Northwest Airlines Flights from Houston (IAH) to Washington (IAD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates a non-stop flight everyday except Saturday from Houston (IAH) to Washington (IAD), regularly scheduled to depart at 4:55pm and arrive at 8:55pm. Usually an Embraer RJ is flown for this route. The average travel time from Houston, TX to Washington, DC is 3 hours.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Pentagon
Damaged in the shocking September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in which a hijacked commercial jet crashed into the building, killing 125 people working at the Pentagon, and 64 more people aboard the plane, the Pentagon building has been restored, but at this writing, it remains closed for general public tours, although school and military groups may be able to arrange for tours (call the information number listed below).The Pentagon is the headquarters of the American military establishment. This immense five-sided structure was built during the early years of World War II. It's one of the world's largest office buildings, housing approximately 23,000 employees. For their convenience, it contains a complete indoor shopping mall, including two banks, a post office, an Amtrak ticket office, a beauty salon, a dry cleaner, and more. It's a self-contained world. There are many mind-boggling statistics to underscore the vastness of the Pentagon -- for example, the building contains enough phone cable to circle the globe three times.
Washington Monument
The idea of a tribute to George Washington first arose 16 years before his death, at the Continental Congress of 1783. But the new nation had more pressing problems and funds were not readily available. It wasn't until the early 1830s, with the 100th anniversary of Washington's birth approaching, that any action was taken.Then there were several fiascoes. A mausoleum was provided for Washington's remains under the Capitol Rotunda, but a grandnephew, citing Washington's will, refused to allow the body to be moved from Mount Vernon. In 1830, Horatio Greenough was commissioned to create a memorial statue for the Rotunda. He came up with a bare-chested Washington, draped in classical Greek garb; a shocked public claimed he looked as if he were "entering or leaving a bath," and so the statue was relegated to the Smithsonian. Finally, in 1833, prominent citizens organized the Washington National Monument Society. Treasury Building architect Robert Mills's design was accepted.The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848, and for the next 37 years, watching the monument grow, or not grow, was a local pastime. Declining contributions and the Civil War brought construction to a halt at an awkward 150 feet (you can still see a change in the color of the stone about halfway up). The unsightly stump remained until 1876, when President Grant approved federal monies to complete the project. Dedicated in 1885, it was opened to the public in 1888.A major 2-year restoration completed in 2000 repaired the monument's exterior masonry and mortar, refurbished its elevator, installed a new climate-control system, scrubbed the 897 interior steps, and polished the 193 carved commemorative stones.Visiting the Washington Monument: The Washington Monument is the world's tallest freestanding work of masonry. It stands at the very center of Washington, D.C.; landmarks, and the 360-degree views from the top are spectacular. Due east are the Capitol and Smithsonian buildings; due north is the White House; due west are the World War II and Lincoln Memorials (with Arlington National Cemetery beyond); due south is the Jefferson Memorial, overlooking the Tidal Basin and the Potomac River. "On a clear day, you can see west probably 60 miles, as far as the Shenandoah Mountains," says Bill Line, chief information officer for the National Park Service's National Capital Region. Like being at the center of a compass, it provides a marvelous orientation to the city.Climbing the 897 steps is not allowed, but the large elevator whisks visitors to the top in just 70 seconds. As a rule, you are not allowed to walk down the stairs of the monument. If you're absolutely dying to see more of the interior, you must contact the National Park Service at least 1 month ahead of time to arrange for a special walk-down tour. On this tour you'll learn more about the building of the monument and get to see the 193 carved stones inserted into the interior walls. The stones are gifts from foreign countries, all 50 states, organizations, and individuals. The most expensive stone was given by the state of Alaska in 1982 -- it's pure jade and worth millions. There are stones from Siam (now Thailand), the Cherokee Nation, and the Sons of Temperance.Allow half an hour here, plus time spent waiting in line. Light snacks are sold at a snack bar on the grounds, where you'll also find a few picnic tables. There's limited but free 2-hour parking at the 16th Street Oval.Ticket Information: Admission to the Washington Monument is free, but you'll still have to get a ticket. The ticket booth is located at the bottom of the hill from the monument, on 15th Street NW between Independence and Constitution avenues. It's open daily from 8am to 4:30pm. Tickets are usually gone by 9am, so plan to get there by 7:30 or 8am, especially in peak season. The tickets grant admission at half-hour intervals between the stated hours, on the day you visit. If you want to get them in advance, call the National Park Reservation Service (tel. 800/967-2283) or go to http://reservations.nps.gov; the tickets themselves are free, but you'll pay $1.50 per ticket for shipping and handling, plus a 50¢ service charge per transaction. To make sure that you get tickets for your desired date, reserve these tickets at least 2 weeks in advance.
National Museum of the American Indian
Though this museum had not opened at the time of my research, I knew I must include mention of it, for it promises to be a staggeringly handsome and supremely fascinating museum. Consider its exterior: Its burnt sand-colored exterior of kasota limestone wraps around the undulating walls of the museum, making the five-story building a standout among the many white-stone structures on the National Mall. Its interior design incorporates themes of nature and astronomy. For instance, the Potomac (a Piscataway word meaning "where the goods are brought in") is a rotunda that serves as the museum's main gathering place; it is also "the heart of the museum, the sun of its universe" (as noted in the museum's literature). Measuring 120 feet in diameter, with an atrium rising 120 feet to the top of the dome overhead, the Potomac is the central entryway into the museum, a venue for performances, and a hall filled with celestial references, from the equinoxes and solstices mapped on the floor beneath your feet to the sights of sky visible through the oculus in the dome above your head.The National Museum of the American Indian is very much a "living" museum then, with performances, events, and exhibits that aim at giving Native peoples the chance to tell their own stories. Exhibits explore Native life and history and specific themes, and showcase works of individual artists. Most importantly, the museum is a giant display case for a collection of precious objects representing 1,000 Native communities. A wealthy New Yorker named George Gustav Heyer (1874-1957) assembled the collection of these 800,000 pieces, including wood and stone carvings, masks, pottery, feather bonnets, and so on; the museum displays about 8,000 of these at any given time.Anticipating that many people will want to visit this museum, the Smithsonian Institution established a same day/timed pass admission procedure. You should arrive no later than 10am to stand in line to obtain a pass, which will be printed with the time you will be able to enter the museum. Your pass is free, but if you want to order yours in advance you can call tel. 866/400-6624, or go online to www.tickets.com, to order tickets (the ticket agency, and not the museum, charges you a nominal fee for the service). The National Museum of the American Indian officially opened on September 21, 2004, taking 5 years and $219 million to construct. The museum has two gift shops and a restaurant."
Jurys Normandy
This gracious hotel is a gem -- a small gem, but a gem nonetheless. Situated in a neighborhood of architecturally impressive embassies, the hotel hosts many embassy-bound guests. You may discover this for yourself on a Tuesday evening, when guests gather in the charming Tea Room to enjoy complimentary wine and cheese served from the antique oak sideboard. This is also where you'll find daily continental breakfast (for about $6.50), complimentary coffee and tea after 10am, and cookies after 3pm. You can lounge or watch TV in the conservatory, or, in nice weather, you can move outside to the garden patio.The six-floor Normandy has small but pretty twin and queen guest rooms (all remodeled in 2003), with tapestry-upholstered mahogany and cherry-wood furnishings in 18th-century style, and pretty floral-print bedspreads covering firm beds. Rooms facing Wyoming Avenue overlook the tree-lined street, while other rooms mostly offer views of apartment buildings. The Normandy is an easy walk from both Adams-Morgan and Dupont Circle, where many restaurants and shops await you. All rooms offer free, high-speed Internet access.
Jurys Washington Hotel
This hotel gets high marks for convenience (it's located right on Dupont Circle), service, and comfort. Open since 2000, the hotel is favored by business groups especially, who like its reasonable rates. Each of the large rooms is furnished with two double beds with firm mattresses, an armoire with TV, a desk, a wet-bar alcove, and a tiny but attractive bathroom. Decor is Art Deco-ish, with lots of light-wood furniture. All guest rooms offer free, high-speed Internet access. Despite its prime location in a sometimes raucous neighborhood, the hotel's rooms are insulated from the noise. Rooms on higher floors offer the best views of the city and of Dupont Circle. An Irish management company owns this hotel (along with two other properties in Washington, D.C.), and the comfortable and attractive hotel pub, Biddy Mulligan's, proudly features a bar imported from the Emerald Isle. Its American restaurant, Dupont Grille, opened in spring 2003, and a welcome addition it is to the hotel and the neighborhood (see review, chapter 6). Check the hotel's website for guaranteed lowest rates.
Park Hyatt Washington
This luxury hotel, last renovated in 1998, features large guest rooms with goose-down duvets on the beds, modern furniture, wall coverings, and fabrics. High-speed Internet access is available in all the guest rooms (at the time of this writing, the hotel had not decided whether to charge for this service). Specially commissioned artwork hangs throughout the hotel. More than half of the rooms are suites (meaning the parlor and bedroom are separate), and the remaining rooms are deluxe kings. The suites also have dressing rooms with full vanities. Each bathroom has a TV, a radio, and a telephone, along with the usual amenities. The 17-year-old 10-story hotel hosts big names, royal families (who use the Presidential Suite, with its fireplace and grand piano), lobbyists, and tourists. Rooms are handsome and service is superb. A major renovation scheduled for completion in 2005 will redesign the look of the sleeping rooms.The bright and lovely Melrose dining room offers four-star cuisine with an emphasis on seafood; the amiable chef, Brian McBride, pops into the dining room personally from time to time to make sure all is well. Adjoining the Melrose is a bar, where there's swing dancing to live jazz every weekend. For the lowest rate, visit the hotel's website.Facilities: Restaurant (American); bar/lounge (with live entertainment Fri-Sat); health club with indoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna and steam rooms; spa with hair and skin salon; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 10 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 3 with roll-in showers.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Washington (IAD) on Northwest Airlines
