All-American Attractions
Penn Quarter is super-easy to navigate. You can get to any attraction in the city for less than $5. Two Metro stations service the area: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter and Gallery Place-Chinatown. The D.C. Circulator bus ($3 for a day pass) connects Penn Quarter to Georgetown, Union Station, and the National Mall. It's also within easy walking distance of many attractions.

You won't have to go far to visit the popular International Spy Museum, located next door to the Monaco. Visitors crawl through air ducts, identify camouflaged agents, and even listen to bugged conversations from other parts of the museum. Using stories of real-life spies and their missions, high-tech exhibits reveal just how extensively spies direct the flow of world events. Admission: $16 adults, $13 ages 5-11.

The Smithsonian Institution reopened the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum last year to rave reviews. Everyone ought to visit "American Presidents," which claims at least one portrait of every U.S. President.

above: See Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii at The Smithsonian American Art Museum.