Hanging with the Presidents: Washington, Lincoln and a trip into the American soul

Abraham Lincoln is the current renaissance man of international politics thanks to the Oscar-winning performance of Daniel Day Lewis in last year’s Hollywood epic.
But for the locals in Alexandria – one of the oldest places in the United States – there is only one candidate for the title of the most important American who ever lived. George Washington.

A mighty metropolis: Washington DC - with the US Capitol as a key landmark - is an intriguing city to visit

The first president of the USA was born in this now sizeable town on the banks of the River Potomac, just south of Washington DC – the city to which he would give his name.
The man who would win the War of Independence – and thus end the era of British rule in America – lived in Alexandria for 40 years.
Nowadays, his wooden mansion on the 5000-acre Mount Vernon estate, overlooking the river, is a shrine for thousands of visitors.
I join the crowds as they queue up to lay wreaths on Washington’s white marble tomb. It is a warm day, and as sunlight glints on the pale stone, I remember that I am following in illustrious footsteps. Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and Prince Charles have all paid their respects here.

Past tense: Alexandria (left), the longtime home of George Washington (right), has a historic red-brick charm

It would be easy to lose a day here (admission costs $17/£11) – but a word of advice. Try to choose a time when it will not be overrun by hyperactive schoolchildren.
Mount Vernon is a 15-minute drive from the Morrison House Hotel. Built in 1985, it nevertheless blends seamlessly into Alexandria’s Old Town, where some buildings date back to 1746
This, of course, is positively ancient by American standards – and the hotel does well to disguise its relative youth, greeting its guests with a staunch façade of red brick. It is nestled alongside designer clothes stores, one of the country’s oldest apothecaries and Christ Church – a pious block of stone, built in 1773, where you can sit in the pew where Washington once prayed.
In Alexandria, he is a hard man to escape.
In the hotel, all is calm and quiet – a discreet lobby; softly decorated rooms with tasteful art prints; a restaurant, The Grille, where the steaks are large and the wine list lengthy.

George's place: Andrew makes the pilgrimage to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington

There is also a bar that – with the quirkiness that you often find in the US – does weekly happy hours for dogs. But despite going down on all fours and attempting to wag a metaphorical tail, I still have to pay the full price for my beer. Who says American’s aren’t barking?
The off-beat theme continues 150 miles to the south. Colonial Williamsburg is a supposedly faithful recreation of the 18th century capital of Virginia. Staff dress in period costumes, horse-drawn carriages trundle through the car-free streets, and scenes from the build-up to the War of Independence are acted out on street corners by decidedly hammy actors.
Walking through, it strikes me that the whole idea is an odd cross between Disneyworld and The Crucible – Arthur Miller’s furiously metaphorical play about the Salem witch trials of 1692 and the Fifties paranoia of McCarthyism. Although one would hope that any actor who turns up on stage to present Miller’s dark vision would know their lines better than these gentlemen players trying to capture revolutionary America.

A little on the quirky side: Colonial Williamsburg recreates the Virginia of the 18th century

I retreat to the Williamsburg Inn, the best hotel in town, where my request for milk with my breakfast tea results in a warm half-pint of near-cream. They never did understand the British here.
Fifty miles to the west, Richmond – the modern capital of Virginia – is enjoying a tourism boom after its starring role in the Lincoln film. The centrepiece is the state capitol building, which, thanks to its Classical Revival style and sturdy pale-pillared front, has approximated the Washington DC White House in several movies.
The cast of Lincoln stayed in the five-star Jefferson Hotel. As do I. It reeks of colonial splendour.
Afternoon tea in the Palm Court is like tea at The Ritz – except that, because this is America, the plates are piled twice as high with sandwiches and cakes. Built in 1895, the hotel is gloriously over-the-top, with gravity-defying crystal chandeliers, 30-foot windows, dark oak panelling, and ornate drapes.

Meet the greats: Andrew at Thomas Jefferson's home The Monticello (left) in the Virginia town of Charlottesville - and (right) encountering one of America's most iconic presidents at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC

It is, of course, named after Thomas Jefferson, the third American president, and the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence. Like George Washington, he too haunts this region. His magnificent plantation home, The Monticello, lies 70 miles north-west of Richmond in the town of Charlottesville. A small but striking property, it reputedly took 40 years to build. It is a pleasing place for an afternoon – unless you have been distracted by the nearby Jefferson Vineyards, where the wine proves to be rather splendid.
It would be impossible to tour this deeply historic corner of the United States without paying a visit to its bureaucratic heart. The drive back to Washington DC from Richmond is a scenic delight – 115 miles and two hours, through towns that rejoice in names such as Spotsylvania and Locust Grove, churches seemingly cropping up on every corner.
Within the metropolis, Hotel Monaco DC is part of the same Kimpton Group as the Morrison House Hotel, and it shows in the same devotion to service. There is a (very) happy hour each day where the wine and beer are served totally free.

American classics: The Virginia state capitol in Richmond (left) and the US Capitol in Washington DC (right)

For all the heritage of the White House, Capitol Hill is the most impressive site in the city, the United States Capitol standing stately on this grassy mound at the eastern end of the National Mall.
This hotspot of political discourse sits atop a vast underground visitor centre that allows tourists a glimpse of the American soul. It comes complete with driver-less trains that futuristically ferry Congressmen from their offices to the chamber.
At least, I think that is the plan. When I watch a session from the public gallery, only three of the 100 senators are in place. When one finishes droning, the rest pack up and leave, because no one else wants to speak. It is 3pm. So much for the cut and thrust of debate in the most powerful democracy on the planet.
There are many ways to see Washington – bus tours, boat tours, by bike.

Man of the moment: Abraham Lincoln is back in the spotlight after Daniel Day Lewis's turn in the 2012 movie

Or you could just bide your time and wait for the evening. The city is far more inviting at night, when it is cooler, there is less traffic, and the brooding Lincoln Memorial – at the opposite end of the National Mall from the Capitol – looks even more remarkable.
There are plenty of options if you want to fill the late hours. Harry & Harriet’s, on E Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, is an authentic Cheers-style bar. But beware. One round of sandwiches is enough for two, and the same applies to main courses.
A reasonable steak can be eaten at Clyde’s, on Gallery Place at 7th Street and G. And if you want to pose, try Capital Grill on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the movers and shakers from Capitol Hill go to be seen.
Then there is the Mandarin Oriental, which lurks just south of the National Mall, within easy distance of the Washington Monument (that man again) – the iconic obelisk that remembers the first president in towering fashion. It is certainly visible from the hotel, which offers views so panoramic that you can say you have seen the sights, even if you have not stepped out of the wide front door.

Paying tribute: Andrew treads in Honest Abe's footsteps (sort of) at Lincoln's Waffle House

In the end, though, it all comes back to Abraham Lincoln. Opposite Ford’s Theatre, where this tireless reformer was assassinated in April 1865, Lincoln’s Waffle Shop is the city’s best-known greasy spoon. Here, bacon, eggs, toast and tea cost $8 – around £5. As tributes to notable statesmen go, this may not be the most eloquent. But it might be the best value.