Visiting D.C.: Tips and What to See
Washington D.C., capital of the United States, had been on my “to visit” list for over ten years. While I had been other places in the USA and internationally, and had even studied abroad, I felt it odd that I hadn’t spent the time to check in on the history of my home country’s capital. That finally changed last month!
My husband and I planned a long weekend in mid-April to properly visit D.C. While we definitely didn’t see everything, our purpose was to at least get an overview…and then we can visit more in the future!
When to Visit
I highly recommend visiting D.C. in the Spring or Fall seasons when the weather is neither too hot or too cold. As my husband can attest, it gets very hot and humid in D.C. in the Summer. He made the mistake several years ago of visiting during the summer—and apparently nearly melted due to the soaring heat!
The Spring has a particular advantage in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. There are a plethora of cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin that have spectacular blooms. However, I highly recommend visiting at the end of March to catch this bloom. By mid-April this year the blooms were sadly gone!
Where to Stay
Like all trips, where you stay depends completely on your desired location and budget. My husband and I drove to D.C. and therefore had use of a car, so we stayed in a cute Airbnb nearby in Arlington, VA. It worked really well for us and was less expensive than staying in D.C.
What to Bring
As with any trip, pack for the weather and season. However, I highly recommend comfortable walking shoes and sunscreen! (See this post on types of sunscreen). Bottled water is also a must!
What to See in D.C.
As the nation’s capital, D.C. has many historical markers, museums, and memorials. If you are keen on getting some exercise the best thing you can do is take a long walk around the city—which is what we did. We started around the Capitol Building and it’s gardens, walked past the Botanical Garden and Smithsonian, and went toward the Tidal Basin. On the way, we explored the World War II Memorial—noting all the states names engraved on the pillars—and also easily found the Washington Monument (a kid nearby rightly pointed out that it looked like a pencil). In all honesty, since I was early in my third trimester of pregnancy, I was far too tired to walk around the Tidal Basin. However, we did glance at the Jefferson Memorial from a distance and then continued to the Lincoln Memorial.
I had seen the Lincoln Memorial in many pictures, but it was even more magnificent in person! As expected the stairs leading up are a bit steep, but climbing them is absolutely worth it! Inside the memorial, Abraham Lincoln sits and gazes out toward a phenomenal view of the Washington Monument. This view was my favorite part of the monument. Engraved on each of the inside side walls are two excerpts from Lincoln’s speeches, including the famous Gettysburg Address. There is also a tiny gift shop in one corner of the monument if you want Lincoln-related souvenirs.
Near the Lincoln Memorial are several other memorials, including the Vietnam Memorial. We made sure to visit the Vietnam Memorial as several members of my family are Vietnam veterans. This memorial consists of black stone panels, each bearing a multitude of soldier’s names—a name for each soldier killed in the war. We took a picture of one of the names on my dad’s request.
Throughout all of these parks and memorials, there are some public restrooms. Just be aware that the lines can be long on some of the more touristy days.
Aside from the memorials and museums, there are quite a few other historical markers, including Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated. It’s still a working theater, but it also has tours (reserve tickets in advance). We were happy to simply walk by and see the outside—along with the house across the street where Lincoln actually died. Another building of likely interest is the White House, which unfortunately is blocked off via a fence from a distance—so id recommend skipping that if you are pressed for time.
We also visited the Library of Congress (free entry, but reserve a ticket time in advance), noting the building’s fabulous architecture and permanent displayed collections. If you are a fan of Gutenberg Bibles, then you absolutely cannot miss visiting—there is a prized Gutenberg Bible on display made with vellum rather than paper. At the time of our visit, they also had some historical maps on display and a small Gershwin exhibit, amongst other things. Personally, most of the things I’d want to see in their collection are for their readers…which you can apply for if you are over the age of sixteen!
Attractions Outside D.C.
If you have time, it is absolutely essential to cross the river into Virginia and visit Arlington National Cemetery. You can definitely do this on foot if you have the energy or you can take the subway. The cemetery also has tour trolleys if you don’t wish to walk within its boundaries. While there is plenty to see, you cannot miss the Kennedy’s graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We coincidentally managed to view the daily wreath changing ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown solider when we were there.
If you have a car and an extra half day, I’d also highly recommend visiting Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. You do need to pay for tickets and it’s best to reserve them in advance. Mt. Vernon used to be a large plantation overlooking the Potomac River. The Ladies of Mt. Vernon Society took over the care and operation of the historical buildings from the Washington family. The mansion house is well maintained and worth the extra few dollars to tour. However the most eye-opening information came from the free “Enslaved People of Mt. Vernon” tour, which, as you can guess, covers the life of the enslaved people living on the plantation. I will say that the museum exhibits also made an effort to showcase the enslaved people alongside the expected exhibits about the Washington family. I personally found it to be a reasonably balanced and informative viewpoint on both the Washington family and the enslaved people’s lives.
Where to Eat
We tried several restaurants in the D.C. and Arlington areas. Our winning favorite was a gelato (what a surprise!) place called Dolcezza. Dolcezza is a locally run chain, which both common and unique gelato and sorbet flavors. Apparently they even have a blueberry lavender flavor in the summertime—let me know how it is if you try it! We personally loved the Grapefruit Campari sorbet the best.
In the Arlington area, we enjoyed a takeaway dinner from Ruthie’s All-Day, which is basically a Southern home style restaurant. We enjoyed the brisket and pulled pork plates with various sides. We especially liked the brussel sprouts with fish sauce, braised greens, and mac and cheese sides. The cornbread was okay, but not my personal favorite (I’m still partial to my mom’s cornbread!).
Also located in the Arlington area is Idido’s Coffee and Social House. They have good coffee—and lavender lattes too! The food also looked intriguing, but I only tried a cinnamon chip scone. The scone was fantastic—soft and fresh with the perfect balance of cinnamon!
If you are thinking of visiting D.C. or are planning your first trip, this post should give you a place to start! It’s not necessary to spend a ton of money visiting—it’s just good to get an overview of the main sites and then decide what you want to do more in-depth from there.
