United Airlines Flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (IAD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on United Airlines, which operates 3 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (IAD), departing between 6:20am and 7:20pm, and 2 additional non-stop flights, departing at 10:00am on select days of the week. Usually an Embraer RJ145 Amazon or Canadair Regional Jet is flown for this route. The average travel time from Philadelphia, PA to Washington, DC is 1 hour and 14 minutes.
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During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
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.
Ford's Theatre & Lincoln Museum
On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was in the audience at Ford's Theatre, one of the most popular playhouses in Washington. Everyone was laughing at a funny line from Tom Taylor's celebrated comedy, Our American Cousin, when John Wilkes Booth crept into the president's box, shot the president, and leapt to the stage, shouting "Sic semper tyrannis!" ("Thus ever to tyrants!") With his left leg broken from the vault, Booth mounted his horse in the alley and galloped off. Doctors carried Lincoln across the street to the house of William Petersen, where the president died the next morning.The theater was closed after Lincoln's assassination and used as an office by the War Department. In 1893, 22 clerks were killed when three floors of the building collapsed. It remained in disuse until the 1960s, when it was remodeled and restored to its appearance on the night of the tragedy. Except when rehearsals or matinees are in progress (call before you go), visitors can see the theater and trace Booth's movements on that fateful night. Free 15-minute talks on the history of the theater and the story of the assassination are given throughout the day. Be sure to visit the Lincoln Museum in the basement, where exhibits -- including the Derringer pistol used by Booth and a diary in which he outlines his rationalization for the deed -- focus on events surrounding Lincoln's assassination and the trial of the conspirators. Thirty minutes is plenty of time to spend here.The theater stages productions most of the year.
Enid A. Haupt Garden
Named for its donor, a noted supporter of horticultural projects, this stunning garden presents elaborate flower beds and borders, plant-filled turn-of-the-20th-century urns, 1870s cast-iron furnishings, and lush baskets hung from reproduction 19th-century lampposts. Although on ground level, the garden is actually on a 4 1/4-acre rooftop above the subterranean Ripley Center and the Sackler and African Art museums. An "Island Garden" near the Sackler Gallery, entered via a 9-foot moon gate, has benches backed by English boxwoods set under the canopy of weeping cherry trees.A "Fountain Garden" outside the African Art Museum provides granite seating with walls overhung by hawthorn trees. Three small terraces, shaded by black sour-gum trees, are located near the Arts and Industries Building. And five majestic linden trees shade a seating area around the Downing Urn, a memorial to American landscapist Andrew Jackson Downing, who designed the National Mall. Downing's words are inscribed on the base of the urn: "Build halls where knowledge shall be freely diffused among men, and not shut up within the narrow walls of narrower institutions. Plant spacious parks in your cities and unclose their gates as wide as the gates of morning to the whole people." Elaborate cast-iron carriage gates made according to a 19th-century design by James Renwick, flanked by four red sandstone pillars, are placed at the Independence Avenue entrance to the garden.
Washington Terrace Hotel
For all intents and purposes, this is a new hotel, the 2002 transformation of the former Doubletree property being so utterly complete. Beautifully landscaped terraces front and back help create a buffer for this urban hotel. The flow of the public spaces leading back to the garden courtyard, and abundant use of earth tones and sandstone in decor, accentuate the hotel's theme of "bringing the outdoors in." This theme resonates in the guest rooms -- the light golden wall coverings feature an abstract botanical pattern, and the windows are larger than the hotel norm, delivering lots of natural light. Ask for a room at the front of the hotel for a view of Scott Circle, the park across the street, and the city; request a room at the back for a view of the garden terrace. Best rooms are the spacious suites, which come with a small wet bar, a dining table, sleeper sofa, and larger bathroom. Sixth through eighth floor suites offer executive level privileges, such as high-speed Internet access ($14 per 24 hr.). Added to all guest rooms in 2004 were tempurpedic mattresses, the kind that form to your body. Be sure to dine at the hotel's excellent restaurant, 15 Ria (for full review, see chapter 6).Although the Washington Terrace calls itself an "upscale boutique hotel," I think its large size and its practical amenities, like ergonomic chairs in the guest rooms and extensive conference and party facilities, disqualify it. Still, the guest rooms do have a boutiquey feel, thanks to imaginative touches such as granite-topped desks, circular nightstands, and a blueberry-toned wall behind the bed (the suites feature other colors: aubergine, nectar, and sienna), contrasting with the light toned coverings on the other walls.
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.
Hotel Madera
The Hotel Madera fancies itself as a kind of pied-a-terre, or home away from home, for travelers. But it would be a mistake to think that means the hotel is homey in the traditional sense. This is a boutique hotel, whose sisters, the hotels Rouge, Topaz, Helix, and Monaco, each reviewed elsewhere in this chapter, have all made separate splashes in our fair city. The Madera, likewise, caters to those with avant-garde tastes. The registration desk in the small lobby is covered in leather; a hammered copper mobile of abstract leaflike shapes dangles overhead. The guest rooms are large (this used to be an apartment building), measuring an average 340 square feet. Those on the New Hampshire Avenue side have balconies that offer city views. Rooms at the back of the house, 6th through 10th floors don't have balconies, but do have pretty good views of Rock Creek Park, Georgetown, and the Washington National Cathedral. All rooms are comfortable and furnished with sofas and bed benches, and with beds whose wild-looking headboards are giant dark wood panels inset with a patch of vibrant blue padded mohair. Other fey touches: pillows covered in animal print or satiny fabrics, grass-clothlike wall coverings, and black granite with chrome bathroom vanities. Every guest room has complimentary high-speed Internet access. The "specialty" rooms (a feature of all Kimpton Group hotels) at the Madera include a Nosh Room (studio with kitchenette and grocery shopping service), Flash Room (with personal computer, printer), Strength (has a Nautilus machine) and Cardio (has either a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical steps) rooms, and a Screening Room (equipped with a second TV, DVD player, and a library of DVDs).The Madera has an excellent restaurant, Firefly.Facilities: Bar/restaurant (American bistro); access to the posh Sports Club/LA health club at the nearby Ritz-Carlton ($15 per guest per day); 24-hr. concierge; business center; room service (during restaurant hours); same-day laundry/dry cleaning; 6 rooms for those w/limited mobility, all with roll-in showers. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, 2-line cordless phones w/dataports, minibar, coffeemaker with Starbucks coffee, hair dryer, iron, safe, robes, umbrella, free high-speed Internet access.
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 United Airlines
