I hadn’t been to Washington, D.C. since my 8th grade school trip 20 years ago (omg I’m old), so I was really excited to go back and explore as an adult. My friend Natalie and I decided to take a day off and head down for a 3 day weekend. Three days was a good amount of time to see some of the museums and a majority of the monuments, but it would have been easy to fill another few days. Being from NYC we figured the walking wouldn’t be a big deal, but we realized that walking as a tourist is very different from walking during a commute or while running errands. Walking 10-13 miles per day was real tiring, particularly when we didn’t have on the best shoes. Lesson learned, always pack comfortable walking shoes.
The great thing about D.C. is that almost everything is free! We saw all the monuments, several museums and the official government buildings for zero dollars….can’t get a better deal than that! The only things we paid for were our hotel, food and drinks and the shopping excursion we took one afternoon. Minus the shopping, it was a super inexpensive trip!
Accommodations
We stayed at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel, which was right by the Convention Center and Chinatown. I used priceline.com and got a great name your own price deal ($81/night during the Cherry Blossom Festival). The rooms were spacious, with comfortable beds and pillows, nice bathrooms and great Aveda bath products. The hotel was in an area that was more businesses and less shopping/night life, but it was really nice and everything we needed was within a 10-30 min walk so we didn’t mind. Also taking Uber pools around the city was super cheap ($3-5 per ride for the both of us). I’m sure the Metro is easy to navigate, but we walked and/or did Uber pools as needed just for convenience sake.
Top Food Picks
Le Diplomate is a brunch hot spot near Logan Circle. A few different people had recommended it to us before coming, so it was someplace we wanted to check out. I would suggest making a reservation in advance because it seemed to fill up fast as it got closer to noon. The restaurant has a Parisian vibe, but the menu has a variety of food options. They had delicious brunch entrees with huge portions. We also enjoyed great mimosas with our entrees. As a self-proclaimed NYC brunch snob, I’d agree with the many locals who recommended it, it really is a great brunch spot!
We walked past this restaurant on our first night and our feet hurt so bad we just wanted to sit. It ended up being a great find though; as they had really good cocktails (cucumber mint for Nat, pineapple cherry for me) and great food. We ordered the crispy brussel sprouts for our starter and they were amazing. Then we had huge, fresh salads for dinner. It’s right near the White House, so if you’re looking for a spot to rest your feet and fill your belly, I’d recommend it!
Now ordinarily I would never put a fast food restaurant on my food suggestion list, but this place was SO good it had to be shared. We ordered delicious, fresh tacos (pork for me, chicken for Nat) and homemade queso and guac with chips…and it was all soooooo good! They have a salsa bar where you can get 5 different kinds of salsa for dipping or for topping, which were also amazing. It was literally the best fast food I’ve ever had (I still love you Taco Bell), and maybe some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. We have already tweeted the company asking them to get one in NYC because I definitely want to have it again soon!
I’ll be honest, we went to The Hamilton for the name because we’re legit obsessed with the Broadway show. I think that place owes Lin Manuel Miranda a giant thank you because I have to assume its popularity has increased exponentially since Hamilton opened. It’s right by the White House, so an easy place to stop in for a meal when you need a break from sightseeing. The restaurant seems to be a little confused on what kind of restaurant it is, as there was typical burgers, sandwiches and salads, but also sushi and milkshakes on the menu. Confusing, but the food and drinks were good, with large portions and reasonable prices.
We stopped in for drinks at Old Ebbitt Grill one afternoon. It was recommended because it’s Washington’s oldest saloon, founded in 1856. The restaurant was decorated in Victorian style and looked old and distinguished. It has 4 different bar areas, in addition to the actual dining area and each bar area is themed differently. We were in the fish and game themed bar, with lots of taxidermied animals and game themed decor (right up my dad and brother’s alley). The cocktails were not the strongest but tasted good. And although we didn’t eat, the food being served also looked great. Next time I would consider stopping in for a meal if we were in the neighborhood.
Top 5 Attractions
1 – The White House
Although I have issues with the current resident of the White House, it was still really cool to see it in person. We attempted to get a White House tour, but unfortunately because this was a last-minute trip, we missed the cut off deadline. If you would like to take a free tour of the White House, you need to request it through your local congressman. If you go to the website (click here to find the contact info), it guides you through the steps to put in a request. Just make sure you put in the request at least one month in advance, or you’ll be out of luck!
