TAM Transportes Aereos Flights from Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) to Washington (IAD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on TAM Transportes Aereos, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) to Washington (IAD) regularly scheduled to depart at 11:40pm and arrive at 6:32am. Usually a Boeing 767-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Washington, DC is 9 hours and 52 minutes.
During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is possibly the most poignant sight in Washington: two long, black-granite walls in the shape of a V, each inscribed with the names of the men and women who gave their lives, or remain missing, in the longest war in American history. Even if no one close to you died in Vietnam, it's wrenching to watch visitors grimly studying the directories to find out where their loved ones are listed, or rubbing pencil on paper held against a name etched into the wall. The walls list close to 60,000 people, many of whom died very young.Because of the raging conflict over U.S. involvement in the war, Vietnam veterans had received almost no recognition of their service before the memorial was conceived by Vietnam veteran Jan Scruggs. The nonprofit Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund raised $7 million and secured a 2-acre site in tranquil Constitution Gardens to erect a memorial that would make no political statement about the war and would harmonize with neighboring memorials. By separating the issue of the wartime service of individuals from the issue of U.S. policy in Vietnam, the VVMF hoped to begin a process of national reconciliation.Yale senior Maya Lin's design was chosen in a national competition open to all citizens over 18 years of age. The two walls are angled at 125° to point to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The wall's mirrorlike surface reflects surrounding trees, lawns, and monuments. The names are inscribed in chronological order, documenting an epoch in American history as a series of individual sacrifices from the date of the first casualty in 1959. The National Park Service continues to add names over the years, of those Vietnam veterans who die eventually of injuries sustained during the war.The wall was erected in 1982. In 1984, a lifesize sculpture of three Vietnam soldiers by Frederick Hart was installed at the entrance plaza. Near the statue, a flag flies from a 60-foot staff. Another sculpture, the Vietnam Veterans Women's Memorial, which depicts three servicewomen tending a wounded soldier, was installed on Veterans Day 1993. You should allow about 20 to 30 minutes here.The park rangers at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are very knowledgeable and are usually milling about -- be sure to seek them out if you have any questions. Limited parking is available along Constitution Avenue.
Folger Shakespeare Library
"Shakespeare taught us that the little world of the heart is vaster, deeper, and richer than the spaces of astronomy," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1864. A decade later, Amherst student Henry Clay Folger was profoundly affected by a lecture Emerson gave similarly extolling the bard. Folger purchased an inexpensive set of Shakespeare's plays and went on to amass the world's largest (by far) collection of the bard's works, today housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library. By 1930, when Folger and his wife, Emily, laid the cornerstone of a building to house the collection, it comprised 93,000 books, 50,000 prints and engravings, and thousands of manuscripts. The Folgers gave it all as a gift to the American people.The building itself has a marble facade decorated with nine bas-relief scenes from Shakespeare's plays; it is a striking example of Art Deco classicism. A statue of Puck stands in the west garden. An Elizabethan garden on the east side of the building is planted with flowers and herbs of the period. Inquire about guided tours scheduled at 10am and 11am on every third Saturday from April to October. The garden is also a quiet place to have a picnic.The facility, which houses some 256,000 books, 116,000 of which are rare (pre-1801), is an important research center not only for Shakespearean scholars, but also for those studying any aspect of the English and continental Renaissance. A multimedia computer exhibition called The Shakespeare Gallery offers users a close-up look at some of the Folger's treasures, as well as Shakespeare's life and works. And the oak-paneled Great Hall, reminiscent of a Tudor long gallery, is a popular attraction for the general public. On display are rotating exhibits from the permanent collection: books, paintings, playbills, Renaissance musical instruments, and more. Plan on spending at least 30 minutes here.At the end of the Great Hall is a theater designed to suggest an Elizabethan inn-yard where plays, concerts, readings, and Shakespeare-related events take place (see chapter 9 for details).
George Mason Memorial
This memorial honors George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which had much to do with the establishment of our national Bill of Rights. Dedicated on April 9, 2002, the memorial consists of a bronze statue of Mason, set back in a landscaped grove of trees and flower beds (lots and lots of pansies), arranged in concentric circles around a pool and fountain. Mason appears in 18th-century garb, from buckled shoes to tricorn hat, seated on a marble bench, but leaning backward on one arm and gazing off in the general direction of the Washington Monument. Two stone slabs are inscribed with some of Mason's words, like these, referring to Mason's rejection of slavery, "that slow Poison, which is daily contaminating the Minds & Morals of our People." Wooden benches at the site present a pleasant opportunity to learn about Mason, and take a break, before moving on.
