ON MY way to Congress the other day the gloom of the early evening was suddenly bejewelled with the multi-coloured light show of Dick Cheney's ride home after his own trip to Capitol Hill.

Traffic  cops led the way, halting the cars at intersections, blazing the trail. Then came the limos, sleek and long, then the vans, then another few motorcycles. Then they were gone.

My tip for motorcade tourists - if you catch the right moment and look hard into the right window at the limo stage, you will see a recognisable face.

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On this occasion it was the outgoing Vice-President. Dick and me, sharing the road, in what he thinks is the capital of the free world.

There are more romantic cities: newlyweds might prefer Rome; fans of ancient architecture, of catacombs or castles, might want to head elsewhere. If you love politics, however, if you are fascinated by power and want to see in the flesh, as it were, the buildings that have graced a thousand films and thousands more news reports, then come to Washington DC and feast your eyes on the city I call home. It's surprisingly beautiful.

The Mall - the two-mile-long central grassy area in the middle of the city with the pointy Washington Monument in the middle - is one of the great city spaces of the world. You can jog on the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to Capitol Hill and the dome of Congress.

In summer you would die of heatstroke if you tried it but in theory the centre of Washington provides room to roam. It is also surprisingly safe.

Washington used to be the murder capital of the world, and it is still possible to see terrible deprivation in the south-east and north-east quarters.

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However, your chances of being robbed or threatened in any way are much higher in an English market town after dark than they are in the centre of this city.

Here's my pick of the must-sees and dos:

NEWS TO ME

Washington's museums are famous and, for the most part, free. Newseum is an exception to both rules: you have to pay and the place is not yet on the international map but it soon will be.

Opened recently, in a specially designed building close to Congress, it is a gem for news-aware youngsters and adults alike.

Newseum is a celebration of freedom of speech, somewhat earnest for British tastes, but staggering in the range of its exhibits; the oldest is a Cuneiform brick from Sumeria, while among the newest are satellite trucks and a guard post from the Berlin Wall. Interactivity is everywhere. Older children can film their own piece to camera with the results distributed via the internet to granny.

Newseum (www.newseum.org) opens daily 9am to 5pm.

Admission £13 adult, £9 child (seven to 18 years).

PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT

George Washington's home and gardens at Mount Vernon are a must. In the summer you can go by boat from the centre of town but it's worth the 16-mile trip at any time of year.

Washington's home has a simple austere beauty and the gardens are a testament to the organisational ability of America's first President. There are views of the Potomac river and forests on all sides.

Next to the house are the slave quarters, a reminder of America's original sin, and of why Obama's victory means so much to so many black Americans.

Mount Vernon (www.mountvernon.org) opens daily 9am to 4pm.

Admission £10 adult, £5 child (six to 11 years). Spirit Cruises (www.spiritofwashington.com) offers a one-day Mount Vernon cruise from Washington DC for £30 adult, £26 child (six to 11 years), including admission to Mount Vernon, available March to October. Tickets bookable locally.

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS

The Old Post Office Pavilion is one of the tallest buildings in DC but is little used for its best function: as an observatory. Which is silly because at the top is a fantastic 270ft observation floor with an amazing view of the whole of the centre of Washington. The building, which houses a number of restaurants and shopping outlets, is not exactly glorious ("Romanesque revival" is the official terminology) and the city once tried to have it removed, only offering a reprieve when the demolition money ran out. Go soon in case they try again.

The Old Post Office Pavilion (www.oldpostofficedc.com) opens Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm.

PEOPLE WATCHING

Washington is more than the sum total of her monuments. People live here. In salons in the Georgetown part of the city, they think they control the world. Perhaps they do.

Georgetown is where the movers and shakers live, in narrow tree-shaded, sometimes cobbled streets among some of the city's most enticing shops, selling everything from trinkets for babies to pastries and frocks for inaugural balls.

For more information: www.georgetown.dc.com

FEAST FOR THE SENSES

In Washington, you are spoiled for choice if you want to eat or drink in an approximation of an English inn, but do you? I suspect not. You would have gone to Salisbury. The sorry fact is that many powerful Americans seem to think that mock-Edwardian is the style of the rulers of the world, long after the rulers of the world (us! ) stopped ruling it and thought better of Edwardian tastes. Sometimes America seems almost pathetically unable to break away from Olde Englande and, sadly, Washington restaurants are a case in point.

However, Old Ebbitt Grill is authentic (it opened in 1846) and authentically American. Situated near the White House, just across from the imposing US Treasury Department, it is unpretentious and noisy and serves the secretaries rather than the secretaries of state, but it attracts some young power people and also has space to accommodate families with young children.

Old Ebbitt Grill (www.ebbitt.com) offers mains from £9.

GETTING THERE:

Virgin Holidays (0844 5573 860/ www.virginholidays.com) offers three nights room only at the Omni Shoreham Hotel from £459pp (two sharing), including return fl ights from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic.

Washington DC tourism: 020 8339 6048/www.washington.org

Justin Webb is the BBC's North America editor and author of Have A Nice Day, a guide to Obama's America (Short Books, £14.99).

To order a copy (UK p&p free) send a cheque payable to Express Bookshop to: Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ, call 0871 521 1307 or visit www.expressbookshop.com