George Washington Memorial Parkway

The 25-mile Virginia portion of this highway honors its namesake with recreation areas and memorials all the way south to his old estate at Mt Vernon. It’s lined with remnants of George Washington’s life and works, such as his old Patowmack Company canal (in Great Falls National Park) and parks that were once part of his farmlands (Riverside Park, Fort Hunt Park). The road is a pleasant alternative to the traffic-choked highway arteries further away from the river, but you need to pull off to really appreciate the sites. The 18.5-mile-long Mt Vernon Trail parallels the parkway from Francis Scott Key Bridge to Mt Vernon – it’s paved and perfect for cycling. Along the way, Lady Bird Johnson Park commemorates 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 provides a vantage point for watching the planes take off and land; or you can check out the naturally airborne creatures at the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary.