Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Continental Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Washington (IAD) regularly scheduled to depart at 1:00pm and arrive at 4:20pm, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 3:55pm and arrive at 7:12pm, everyday except Saturday. Usually an Airbus A319 or Airbus A320 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Minneapolis, MN to Washington, DC is 2 hours and 18 minutes.*

* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.

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Regularly Scheduled Flights to Washington (IAD) from Minneapolis (MSP)
				Daily Non-Stops		Select Non-Stop		Earliest Flight		Last Flight
	Continental Airlines			1		1		1:00pm		3:55pm
	Delta Airlines			2		2		10:10am		6:48pm
	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines			1		2		10:10am		3:55pm
	Northwest Airlines			2		3		10:10am		6:48pm
	Sun Country Airlines			-		2		7:10am		4:05pm

During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:

Dumbarton Oaks
Many people associate Dumbarton Oaks, a 19th-century Georgetown mansion named for a Scottish castle, with the 1944 international conference that led to the formation of the United Nations. Today the 16-acre estate is a research center for studies in Byzantine and pre-Columbian art and history, as well as landscape architecture. Its yards, which wind gently down to Rock Creek Ravine, are magical, modeled after European gardens. The pre-Columbian museum, designed by Philip Johnson, is a small gem, and the Byzantine collection is a rich one.This unusual collection originated with Robert Woods Bliss and his wife, Mildred. In 1940, they turned over their estate, their extensive Byzantine collection, a library of works on Byzantine civilization, and 16 acres (including 10 acres of exquisite formal gardens) to Mr. Bliss's alma mater, Harvard, and provided endowment funds for continuing research in Byzantine studies. In the early 1960s, they also donated their pre-Columbian collection and financed the building of a wing to house it, as well as a second wing for Mrs. Bliss's collection of rare books on landscape gardening. The Byzantine collection includes illuminated manuscripts, a 13th-century icon of St. Peter, mosaics, ivory carvings, a 4th-century sarcophagus, jewelry, and more. The pre-Columbian works feature Olmec jade and serpentine figures, Mayan relief panels, and sculptures of Aztec gods and goddesses.The historic music room, furnished in European antiques, was the setting for the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks Conversations about the United Nations. It has a painted 16th-century French-style ceiling and an immense 16th-century stone fireplace. Among its notable artworks is El Greco's The Visitation.Pick up a self-guiding brochure to tour the staggeringly beautiful formal gardens, which include an Orangery, a Rose Garden, wisteria-covered arbors, groves of cherry trees, and magnolias. Unless you're a fan of Byzantine or pre-Columbian art, you're likely to spend more time in the garden, as much as an hour when everything is in bloom. Exit at R Street, turn left, cross an honest-to-goodness Lovers' Lane, and proceed next door to Montrose Park, where you can picnic. There is parking on the street.

National Air and Space Museum
With the opening of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in December 2003, the National Air and Space Museum now bills itself, "One museum, two locations." It's not realistic, however, to visit both museums in one day: The flagship museum on the National Mall consumes 2 or 3 hours -- longer, if you attend an IMAX film or planetarium show; the round trip to the satellite Udvar-Hazy Center, located on the grounds of Washington-Dulles International Airport, takes about 2 hours; and the touring of that museum another 2 or 3 hours. You could do it, but you'd be frantic.So start with this one, the original, ever-popular Air and Space Museum on the Mall. This museum chronicles the story of the mastery of flight, from Kitty Hawk to outer space. It holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world -- so many, in fact, that the museum is able to display only about 20% of its artifacts at any one time, hence the opening of the Udvar-Hazy Center.During the tourist season and on holidays, arrive before 10am to make a beeline for the film ticket line when the doors open. The not-to-be-missed IMAX films [ST] shown here are immensely popular, and tickets to most shows sell out quickly. You can purchase tickets up to 2 weeks in advance, but they are available only at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater box office on the first floor. Two or more films play each day, most with aeronautical or space-exploration themes; To Fly and Space Station 3D are two that should continue into 2005. Tickets cost $8 for adults, $6.50 for ages 2 to 12 and 55 or older; they're free for children under 2. You can also see IMAX films most evenings after the museum's closing; call for details (tel. 202/357-1686).You'll also need tickets to attend a show at the Albert Einstein Planetarium, which creates "an astronomical adventure" as projectors display blended space imagery upon a 70-foot diameter dome, making you feel as if you're traveling in 3-D through the cosmos. The planetarium's main feature, called "Infinity Express, A 20-Minute Tour of the Universe," gives you the sensation that you are zooming through the solar system, as it explores such questions as "how big is the universe?" and "where does it end?" Tickets are $8 for adults, $6.50 for ages 2 to 12 and 55 or older; you can buy an IMAX film and planetarium combo ticket for $13 per adult, $11 per child.How Things Fly, a gallery that opened in 1996 to celebrate the museum's 20th anniversary, includes wind and smoke tunnels, a boardable Cessna 150 airplane, and dozens of interactive exhibits that demonstrate principles of flight, aerodynamics, and propulsion. All the aircraft, by the way, are originals.Kids love the walk-through Skylab orbital workshop on the first floor. Other galleries here highlight the solar system, U.S. manned space flights, sea-air operations, and aviation during both world wars. An important exhibit is Beyond the Limits: Flight Enters the Computer Age, illustrating the primary applications of computer technology to aerospace. Explore the Universe presents the major discoveries that have shaped the current scientific view of the universe; it illustrates how the universe is taking shape, and probes the mysteries that remain. In 2002, the museum added a set of six, two-seat Flight Simulators to its first floor galleries (the Udvar-Hazy Center has several more), allowing visitors to climb aboard and use a joystick to pilot an aircraft. For 3 minutes you truly feel as if you are in the cockpit and airborne, maneuvering your craft up, down, and upside-down on a wild adventure, thanks to virtual reality images and high-tech sounds. You must pay $6.50 to enjoy the ride and measure at least 48 inches to go it alone; children under 48 inches must measure at least 42 inches and be accompanied by an adult.The museum's cafeteria, The Wright Place, offers food from three popular American chains: McDonald's, Boston Chicken, and Donato's Pizza. Best of all, the cafeteria serves up a great view of the Capitol.Now, to get to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, you can drive (call tel. 202/786-2122 for directions, or go to the website, www.nasm.si.edu.), or you can take a shuttle bus from the Air and Space Museum on the Mall. The shuttles run six times a day from both locations, at the same times, starting at 9am with the last shuttle departing at 5pm. You must purchase tickets to take the shuttle, which are sold at the IMAX film box office, for $7 round-trip per person. To purchase shuttle bus tickets in advance, call tel. 202/633-4629. If you drive to the center, you should be aware that parking is a whopping $12, due to the fact that the center lies on airport property.At the Udvar-Hazy Center, you'll find two hangars, one for aviation artifacts, the other for space artifacts, and an observation tower for watching planes leave and arrive at Dulles Airport. Eventually, the gallery will hold more than 200 aircraft and 135 spacecraft. The center will also serve as the Air and Space Museum's primary restoration facility, and the public will be able to watch specialists at work. This location also shows IMAX films.

National Archives
The Rotunda of the National Archives displays our country's most important original documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights (collectively known as the Charters of Freedom). Until recently, however, it wasn't possible to get a very good look at these documents, and when you did, you had to view the Constitution one page at a time. A superb renovation, known as "The National Archives Experience," has transformed the Rotunda and installed new display cases that allow all visitors, but especially children and those in wheelchairs, much better viewing of the Charters. And, for the first time, you are able to see all four pages of the Constitution in one visit. The renovation adds 14 new document cases that trace the story of the creation of the Charters and the ongoing influence of these fundamental documents on the nation and the world. Further, a restoration of Barry Faulkner's two larger-than-life murals brings the scenes to vivid life. One mural entitled The Declaration of Independence, shows Thomas Jefferson presenting a draft of the Declaration to John Hancock, the presiding officer of the Continental Congress; the other, entitled The Constitution, shows James Madison submitting the Constitution to George Washington and the Constitutional Convention.Phase II of the renovation, just completed in late 2004, debuts new exhibition space in the National Archives' public vaults. Exhibits here feature interactive technology and displays of documents and artifacts to explain our country's development in the use of records, from Indian treaties to presidential websites. The new exhibit area includes a theater that, during the day, continually runs dramatic films illustrating the relationship between records and democracy in the lives of real people, and at night, serves as a premier documentary film venue for the city. A special exhibition gallery showcases exhibits of timely topics and sends the exhibits on to other museums.As a federal institution, the National Archives is charged with sifting through the accumulated papers of a nation's official life -- billions of pieces a year -- and determining what to save and what to destroy. The Archives' vast accumulation of census figures, military records, naturalization papers, immigrant passenger lists, federal documents, passport applications, ship manifests, maps, charts, photographs, and motion picture film (and that's not the half of it) spans 2 centuries. Anyone is welcome to use the National Archives center for genealogical research -- this is where Alex Haley began his work on Roots -- and it's all available for the perusal of anyone age 16 or over (call for details). If you're interested, visit the building, entering on Pennsylvania Avenue, and head to the fourth floor, where a staff member can advise you about the time and effort that will be involved, and, if you decide to pursue it, exactly how to proceed.The National Archives building itself is worth an admiring glance. The neoclassical structure, designed by John Russell Pope (also the architect of the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson Memorial) in the 1930s, is an impressive example of the beaux arts style. Seventy-two columns create a Corinthian colonnade on each of the four facades. Great bronze doors mark the Constitution Avenue entrance and four large sculptures representing the Future, the Past, Heritage, and Guardianship sit on pedestals near the entrances. Huge pediments crown both the Pennsylvania Avenue and Connecticut Avenue entrances to the building.

Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the Washington area, including:

Holiday Inn on the Hill
A major renovation completed in 2003 took the Bing Crosby out of this traditional Holiday Inn, and garnered a "Renovation of the Year Award" from the hotel's umbrella organization, the Inter-Continental Hotels Group. What you see now is a hotel that's very 21st century, or trying hard to be, anyway. Gone are double beds and family-friendly features, like the Discovery Zone kids program. Gone, too, are the prices that made this hotel a great value for families and business folks on a budget (this hotel used to be listed in the "Inexpensive" category). Instead, you'll find guest rooms done in shades of cobalt blue, with zebra wood armoires, glass-topped desks with ergonomic mesh chairs, and triple-sheeted king-size or two queen-size beds. Rooms are standard size, though bathrooms are larger than expected, with a small vanity ledge just outside the bathroom for overflow counter space.Every guest room offers free high-speed Internet access, and the restaurant and an area of the lobby allow for wireless Internet access. Some of the hotel's former clientele will be outpriced here, but for others the Capitol Hill location remains unbeatable. Several labor union headquarters are nearby, making the hotel a popular choice among the "labor" folks doing business with one of them. And for families, proximity to the Capitol and other sites, as well as certain amenities, may appeal: the free 24-hour fitness center, seasonal (outdoor) pool, and the "kids 12 and under eat free" restaurant policy.To get the best deals and perks, ask about summer promotions, the "Great Rates" package, and the hotel's "Priority Club" frequent guest membership.Facilities: Restaurant (American), where kids ages 12 and under eat free with an adult; bar; outdoor (unheated) rooftop pool; 24-hr. fitness room; concierge; business center; room service (6am-11pm); same-day laundry/dry cleaning service; 8 rooms for those w/limited mobility, including 4 with roll-in showers.

The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.
This Ritz-Carlton, which opened in October 2000, surpasses all other Washington hotels for service and amenities. From the cadre of doormen and valet parking attendants who greet you effusively when you arrive, to the graceful young women in long dresses who swan around you serving cocktails in the bar and lounge, the Ritz staff is always looking after you.The hotel is built around a multi-tiered Japanese garden and courtyard with reflecting pools and cascading waterfall; guest rooms on the inside of the complex overlook the waterfall or terraced garden, while guest rooms on the outside perimeter view landmarks and cityscapes. The woman who showed me to my terrace-view room inadvertently, but appropriately, kept referring to the hotel as the "Rich-Carlton." My standard room was very large, and richly furnished with a firm king-size bed covered in both duvet and bedspread, decorative inlaid wooden furniture, a comfy armchair and ottoman, and very pretty artwork. The marble bathroom was immense, with long counter space, separate bathtub and shower stall, and the toilet in its own room behind a louvered door. The clock radio doubles as a CD player and the phone features a button for summoning the "technology butler" (a complimentary, 24/7 service for guests with computer questions). Other nice touches in the rooms include an umbrella, windows that open, and an outlet for recharging laptops. Don't make the same mistake that I did when I passed up the evening turndown -- the maid places a warm, freshly baked brownie upon your pillow instead of the usual mint.Among the different versions of suites available, most are "executives," which include a sitting room and separate bedroom.The adjoining two-level, 100,000-square-foot Sports Club/LA, leaves all other hotel health clubs in the dust with its state-of-the-art weight-training equipment and free weights, two regulation-size basketball courts and four squash courts, an indoor heated swimming pool and an aquatics pool with a sun deck, exercise classes, personal trainers, the full-service Splash Spa and Roche Salon, and a restaurant and cafe.The Ritz's bar and lounge are also exceptionally inviting, with lots of plush upholstered couches and armchairs, a fire blazing in the fireplace in winter, and a pianist playing every day. Afternoon tea is served in the lounge daily.Facilities: Restaurant (American); lounge; access to fabulous health club and spa for $12/person (the best in the city; see above); 24-hr. concierge; business center (open weekdays); salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; same-day laundry/dry cleaning with 1-hr. pressing; club level with 5 complimentary food presentations throughout the day (including a chef station each morning to prepare individual requests); 10 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 6 with roll-in showers; 24-hr. fax and currency-exchange services.

Georgetown Inn
This hotel is in the thick of Georgetown. Most guests are here on business, but come Memorial Day weekend, the hotel is full of the proud parents of graduating Georgetown University students. (The hotel books up 2 years in advance for graduation weekend.)A million dollar renovation completed in 2004 refurbished the lobby, corridors, and guest rooms. Guest rooms now have "Heavenly Beds," new upholstery, and drapes. The hotel's general style remains European-handsome, heavy on the dark woods. Half of the rooms hold two double beds, although a couple of rooms have twin single beds, connecting with suites, helpful to families traveling with children. Ask for an "executive room" if you'd like a sitting area with pullout sofa, and extra conveniences like a reading lamp over the bed. Even better are the 10 one-bedroom suites, in which bedroom and large living room are separate. The bathrooms have only showers (some also have bidets), no tub.The Daily Grill has an outpost here, offering the same generous portions of American food served at its original D.C. location, at 1200 18th St. NW.Facilities: Restaurant (American); bar; access to an outdoor pool; exercise room, plus free access to nearby health club and spa; concierge; room service during restaurant hours; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 4 rooms for those w/limited mobility, all with roll-in showers.