Ok folks, here it is. Your guide to a perfect weekend in the nation's capital. With all of the free fun that DC has to offer, along with burgeoning neighborhoods, two days is enough to get a good feel for the city.
Day 1:
Check into your hotel. I recommend the Palomar in trendy Dupont Circle but if you're feeling spendy, go for something fancy and historic like the Hay-Adams (where many a President have stayed) or even the Mayflower.
Whichever you choose, start the day with a breakfast waffle at Tynan. But you're going to have to earn that waffle via a morning neighborhood walk! Follow the map below for a tour that will probably take you 2 hours if you're walking fast, but 4-5 if you're wandering through and taking in each of the points of interest. By the time you get to Adams Morgan, you may feel like a more complete meal. In that case, try traditional Oaxacan food at Casa Oaxaca. Don't forget to get a margarita.
View DC Wandering in a larger map
Dinner tonight lines up with the "neighborhood" theme of today. If you don't have a car, hop in a cab and go to Sweet Mango for their amazing jerk chicken and coco bread. After dinner, swing by the Looking Glass Lounge for a drink, some hipster-watching, and observing a neighborhood that is in the midst of major transformation.
Day 2:
Start with a big breakfast at Founding Farmers. Even on a weekday, reservations are recommended. It can get crowded in there. From GWU students to Mexican Embassy and World Bank employees, this is definitely a power breakfast spot.
From here, you can walk straight down Pennsylvania Ave to the White House. If you plan ahead, you can contact your Senator or Representative to arrange for a tour. Continue south along the Ellipse towards the National Mall. Remember, there are so many museums and monuments that you will not be able to see it all. However, if you start early enough, you can avoid the crowds and see the best of the ones you pre-selected.
I always love walking through the American History and Air and Space Museums, plus a short jaunt through the Freer Gallery for a look at Asian art. All three are just southeast of the White House. The food options around the Mall are quite limited, but for a unique bite to eat, try the Native American Museum a bit more east of the Air & Space Museum. They close at 3, so make sure you time it right -- and you could have some traditional Native American bites for lunch. If your Mall visit is on a Friday afternoon, you can lunch at the USDA's very own farmer's market outside the Department of Agriculture building, on 12th St and Independence Ave SW.
After lunch, hop on a bike for a tour of the monuments. Capital Bikeshare recently opened two bike-sharing stations on the Mall. There is one right by the Washington Monument. For only $7, paid at a station with any credit card, you can unlock a bike and roam around the mall. Make sure not to miss the MLK memorial, a bit off the beaten path, and the Korean War Memorial.
When you've filled up on seeing national monuments, return the bike to any Capital Bikeshare station around the city. This means you can ride on over to Chinatown first, all the way on the east side of the mall, and have an afternoon drink before your delicious dinner in one of the many dining hotspots lining 7th Ave NW.
Start with happy hour at Poste, if the weather is nice. Their huge outdoor patio draws quite the crowd, and they have punch specials on warmer days. If you can book a table in advance, try Rasika for dinner. Their palak chaat is a unique dish, and the food (modern-ish Indian) is really creative. However, save room for dessert - there are better options nearby. After dinner, walk on over to Red Velvet, one of the early entrants to the DC cupcake craze. The red velvet ones, as one would hope, are quite tasty... and you cannot really go wrong with their other flavors.
Stroll north on 7th Street to see the various shops and the big Chinatown gate. Note though, the shops are mostly chains and the street gets exceedingly crowded at night. Keep your wallet close. Alternately, check out an independent movie at the Landmark E Street Cinema, just a few blocks west. If you go a roundabout way, via 6th and H St NW, be sure to check out the Surratt Boarding House - an historical site where the conspirators plotted President Lincoln's assassination.
Before the evening is up, make sure to grab a digestif at Off the Record, inside the Hay-Adams hotel. It's a quintessentially DC bar - quiet, lots of corners, and near the White House. Keep an eye out for political celebs.
After two packed days, you'll be ready for another vacation. Luckily, the beach is a short 4-hour drive from the District, so you can plan a relaxing follow up stay nearby!
