My first encounter with the capital city of the USA was when we moved here for a year when I was in the sixth grade. Since then I have visited on numerous occasions, sometimes with my parents (who currently live in northern Virginia), sometimes with visiting family members (acting as de facto tour guide), and sometimes just exploring on my own. What follows is a smattering of my favorite places over the years and a bit of advice:
Don't stay in the city
Seriously. Unless you have money to burn, pick a place outside the city limits that has easy access to the VRE (Virginia Railway Express). It costs less than $20 USD for a round trip ticket to DC on the train and takes about an hour, giving you time to map out were you want to go, eat breakfast, read etc. You will more than recoup this money in cheaper hotel fares.
Get there EARLY
Even though tickets for things like the Washington Monument and the Holocaust Museum don't go "on-sale" (they're free) until 8:30 or later in the morning, lines form waaaaaaaay before then and they easily sell out before everyone in line gets through. If you visit in a group, one person can usually pick up multiple tickets so it's best to split up and wait in the lines for separate attractions.
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| Manassas train station at dawn. |
Get there EARLY
Even though tickets for things like the Washington Monument and the Holocaust Museum don't go "on-sale" (they're free) until 8:30 or later in the morning, lines form waaaaaaaay before then and they easily sell out before everyone in line gets through. If you visit in a group, one person can usually pick up multiple tickets so it's best to split up and wait in the lines for separate attractions.
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| This is the closest I get to the Washington Monument because I refuse to get up early enough |
Coffee in a crackhouse
Sounds like a bad idea, right? Nope. My mom found out about Ebenezer's Coffeehouse from a book she was reading called The Circle Maker. First off, the location can't be beat: it's literally around the corner from Union Station (which houses the VRE, AmTrak and the metro). It's adorable with it's Modern-Colonial design, and breakfast is delicious.
I got the caramel whip (even the smell of it reinforces you made a great choice) and the breakfast tacos with bacon. We got there right at the tail end of the morning rush and I was a little impatient with the wait for our tacos (although the coffee was delivered immediately). However, they were more than worth the wait! Fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon, large chunks of potato, the perfect combination of spices...Mmmmmmmm. Mom and I agreed that these were the best breakfast burrito/tacos ever.
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| Colonial-modern design and a delicious breakfast await. |
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| Ebenezer's breakfast taco, dissected. |
I got the caramel whip (even the smell of it reinforces you made a great choice) and the breakfast tacos with bacon. We got there right at the tail end of the morning rush and I was a little impatient with the wait for our tacos (although the coffee was delivered immediately). However, they were more than worth the wait! Fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon, large chunks of potato, the perfect combination of spices...Mmmmmmmm. Mom and I agreed that these were the best breakfast burrito/tacos ever.
Make friends with public transportation
The first time I ventured into the city alone I got suckered into one of the hop-on hop-off bus tours. It was supposed to make getting around easier. It was a waste of money. As soon as it dropped me off at my first stop I realized the metro would've gotten me closer and was a lot cheaper: $14 USD for an all-day pass (eliminating the confusion and time waste of selecting multiple individual tickets).
The Smithsonian
...is huge. If you happen to be a museum person and want to see it all, it can not be done in one day. If you just want to hit the highlights, I suggest the Museum of American history, the Museum of Natural History, and the National Zoo (which is technically still part of the Smithsonian Institute).
The Museum of American History houses classic fun items ranging like Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz, Julia Child's kitchen, a collection of the First Lady's dresses from over the centuries, the original Dumbos from the Walt Disney World ride, the uneven parallel bar grips Gabby Douglas used to win gold (twice!) at the 2012 Olympics, Carrie Bradshaw's laptop from Sex in the City, and more I haven't seen yet. Fair warning: Half the museum is closed until 2015 for renovation.
The Museum of Natural History is known as the home to the Hope Diamond, which is really less impressive every time I go see it. The gem exhibit that it is part of is rather spectacular, though, and I go see it every single visit. Another not-to-be-missed exhibit is the live butterfly room (left). It costs a few dollars to go in, but can you really put a price on being surrounded by dozens of butterflies flitting about? The answer is no, you can not. (And if you disagree with me, it is free on Tuesdays, so go then.)
