While we enjoy lazy days on the beach as much as anyone else, we also really dig checking out exciting cities and famous locations on our trips.

A quick one-hour flight southeast of Pittsburgh can take you to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., which features three metropolitan airports, each with daily flights from PIT on United, Southwest and American.

Dulles International, located in Virginia about 25 miles west of D.C., is considered the international hub for the area. Baltimore/Washington International, about 30 miles northeast of Washington, is the busiest of the three with more than 13 million enplanements in 2019.

But landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National gets you right to the heart of the nation’s capital. Technically located in Arlington, Virginia., it sits right across the Potomac River from the city proper.

In fact, it’s only about two miles as the crow flies from the National Mall, which features the U.S. Capitol Building at its east end. That makes for some incredible views during the landing process for visitors.

A photo contributed by Casper Wood illustrates this incredible proximity. The American Airlines 737 with a retro livery honoring Reno Air, which the airline acquired in 1999, has a crystal-clear view of Congress’ base as it lands at Reagan recently.

However, no matter how interesting the destination, we try not to forget how incredible the trip itself can be.

This photo Erma Scarfutti took while aboard an American Airlines 787 reminds us to appreciate the beautiful sights during a journey, not just its endpoint.

Thanks, Casper and Erma!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.

A passenger’s view from onboard an American Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Photo submitted by Erma Scarfutti)