Our nation’s capital (not to be confused with Capitol, gets me every time) is full of so much history, symbolized by the abundance of monuments and museums. Seven years ago, one of my best friends moved away from Louisiana to start a new job and life in D.C. For being a huge history nerd and avid wine drinker (D.C. citizens drink more wine per capita than any other state), you would think the D.C. / Virginia area would have been on my bucket list. But it was never on my radar until my friend moved there. You could spend weeks just visiting all of the museums (Over 70)! The upside to the D.C. area is that a lot of the attractions are free. The downside is that everything I’m going to recommend in the travel guide below is spaced out. There are things to do in D.C., Alexandria, Arlington, west towards Shenandoah, and south towards Fredericksburg and Mount Vernon.
Where to Stay in Washington D.C.:
I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with my friend in the suburbs. But I’ve read that the Foggy Bottom, Old Town (Alexandria), Logan Circle, and Rosslyn, Virginia (You can walk over the Key Bridge into Georgetown and be in D.C.) are great areas to stay.
Transportation in Washington D.C.:
If you’re looking to venture out of D.C. you’ll need to rent a car. But for the attractions in D.C. itself you can get around with the D.C. Metro, which is the second busiest subway system in the US. Don’t let that intimidate you though, the Metro is very easy to use. You can buy a reloadable plastic SmarTrip card or use mobile pay. One method of public transportation I wasn’t aware of when I visited is the D.C. Circulator Bus. For only $1 (exact change or SmarTrip card), you can hop off and on along the National Mall as long as its within two hours of your first ride.
What to do in Washington D.C.:
- White House – The White House offers tours (Does not include the West Wing) but you have to plan it weeks, sometimes months in advance. Contact your congressional office to set up the tour. Or you can just take the obligatory selfie in front of the gate on Pennsylvania Avenue like I did.
- Tour the National Mall, a national park that stretches across two miles from the US Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial. Along it are most of the Smithsonian museums
- Washington Monument ($1 admission) – If you’re feeling ballsy, take the elevator up 555 feet to the top of the monument.
- US Capitol / Old Supreme Court Chamber (Free tours but reserve in advance online)– One of my favorite sights. The Capitol Dome is encircled by murals and paintings depicting significant historical events in American History. You’ll also get to see the Old Supreme Court Chamber, which served as the first US Senate Chamber from 1800-1806 and the courtroom for the Supreme Court from 1810-1860. So much history was made in this room, from Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration to Samuel Morse sending the first Morse coded message. Contact your congressman to witness both chambers in session. After the tour you can take the tunnel to the Library of Congress.
- Old Post Office Tower – Another one of my favorites. Take an elevator to the clock tower to see a panoramic view of the city.
- Trump International Hotel – The guy is such a douche but he sure knows how to build a beautiful hotel.
- Petersen House – The house where Lincoln spent his last remaining moments is located across the street from the Ford Theatre where he was shot and now serves as a museum.
- Museum of American History – My favorite displays are Thomas Edison’s Notebooks and the Hope Diamond
- National Archives Museum – Home to the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights
- Gravelly Point – Small park located next to Reagan National Airport where you can see the planes fly over you as they land
- The National Cathedral – For my Star Wars fans. This iconic building has many gargoyles and one of them on the northwest tower is the sculpted head of Darth Vader.
What to do in Virginia (If you have a car):
- Arlington National Cemetery (Free admission) – The final resting place of JFK, John Glenn, and more than 400,000 fallen heroes that have fought in American wars dating back to the Civil War and home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an unidentified American soldier from World War I that is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by Tomb Guard sentinels. The changing of the guard takes place every hour on the hour.
- Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
- Mount Vernon ($26 for adults) – Located on the banks of the Potomac River, it is the historic home and tomb of our first president.
- Hiking at Shenandoah National Park / Skyline Drive
- Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint Winery or any of the nearly 300 Virginia wineries
- Ice skating at Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Virginia (Avoid the crowds in DC)
- Great Falls Park – Overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River. George Washington tried building a canal around the falls but it wasn’t a success. Remnants of the canal are still visible.
- Walk around historic downtown Fredericksburg
What to Eat & Drink in Washington D.C.:
- Port City Brewery (Alexandria) – Optimal Wit
- Capital Ale House (Fredericksburg) – Allagash White with a Giant Bavarian Pretzel
- Ben’s Chili Bowl (D.C.) – Original Chili Half-Smoke, voted D.C.’s Signature Dish and most popular menu item
- Sticky Rice (D.C.) – Tater Tots paired with Sushi, you read that right.
- Casa Rosada (Alexandria)- Handmade Argentinian style gelato
- Union Market, a revitalized mid-century food hall has turned the NoMa neighborhood into a culinary haven. Slurp fresh-from-the-Chesapeake oysters at Rappahannock, a chorizo burger from Red Apron Butcher, or savor Michelin-starred Italian at Masseria.
- Baked and Wired (D.C.) for cupcakes
- Hill Country (D.C.)– Someone on Reddit said they have “ribs the size of motorcycle handlebars” and that’s pretty accurate.
- Founding Farmers (D.C.) – Home cooked meals at an award winning restaurant located three blocks from the White House that is majority owned by actual farmers
- Compass Rose for dishes from around the world
- Black Cat for live music
- Toki Underground for ramen noodles and dumplings
Tips for Visiting Washington D.C.:
- One of the best times of year to visit D.C. is to witness the Cherry Blossoms – The average date for the peak bloom is April 4th but it can happen as early as March 15th and as late as April 18th.
- A lot of the attractions (Smithsonian museums) are free
- D.C. is spaced out and requires A LOT of walking so wear comfortable shoes
- Some attractions require reservations in advance
- Summer days can be as hot and humid as Nola
- D.C. actually gets two more inches of rain per year than Seattle so pack an umbrella
- D.C. uses letters for streets traveling east to west. But there is no “J” Street. The “I” and “J” were very similar in older English. So there is no J Street because it looks like an I.
Bucket List for Visiting Washington D.C. Again:
- International Spy Museum. I’m a huge James Bond fan so this is a must for me. It’s home to the largest collection of espionage artifacts in the world.
- Ford’s Theatre – See exhibits that display rare artifacts from Lincoln’s assassination or experience a live performance in a historic theatre.
- Monticello – Take a tour of Thomas Jefferson’s plantation located in Charlottesville, Virginia (~ 2.5 hour drive from D.C.)
- Attend a free jazz concert at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden on Friday nights from May through August featuring some of Washington’s top musicians.
- Attend Truckeroo, a monthly food truck festival held in April thru October
- Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, a restored 18th century tavern that has hosted George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