Get off the beaten path
My favorite random stop in DC is without a doubt the International Spy Museum. Granted, I am a huge fan of spy movies, so maybe it's just me, but who hasn't wanted to experience "a live action spy adventure," as the spy??? Corny at times, it is still genuinely enjoyable.
For a slightly less touristy experience, don't miss Georgetown
It's adorable, is home to fabulous stores (Lulu Lemon, Anthropologie, Lush, American Apparel etc), and provides numerous unique eateries.
This visit to the city we ate lunch at Clyde's and I was simply amazed at the service and presentation.
Our server treated us like we were his favorite regulars and not two strangers he'd never seen before, greeting us warmly before the host had even shown us to our table. He impressed me with his ability to mirror the restaurant's calm and professional demeanor, while still being friendly and approachable. I enjoyed the cheese sampler (local raw cheeses, delicious) and a cinnamon tea
that can be likened to red hot candies.
We also visited my favorite cupcakery: Georgetown Cupcakes. I reveled in my seasonally exclusive strawberry champagne cupcake and mom opted for a gluten free chocolate coconut version. Georgetown Cupcakes offers different cupcakes depending on the day of the week, month of the year, and special occasion, but you don't need to worry about not finding one you like because -- as I told the newbie in line behind me -- they are all exceptionally yummy. There is always at least one gluten-free option available, which is a rarity among cupcakeries. Don't be afraid if there is a line around the block for these cupcakes: they have streamlined the process with such precision that you will be asked for your order possibly before you have even decided which cupcake to get!
The Smithsonian
...is huge. If you happen to be a museum person and want to see it all, it can not be done in one day. If you just want to hit the highlights, I suggest the Museum of American history, the Museum of Natural History, and the National Zoo (which is technically still part of the Smithsonian Institute).
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| Who doesn't love pandas? If for no other reason, go to the National Zoo just to see the pandas. |
The Museum of Natural History is known as the home to the Hope Diamond, which is really less impressive every time I go see it. The gem exhibit that it is part of is rather spectacular, though, and I go see it every single visit. Another not-to-be-missed exhibit is the live butterfly room (left). It costs a few dollars to go in, but can you really put a price on being surrounded by dozens of butterflies flitting about? The answer is no, you can not. (And if you disagree with me, it is free on Tuesdays, so go then.)
Get off the beaten path
My favorite random stop in DC is without a doubt the International Spy Museum. Granted, I am a huge fan of spy movies, so maybe it's just me, but who hasn't wanted to experience "a live action spy adventure," as the spy??? Corny at times, it is still genuinely enjoyable.
For a slightly less touristy experience, don't miss Georgetown
It's adorable, is home to fabulous stores (Lulu Lemon, Anthropologie, Lush, American Apparel etc), and provides numerous unique eateries.
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| Clyde's Georgetown location |
Our server treated us like we were his favorite regulars and not two strangers he'd never seen before, greeting us warmly before the host had even shown us to our table. He impressed me with his ability to mirror the restaurant's calm and professional demeanor, while still being friendly and approachable. I enjoyed the cheese sampler (local raw cheeses, delicious) and a cinnamon tea
that can be likened to red hot candies. |
| Little details at Clyde's. |
We also visited my favorite cupcakery: Georgetown Cupcakes. I reveled in my seasonally exclusive strawberry champagne cupcake and mom opted for a gluten free chocolate coconut version. Georgetown Cupcakes offers different cupcakes depending on the day of the week, month of the year, and special occasion, but you don't need to worry about not finding one you like because -- as I told the newbie in line behind me -- they are all exceptionally yummy. There is always at least one gluten-free option available, which is a rarity among cupcakeries. Don't be afraid if there is a line around the block for these cupcakes: they have streamlined the process with such precision that you will be asked for your order possibly before you have even decided which cupcake to get!
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| Tradition or no, there's nothing traditional about these cupcakes. |
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