Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy

With this trip to Dallas, Texas, our series based on Sarah Vowell’s excellent Assassination Vacation comes to a close.

Despite several documented attempts, only four U.S. presidents have been assassinated: Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy. And not every man died from his bullet: both Garfield and McKinley died from infections days after being attacked.

In Dallas you’ll likely center your trip around a visit to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, the former Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald aimed his gun at the passing motorcade–unless you believe alternate theories.

Before you check out the grassy knoll, drop off your bags at one of these fine establishments:

Rooftop Pool at The Joule

The Joule lives up to its name, with impeccable design, a restored 1920′s facade and a rooftop cantilevered pool. Must be fancy: the Jonas Brothers and Martin Scorcese attended the grand opening–imagine that conversation.

Guests rave about the warm, personal service and luxurious details: in-room phones connect directly to a personal shopper at nearby Neiman Marcus, and Charlie Palmer at The Joule is just downstairs. Rates start at around $275 per night.

Hotel Lumen at Night

Pet-friendly Hotel Lumen is just across from the Southern Methodist University campus, which probably accounts for its status as the hip young thing of Dallas hotels. The stylish boutique property (part of the Kimpton chain) is small, with fewer than 60 rooms, and within a quick walk of the bars and restaurants in the Park Cities area. It’ll set you back about $169 a night

If you’re planning a trip, check out Dallas flights.

What's that in the background? Oh, right: The White House.

Dripping with history, the Hay-Adams Hotel was named in part for John Hay, who served as private assistant to Lincoln. The site of his former home was razed and redeveloped in 1928 as the Hay-Adams. Located in tony Lafayette Square, with views overlooking the White House, this is the place to stay if you can afford the price tag. Mid-week rooms in April will set you back in the $435; a deluxe suite with a view of St John’s Church clocks in at $2,200.

Rushing to see Betty Ford's soft shoe routine at the Capital Hilton

The Capital Hilton offers details an amateur historian will love: built during WWII, the presidential ballroom is cocooned by a six-foot-deep reinforced concrete wall designed to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries; an elevator was custom built to deposit FDR’s car on the second floor. On a lighter note, Nixon, Agnew and Betty Ford all performed musical numbers at the Gridiron Club Dinner in the hotel. Rooms average around $400 per night, but look on their website to find last-minute reservations as low as $125 per night.

The Churchill Hotel

Set on Embassy Row near Dupont Circle, The Churchill Hotel opened in 1906 as a luxury apartment building. Designed in Beaux Arts style (based on the pics, that seems to be French for “uncomfortable chairs”), the hotel was renovated just a few years back. Pretty rooms with rates starting at $200 per night.

All assassination all the time? Visit the National Museum of Health and Medicine to see the bullet that killed Lincoln as well as some skull fragments; Ford’s Theatre, a restoration of the place where John Wilkes Booth shot the president in 1865; or the Library of Congress, which archived the contents of Lincoln’s pockets after he died, and where noted bibliophile Garfield roamed the aisles reading Jane Austen.

Bring a wreath to lay: Lincoln’s monument gets all the love, but Garfield has one, too.

Churchill Hotel image by NCinDC via Flickr Creative Commons

If you follow Sarah Vowell of NPR, This American Life, and The Incredibles, you’re likely familiar with Assassination Vacation, her excellent travel memoir that examines American history from the perspective of presidential assassinations.

Inspired by her musings? If we were following Vowell’s off-beat drum, here’s where we’d stay while visiting Buffalo, NY where William McKinley, 25th president, breathed his last:

Buffalo, NY's Hyatt

Buffalo’s Hyatt Regency gets high marks for charm compared to other chain hotels: the renovated office building features sizable rooms, gorgeous Deco elevators and a dramatic glass ceiling in the lobby. Rooms above the 8th floor offer a spectacular view of Lake Erie. After a day of visiting the historic sites, enjoy a feast at EB Green’s, a 50′s style steakhouse with cart service. Point to the porterhouse, trust me.

Beau Fleuve Exterior

If cozy’s your style, visit Beau Fleuve, a Stick-style mansion built in the 1880′s with room themes that are hat tips to Buffalo’s immigrant groups. The green-papered Irish room starts at $145 per night, while the Polish room is a bargain at $115 (and hopefully comes with some breakfast kielbasa).

Spot any dignitaries?

Fancy-schmancy Mansion on Delaware Avenue is “preferred by celebrities, national public figures and international dignitaries” according to its profoundly irritating website. Don’t bother with the broken site navigation–call their round-the-clock butler to find out more details of a stay that will include Frette robes, personalized stationery and complimentary pressing and shoeshine.