I was lucky to find ridiculously cheap airfare on Frontier Airlines - like $160 roundtrip! I have friends that live in College Park who were gracious enough to let me stay with them, which really makes a weekend trip a total no-brainer. I flew out Friday morning and had an early Monday return, allowing me to get a quality 60 or so hours in one of my favorite places.
Just an FYI to all you deal hunters out there, Frontier does have a few drawbacks -- you pay to check a bag, carry-on any bag larger than a backpack, choose your seat, and for pretty much everything else. I traveled with just a backpack so I didn't worry about any of the bag issues. And they fly in & out of Dulles, which can be a deal breaker for some. However, the new Silver line with the Dulles bus made it super easy for me to get into the city -- probably 45 minutes after landing.
My dear friend Alexis was at work when I got into town, but I am always good to keep myself occupied! I had been to DC a few years before and hadn't had the chance to get to the Holocaust Museum, so that was priority #1 on my list. I took the Metro right to the Smithsonian stop, got my first glimpse of the Washington Monument (my fave!), and walked right over to the museum. Bonus, they have a nice bag check so I could ditch my backpack (which was more because it was really warm carrying it around!). The museum did not disappoint -- in fact, I did not have nearly enough time to devote to it before the museum closed.
I had a bit of time after the museum before meeting Alexis, so I took myself up near the White House. I'm a big Scandal fan, so it was nice to get a wave in to Fitz & Mellie (Barry & Michelle, too, but man do I love me some Fitz & Mellie!).
Friday evening Alexis & I ventured out on H Street, having drinks & dinner at Boundary Road. It was totally my kind of scene -- great menu, fantastic cocktails, and a great vibe with exposed brick and industrial furniture and lighting. We ventured a little bit further down H Street to have another cocktail and ended up at Chupacabra. It's more of a walk-up taco stand than an actual restaurant/bar, but it had a good patio and we were up for an adventure. And adventure we did! We ordered sangria, thinking we'd get the usual pitcher of wine & boozy fruits... TOTALLY wrong on that one! A giant, head-sized glass appeared with two straws. Our first taste confirmed it was likely boxed wine sangria... but you know... no complaints. We drank that sangria and then drunkenly took the train back to College Park for some much needed sleep!
I did pretty minimal research going into this trip, because I feel like you can't really go "wrong" in DC. Stick to the right neighborhoods, review a menu, try some local brews, and you'll be fine. And I pretty much knew that I just wanted to go see the monuments & the National Archives and any other excitement would just be icing. Saturday's brunch was definitely icing -- we ended up at GBD - Golden Brown Delicious, not too far from Dupont Circle. Now let me tell you - I love me some fried chicken. And doughnuts. You open a restaurant that has both of those at the same time, and call it brunch?? Well, you've won me forever. It was A-MAY-ZING.
Fortified from brunch, Alexis and I wandered our way down to the National Mall and grabbed bikes from Capital Bikeshare. While the monuments are easily walkable, it makes for a pretty long, hot day if you do it all on foot. The bikeshare is the perfect solution to get you from one end of the Mall to another (and all the way around the tidal basin!). We used the bikeshare the last time I was in DC as well, which was great for exploring some of the neighborhoods on our way to the Eastern Market. Grab a 24 hour pass, download the app so you can track down stations, and go check out the city!
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After a lovely afternoon of visiting our favorite monuments, we ventured to the National Archives. Now, I am a GIANT history geek, so going to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution is my only "must-do" when I go to DC. Like every single time. It never gets old, seeing the documents that gave our nation its' start. I get goose bumps just writing about it!
Funny story: I was gazing (really, drooling) over the Declaration when this lovely elderly British couple comes up. I make some room for them to get a look, and I overhear the couple -- "It's rather faded, isn't it? You'd think they'd touch it up so you could read it a bit better!" and "What year does that say? 1779?" It was a such a great "duh" travel moment for me -- we, as US citizens, know the date of the signing of the Declaration (or at least I hope we do!), and it was a nice humbling moment to remember that not everyone in the world would know the date. And they were just so cute.
After the Archives, we ventured back towards the White House -- I had read that there was a rooftop bar at the W Hotel that had a fun view of the White House from above, something you really don't get to see! It was absolutely packed, so we ventured back down the elevator and found a lovely Parisian-style sidewalk cafe just next door to have a few drinks and some appetizers. After the sun had set, and the lights were turned on, we walked back to the National Mall to get a view of Washington Monument at night. I know I keep saying it, but the view really doesn't ever get old. (*Traveler Tip* -- if you're taking a cab anywhere after dark and near the monuments, have your cabbie take you for a spin around to see them all lit up. It's cheaper than the tours!)
Sunday, we decided to go catch a Nationals game -- I love baseball (and so do my gracious hosts!) and it is always fun to see a new ballpark. We grabbed brunch at Bluejacket before, over near Navy Yard. Bluejacket is also a brewery, so we took advantage of the "build your own flight" and got to try nearly all the beers they had on tap (good thing we had a lot to eat as well!).
The Nats game was a ton of fun -- we left a little early to beat the crowds and later found out it ended up a no-hitter!
After heading back to College Park to grab my bag, we ventured off toward Virginia to drop me at my hotel for the evening. Since my flight was so very early the next morning, I found a great Hotwire deal at a hotel near Dulles with an airport shuttle so I wouldn't need to have my friends drive me in the middle of the night.
Going to DC yourself? Here are my tips:
- Buy a Metropass! I made the mistake of buying a stored value card and then kept it too close to my cell phone and it got erased. Buy the Metropass that you can reload at any station - the value left doesn't expire, so I just have it in my wallet for the next visit.
- If I hadn't stayed with friends, I would have used Hotwire for a hotel somewhere just outside of the District itself, as long as it was walkable to a Metro station. Or, I guess for a really good deal, I would have stayed in the District.
Next time, I would:
- Try for a Capitol Building or White House tour. This takes some advance planning, as you need to write to your Senator or Representative to request the tickets (and go through the background check).
- Take a walking tour of the National Cathedral.
- More time to see a Smithsonian Museum (or two). There are so many options, and they are all free!
- Make my way to Georgetown. Tons of great shopping and bars. And preppy kids.
- Venture to the Eastern Market and get a crab cake sandwich while perusing the antiques. (These last 2 are things I did on my trip a few years ago, and they were tons of fun.)
What I love the most about DC is that you can return over and over again, and even if you are going to see the same things (*cough* National Archives *cough*), they are different each time because you are a little bit different each time you see them. I can't wait to go back!
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