Washington, DC

Although most visitors line up outside the Washington Monument for a view from the top of the 169-metre-high marble obelisk near the Capitol building, locals recommend two dizzying sights of Washington that don't involve crowds. One is the view from the 96-metre clock tower of the Old Post Office (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; www.oldpostofficedc.com). The Romanesque revival-style Post Office, opened in 1899, was once the tallest building in Washington. A glass lift whisks visitors to the old observation deck for a 360-degree look around the city, which includes a breathtaking view of the Capitol. For the best White House view, drop by the small, stately early-20th-century Hay-Adams hotel (www.hayadams.com), which has recently been restored. Ask the concierge's permission for a visit to the roof, the site of A-list parties and a vista from above the White House that's so close it's surprising it isn't illegal.

It's said you can't throw a stone without hitting a spy in Washington, so what better place to play the game of espionage for visitors intrigued by intrigue? Start your mission (should you choose to accept it) at the world's only museum dedicated to spies and spying, the International Spy Museum (800 F Street NW; www.spymuseum.org). The museum is an encyclopaedia of espionage and contains items such as a KGB lipstick pistol and a CIA radio transmitting shoe. Take a lunch break with your handler next door at Zola, a sleek and atmospheric restaurant with contemporary American cuisine, plus espionage decor featuring a secret door and a wall of genuine declassified CIA documents (www.zoladc.com). Finally, board a bus with a former CIA officer for the two-hour tour of Washington's real-life spy sites (www.grayline.com).

Corridor U Street, the centre of African-American history and culture, is still a lively place for shopping and nightlife. Visits start at the U Street/African American Civil War Memorial metro stop, where vibrant murals depict the area's past. Nicknamed Black Broadway, U is lined with brick Victorian row houses where turn-of-the-20th-century African-American intellectuals, artists and activists lived. There are two not-to-be-missed landmarks on U. The first is the gloriously restored 1920s Lincoln Theatre (1215 U; www. thelincolntheatre.org), where the likes of Pearl Bailey and Duke Ellington once played. The other is the vibrant, family-owned Ben's Chili Bowl (1213 U; www.benschilibowl.com). Try Washington's signature snack, the chilli half-smoke (a sausage in a bun with mustard and chilli for US$4.95) and the outstanding R&B jukebox.