Day 1:
Check into your hotel. I recommend the Palomar in trendy Dupont Circle but if you're feeling spendy, go for something fancy and historic like the Hay-Adams (where many a President have stayed) or even the Mayflower.
Whichever you choose, start the day with a breakfast waffle at Tynan. But you're going to have to earn that waffle via a morning neighborhood walk! Follow the map below for a tour that will probably take you 2 hours if you're walking fast, but 4-5 if you're wandering through and taking in each of the points of interest. By the time you get to Adams Morgan, you may feel like a more complete meal. In that case, try traditional Oaxacan food at Casa Oaxaca. Don't forget to get a margarita.
View DC Wandering in a larger map
Dinner tonight lines up with the "neighborhood" theme of today. If you don't have a car, hop in a cab and go to Sweet Mango for their amazing jerk chicken and coco bread. After dinner, swing by the Looking Glass Lounge for a drink, some hipster-watching, and observing a neighborhood that is in the midst of major transformation.
Day 2:
Start with a big breakfast at Founding Farmers. Even on a weekday, reservations are recommended. It can get crowded in there. From GWU students to Mexican Embassy and World Bank employees, this is definitely a power breakfast spot.
From here, you can walk straight down Pennsylvania Ave to the White House. If you plan ahead, you can contact your Senator or Representative to arrange for a tour. Continue south along the Ellipse towards the National Mall. Remember, there are so many museums and monuments that you will not be able to see it all. However, if you start early enough, you can avoid the crowds and see the best of the ones you pre-selected.
I always love walking through the American History and Air and Space Museums, plus a short jaunt through the Freer Gallery for a look at Asian art. All three are just southeast of the White House. The food options around the Mall are quite limited, but for a unique bite to eat, try the Native American Museum a bit more east of the Air & Space Museum. They close at 3, so make sure you time it right -- and you could have some traditional Native American bites for lunch. If your Mall visit is on a Friday afternoon, you can lunch at the USDA's very own farmer's market outside the Department of Agriculture building, on 12th St and Independence Ave SW.
After lunch, hop on a bike for a tour of the monuments. Capital Bikeshare recently opened two bike-sharing stations on the Mall. There is one right by the Washington Monument. For only $7, paid at a station with any credit card, you can unlock a bike and roam around the mall. Make sure not to miss the MLK memorial, a bit off the beaten path, and the Korean War Memorial.
When you've filled up on seeing national monuments, return the bike to any Capital Bikeshare station around the city. This means you can ride on over to Chinatown first, all the way on the east side of the mall, and have an afternoon drink before your delicious dinner in one of the many dining hotspots lining 7th Ave NW.
Start with happy hour at Poste, if the weather is nice. Their huge outdoor patio draws quite the crowd, and they have punch specials on warmer days. If you can book a table in advance, try Rasika for dinner. Their palak chaat is a unique dish, and the food (modern-ish Indian) is really creative. However, save room for dessert - there are better options nearby. After dinner, walk on over to Red Velvet, one of the early entrants to the DC cupcake craze. The red velvet ones, as one would hope, are quite tasty... and you cannot really go wrong with their other flavors.
Stroll north on 7th Street to see the various shops and the big Chinatown gate. Note though, the shops are mostly chains and the street gets exceedingly crowded at night. Keep your wallet close. Alternately, check out an independent movie at the Landmark E Street Cinema, just a few blocks west. If you go a roundabout way, via 6th and H St NW, be sure to check out the Surratt Boarding House - an historical site where the conspirators plotted President Lincoln's assassination.
Before the evening is up, make sure to grab a digestif at Off the Record, inside the Hay-Adams hotel. It's a quintessentially DC bar - quiet, lots of corners, and near the White House. Keep an eye out for political celebs.
After two packed days, you'll be ready for another vacation. Luckily, the beach is a short 4-hour drive from the District, so you can plan a relaxing follow up stay nearby!
I will revisit this in early May. Coming out on the 17th for a long weekend!
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