2 – The National Mall
Seeing the monuments and buildings along the National Mall in D.C. was really exciting. When looking on a map, everything seems relatively close, but it’s a LOT of walking between them. Thankfully it’s a scenic walk with many places to stop and rest along the way. We visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam and Korean War Memorial Walls, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. We also saw the Supreme Court, which isn’t technically on the mall, but seemed worthy of being mentioned. Unfortunately the Washington Monument is closed for renovations until 2019 so going up to the top was not possible this trip. Thankfully that is the one thing I remember from our trip back in 1997, so I guess I’m good until next time.
3 – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
I had heard the Holocaust Museum was a must see in D.C. It is free, but you need to reserve a timed ticket for entry, which can be done online in advance. We looked online but it was only showing dates in June so apparently it books up quickly. The museum also offers a certain number of same day passes, but they also go quickly. When we arrived at 11am the earliest ticket was for 2pm, when we had to be leaving. We were bummed and trying to decide what we should do instead, when we happened to find a pamphlet for becoming a museum member. For $20 we were able to join and received 2 priority passes for entry anytime during opening hours. So for a $10 donation each, we were able to visit the museum and donate to a great cause, a win-win!
The museum was fantastic, but obviously very sad. Some of the pictures and videos they showed were shocking, but eye-opening to the terrible things that happened. I can’t imagine being alive during that time and pray that nothing like that ever happens again. It’s an emotionally difficult museum to walk through, but most definitely worthy of your time.
4 – Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is massive. It’s free to visit and a worthwhile stop while in DC. We didn’t have time to see everything, but we stopped to see the grave site of JFK and Jackie Onassis Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We managed to time our stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier perfectly as we were able to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which happens every 30 minutes from April through September and every hour the rest of the year. It is definitely something special to see if you make it over to Arlington. Side note: It was still the official Cherry Blossom Festival when we visited D.C., but this was one of the few places that still had some beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom for us to see, which was a relief!
5 – National Museums
One thing I didn’t realize in advance is that most D.C. museums are free. I’m typically not a huge museum person, but considering entry was free and the museums had such iconic things on display, I was really excited to explore a few. We visited the Smithsonian Nation Museum of American History, where we saw Dorothy’s ruby-red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, a fashion exhibit from the former First Ladies and an exhibition about the history of the American Flag. Then we went to The National Archives Museum, where we saw the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No photos were allowed in that exhibit, but it was pretty incredible to see the actual documents with my own eyes. There were many other Smithsonian museums I would have like to explore had we more time, but those will have to wait until next time I suppose.
Honorable Mention
Boat ride along the Potomac River
We booked the Cherry Blossom Springtime Harbor Cruise on Groupon for $20. Unfortunately for us, all of the cherry blossoms were gone along the water front so it ended up being just a regular Springtime Harbor Cruise. It was nice being on the water, particularly on an 86 degree day, but honestly there isn’t much to see in terms of major sights. If you want to just get out on the water for a nice ride check out the cruises. However, if you are looking to see the monuments this may not be the best way. The DC Duck Tours are both land and water tours and would probably be a better option for actual sightseeing, in addition to a boat ride.
POV – W Hotel rooftop bar
The rooftop bar at the W Hotel, POV, was recommended because of the views. It overlooks the National Mall and the White House. We stopped in the afternoon for drinks, which just so happened to coincide with a brief rain shower, so we lucked out. The views were beautiful and it was a relaxed vibe. Also drinks were reasonable ($7-8 for a beer) which was unexpected, as drink at most rooftops bars I’ve been to in NYC can cost upwards of $15 each.
I loved D.C.! I’m so happy I was able to visit as an adult who actually has interest in the history the city has to offer. It was a fun vacation as a teenager with my friends, but I couldn’t appreciate it the way I did this trip. Hopefully the next time I visit, there will be a new resident in the White House (a woman perhaps?!), and I’ll plan enough in advance to take the free tour. God Bless America, especially these next 4 years. 🇺🇸
NOW BOARDING: 