GETTING THERE

GETTING THERE
Washington, D.C., is served by three major airports, Dulles International, Reagan Washington National and Baltimore-Washington International. Post-Sept. 11 air fares are deeply discounted.In October, the wait for check-in at BWI sometimes was two hours, the lines snaking through the terminal. Washington is accessible by train, especially from other cities in the eastern corridor.Consider taking the car and stay in a Washington suburb such as Arlington or Alexandria, Va., near a Metro station. Washington's commuter rail offers $5 daily passes for unlimited travel after 9:30 a.m. and all day on weekends. Save the car for the short drive to Mount Vernon and also save by not paying downtown Washington parking rates of up to $20.
MORE ON THE NET
www.mountvernon.org: Official site for Mount Vernon. Learn that George Washington's teeth were not wooden, but were fabricated from cow's teeth, human teeth and elephant ivory, set in a lead base. His grimace on the dollar bill reflects how uncomfortable they were.www.whitehouse.gov: Official White House site. Until public tours resume, a virtual tour is available.www.nps.gov: Site of the National Parks Service, which operates the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Washington Monument. Installation of a new elevator in the Washington Monument was scheduled for completion in late November. Use the site's search function for individual memorial's home pages.
MORE TO DO
Mount Vernon admission is $9; closing time is 4 p.m. November through February. A special observance, Mount Vernon by Candlelight, is Nov. 23-25 and Nov. 30, 5 to 9 p.m.There is no admission to the monuments in the District or the Smithsonian. Like the White House, tours of the U.S. Capitol were suspended indefinitely. Check www.aoc.gov for updated information and Capitol facts.Another opportunity: the Newseum in Arlington, where visitors can play TV news anchor.
Source: Associated Press