George Washington Memorial Parkway

Lonely Planet review

The 25-mile Virginia portion winds past recreation areas and memorials all the way south to the first president's old estate at Mt Vernon. A national parkland, it passes remnants of Washington's life and works such as his old Patowmack Company canal and parks once part of his farmlands (Riverside Park, Fort Hunt Park). The road is a pleasant alternative to the traffic-choked highway arteries further from the river.

The paved 18½-mile Mt Vernon Trail parallels the parkway from Francis Scott Key Bridge to Mt Vernon and is perfect for biking. Along the way, Lady Bird Johnson Park remembers the First Lady who tried to beautify the capital via greenery-planting campaigns and includes a memorial grove dedicated to her husband. Just north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Gravelly Point offers a spot from which to watch the planes take off and land; or check out the natural airborne creatures at the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary.