster moldings and ornamental fireplaces, the walnut-paneled lobby, and high-ceilinged guest rooms, are still in place. The hotel has about 13 one-bedroom suites (the living room and bedroom are separate) and seven junior suites (living room and bedroom are together in one space). Stop in at the Off the Record bar for casual fare at lunch and dinner and the occasional sighting of a big name in the media or administration.Facilities: Restaurant (American); bar; access to local health club ($15 per day); 24-hr. concierge; complimentary morning car service; secretarial and business services; 24-hr. business center; 24-hr. room service; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 9 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 3 with roll-in showers.
Hilton Washington
This sprawling hotel, built in 1965, occupies 7 acres and calls itself a "resort" -- mostly on the basis of having landscaped gardens, tennis courts, and an Olympic-style pool on its premises, unusual amenities for a D.C. hotel. The Hilton caters to corporate groups, some of whom may have families in tow (during the summer, the reception desk gives families a complimentary gift and lends them board games -- ask for the "Vacation Station" perk), and is accustomed to coordinating meetings for thousands of attendees. Its vast conference facilities include one of the largest hotel ballrooms on the East Coast (it accommodates nearly 4,000). By contrast, guest rooms are on the small side. A renovation of all guest rooms completed in 2003 installed elegant dark wood furnishings in every room. High-speed Internet access is available in all guest rooms, for a charge of $10 per 24 hours. From the fifth floor up, pool-side, you'll have panoramic views of Washington. The hotel's health club has been thoroughly renovated and expanded, and now offers extensive spa services.The designated concierge-level rooms usually go for about $30 more than the standard room rate. The hotel has 52 suites, in all kinds of configurations, from the junior executive (in which parlor and bedroom are combined) to the huge Presidential Suite.The Hilton puts you within an easy stroll of embassies, great restaurants, museums, and the charming neighborhoods of Adams-Morgan, and Woodley Park (all up the hill), and Dupont Circle (down the hill).Facilities: 2 restaurants (both American); deli; 2 bars (a pub, and lobby bar occasionally featuring a pianist); Olympic-style heated outdoor pool; 3 lighted tennis courts; extensive health-club facilities; concierge; transportation/sightseeing desk; comprehensive business center; lobby shops; room service (until 2am); same-day laundry/dry cleaning; concierge-level rooms; 28 rooms for those w/limited mobility, some with roll-in showers.
Sofitel Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C
The Hay-Adams faces some competition since the 2002 opening of this luxury hotel, which, like the Hay-Adams, borders Lafayette Square and is just minutes from the White House. The Hay-Adams offers White House views, and the Sofitel does not, it's true, but the Sofitel's other appealing features may make up for that.This handsome, 12-story limestone building was erected in the early 20th century, and its distinctive facade includes decorative bronze corner panels, bas-relief sculptural panels at ground-floor level, and a 12th-floor balcony that travels the length of both the H and 15th street-sides of the structure (decorative, not accessible, alas). Inside, hotel staff dressed in designer uniforms greet you with "Bonjour!," small hints that a French company (Accor Hotels) owns the Sofitel. Noted French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon styled the interior; a Michelin three-star chef is behind the contemporary French cuisine served in Café 15, the hotel's restaurant; and the gift shop sells such specialty items as French plates and porcelain dolls. The Sofitel also has a super bar, Le Bar, which also serves lunch.Because of its corner location and exceptionally large windows, guest rooms are bright with natural light; second- and third-floor rooms facing 15th or H street bring in more light still, because their windows extend nearly from floor to ceiling. Each room sports elegantly modern decor that includes a long desk, creamy duvet with a colorful throw on a king-size bed (about 17 rooms have two double beds instead of kings), a much-marbled bathroom with tub separate from the shower stall, fresh flowers, and original artwork, including dramatic photographs of Washington landmarks. The 11th floor has been designed with visiting heads of state in mind, and can be easily secured. In each of the 17 suites, the bedroom is separate from the living room.Facilities: Restaurant (contemporary French); bar; 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center; 24-hr. concierge; 24-hour business services; 24-hr. room service; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 8 rooms for those w/limited mobility, all with roll-in showers; library with books about D.C. and Paris. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies and Nintendo, 2-line phones w/dataports, minibar, hair dryer, iron, safe, robes, slippers, CD player, high-speed Internet access ($9.95 per day).
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