Washington DC

From New York, it’s a short three hours to Union Station, which is a suitably grand arrival into the District of Columbia, with its massive gilt-coffered ceiling and views of the Capitol dome. Across the National Mall, Washington has rediscovered its riverfront on both the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. In the Wharf District in the city’s southwest, new hotels, restaurants and public piers seamlessly tie in the city’s existing fish markets and steamed crab stalls selling the bounty of Chesapeake Bay.

6. Rivers, blossoms and leaders

I hop aboard the Wharf Jitney, with its sunny yellow top, and cross the river to East Potomac Park. From there it’s a 20-minute walk to the Tidal Basin, ground zero for DC’s cherry blossom festival every March and April, and the great rotunda of the Jefferson Memorial. His statue stares not just at the White House across the water, but now also at the nine-metre-high relief of Martin Luther King Jr. The two great leaders are linked by the memorial for a third: Franklin D Roosevelt. As the lights come on in the early evening, one of King’s quotes takes on prominence: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

7. Chloe

The cleaned-up Anacostia River has also seen a revival with the Capitol Riverfront and Navy Yard districts bringing new restaurants, hotels and parks. At Chloe, chef Haidar Karoum’s cubio crudo has just the right amount of heat from diced Thai chillis. I devour the hummus with minced beef and sliced almonds, which is followed by a whole crispy dorade atop a mound of fragrant jasmine rice.

8. Galleries of history

The next morning, after an excellent coffee and croissant sandwich at the airy Dolcezza at the Wharf, I ogle ikat robes from Central Asia and James Whistler’s stunning Peacock Room, with panels and ceiling painted by the American artist in blue-green and gold, at the recently renovated Freer and Sackler Galleries. Across the Mall, at the National Museum of African American Heritage and Culture, I start in the lower galleries where shackles and chains worn by slaves lie in black ironbound silence, and the history of America’s "original sin" is laid out. But as I ascend to the civil rights movement exhibits and then onto the cultural, sporting, culinary and musical contributions of African Americans, the mood becomes lighter, even joyous.

In three days, I’ve had a taste of American history, innovation, struggle, cuisine – and how they were shaped by immigrants from around the world, my own ancestors among them. I think of the signs that have been placed along the High Line: You are welcome here. Long may it be so.