Residence Inn Capitol
This brand-new hotel was still under construction at press time; it's due to open in January 2005, in time for the presidential inauguration on January 20. I was anxious to include the hotel, which promises to be remarkable, in this newest edition of the guidebook, despite the fact that some information was not available at the time of my research. Here are some reasons why I think you should check out the hotel: The Residence Inn Capitol is located 3 blocks south of the Smithsonian's fabulous new National Museum of the American Indian. Not only that, but four Native American tribes are 58% owners of the hotel, which makes this the first multi-tribal partnership with non-tribal partners on land off a reservation. Hotel features mimic the look of the National Museum of the American Indian; for instance, the Kasota limestone, which covers the museum's exterior, is used throughout the first floor of the hotel. The hotel's covetous location, close to the National Mall and to Capitol Hill, endows it with a spectacular view: From the top three floors of the 13-story building, one has breathtaking sights of the Capitol building. Finally, this Residence Inn, like all Residence Inns, offers some attractive amenities for families and business people who are in Washington for more than just a couple of days: The roomy suites all have fully equipped kitchens, which allows for flexible dining options; the hotel hosts a generous hot lunch daily, social hours with food on weeknights, and a barbeque once a week; and the property provides a pool, exercise room, and free high-speed Internet service.
Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC
I took the Metro to the Mandarin Oriental, which is easy to do, since the 12th Street exit of the Smithsonian Metro station is only a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The Mandarin does not really cater to Metro-riding guests, however. If you stay at this sumptuous hotel, you're more likely to arrive by car, limo, taxi, or perhaps yacht (the Washington waterfront is behind the hotel, across a roadway or two, but a pedestrian footbridge connects the complex with the marina and Tidal Basin). My point is that the Mandarin Oriental is fabulously posh, but its location is odd. The hotel is situated at the end of a concrete peninsula, known as the multipurpose Portals complex, which is set to include offices, retail shops, and restaurants. The government building neighborhood is not attractive and at night you will not be where the action is: These streets are not meant for strolling.Having said all that, the opening of the Mandarin Oriental in March 2004 upped the ante on luxury in the capital. The service is positively sublime, everyone sweetly gracious. Hotel decor richly combines Asian and American traditions. The two-story lobby is a light-filled, glassed-in rotunda, the circular design used here and throughout the hotel to invite good luck. Each guest room is laid out in accordance with the principles of feng shui (for example, the mirror does not face the entry door, to prevent the reflection of good fortune out of the room), and furnishings include nightstand lamps of contemporary Japanese lantern design, replica pieces from the Smithsonian's Asian art galleries, the Sackler and Freer, and tapestries of hand-woven Thai silk panels. On the thick-mattressed beds are sensuously beautiful linens that make you reach out your hand to touch.Finally, the setting that separates the hotel from the rest of the city also helps create a feeling that you are away, but not away. You may not want to roam the neighborhood but you can walk around the hotel's property, which includes terraces of landscaped gardens and views of the Tidal Basin and marina, the Jefferson Memorial, the Virginia skyline, and District buildings. Guest rooms offer these same views. And when you are on the inside, looking out from the soundproofed, very quiet, and elegant refuge of your room, even nearby Interstate 95 appears rather magnificent.Note: Not open at the time of research, both the restaurant (with a chef coming from the West Coast's acclaimed French Laundry) and the spa are expected to be world-class.Facilities: 2 restaurants (French American, Asian-influenced cafe cuisine); 2 bars; lap pool in spa; fully equipped fitness center; 10,400-sq.-ft. full-service spa; 24-hr. concierge; business center with full Internet access; 24-hour room service; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; club levels; several rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies and HDTV, 3-line phone w/dataports, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe, robes, DVD/CD player, high-speed Internet access ($12 per day).
George Washington University Inn
Rumor has it that this whitewashed brick inn, another former apartment building, used to be a favorite spot for clandestine trysts for high-society types. These days you're more likely to see Kennedy Center performers and visiting professors. The university purchased the hotel (formerly known as the Inn at Foggy Bottom) in 1994 and renovated it. The most recent refurbishment, in 2001, replaced linens, drapes, and the like in the guest rooms. Free high-speed Internet access was added in 2004.Rooms are a little larger and corridors are a tad narrower than those in a typical hotel, and each room includes a roomy dressing chamber. More than one-third of the units are one-bedroom suites. These are especially spacious, with living rooms that hold a sleeper sofa and a TV hidden in an armoire (there's another in the bedroom). The suites, plus the 16 efficiencies, have kitchens. The spaciousness and the kitchen facilities make this a popular choice for families and for long-term guests.This is a fairly safe and lovely neighborhood, within easy walking distance to Georgetown, the Kennedy Center, and downtown. But keep an eye peeled -- you have to pass through wrought-iron gates into a kind of cul-de-sac to find the inn.Off the lobby is the restaurant, Nectar, which opened in spring 2003.If it's not full, the inn may be willing to offer reduced rates. Mention your affiliation with George Washington University, if you have one, to receive a special "GWU" rate.Facilities: Restaurant (upscale contemporary American); complimentary passes to nearby fitness center; room service; coin-op washer/dryers; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 5 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 1 with roll-in showers. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies and Nintendo, 2-line phone w/dataport, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe, robes, umbrella, CD player, free high-speed Internet access, microwave.
