ANNAPOLIS. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is more than a state capital: The Treaty of Paris was ratified here in 1784, and the city even served as the nation's capital for a year. And yet, Annapolis is no staid museum exhibit. Naval Academy midshipmen and students from St. John's University impart a youthful vigor to the city. Its restaurants stand poised with cold brews and delicious blue-crab cakes. Boating, yachting and summertime festivals attract folks to the City Dock all year long. Charming and perennially welcoming, Annapolis is great for a day trip or a journey into the past.

Arlington is America's second largest national cemetery and contains the graves of some 250,000 American servicemen and women. Some of the most visited graves include those of President John F. Kennedy, the Challenger astronauts and Audie Murphy, as well as the dramatic Tomb of the Unknowns. The 200-acre site along the Potomac once belonged to Robert E. Lee and was commissioned as a military cemetery in 1864. Visit the informative visitor center and take a self-guided tour or a shuttle tour. Located across Memorial Bridge, less than a mile from the Lincoln Memorial. Parking $1.25/hour. METRO: Arlington Cemetery

NATIONAL MALL. This is among Washington's most popular tours. It begins with a documentary, then allows visitors to witness each phase of production and printing. Around-the-clock production generates more than $450 million daily, along with other items such as White House invitations and postage stamps. Exhibits feature bills no longer in use, counterfeit money, and a $100,000 bill. The Visitors Center offers informative exhibits, videos, a display of one million $1 bills, and a gift shop. The tour is free, but during the peak summer months, same day timed-entry tickets are required and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. The ticket booth opens at 8am, and closes when all the day's tickets are gone (usually about 9am). Get in line early! METRO: Smithsonian

ALEXANDRIA. This historic home is known for its key role in the French and Indian War. British General Benjamin Braddock used the building as his headquarters, meeting with colonial governors to discuss issues facing colonists and ideas about the war. The stately Georgian home, built by John Carlyle in 1752, is an excellent and well-preserved example of day-to-day life in 18th-century Virginia, showing the prosperity of the period. METRO: King Street

DOWNTOWN. The Decatur House, designed by Benjamin Latrobe in the early 17th century, also served as the residence of Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812. Today, it houses a museum that displays artifacts from the era and showcases an exhibit with details of Latrobe's original design. METRO: Farragut West