Travel Guide – Washington DC

I’ve visited Washington DC a few times and it has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit during the colder months. In this travel guide, I’ll take you through some places to eat, stay, and visit. I’ll also include some sample itineraries that you should be able to complete in a day. I hope you find this helpful!

Metro

The Metro system in Washington DC is super convenient for getting around. If you fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, you can take the yellow or blue lines to get to most places. Fares during peak hours range from just $2.25-$6.00 and during off-peak hours range from $2.00-$3.85. Much cheaper than most other modes of ground transportation!

You could try to get around using car-based transportation; however, in my experience, using the Metro is faster, cheaper, and more convenient. During peak times, even if you miss your Metro, another one is sure to come within minutes.

Where to Eat

There are a bunch of great places to eat! Instead of going into detail on each, here’s a quick cheat sheet:

• Old Ebbitt Grill – Chicken and Waffles, Short Rib Poutine. Reservations recommended!
• Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart – Chercher Beef Special Tibs. Service can be really slow during peak hours, so be prepared to wait.
• Stoney’s on L – Super Grilled Cheese.
• CAVA – Yes, it’s a chain, but this location sometimes has unique toppings. And of all of the CAVAs I’ve visited, the falafel here is the best!
• &pizza – The OG. Great place to eat while waiting for a flight.
• Baked & Wired – The Tessita (vanilla cupcake with dulce de leche filling and chocolate-hazelnut satin icing) – SO GOOD. Baked & Wired is named such because there are two sides to the shop: the bakery, and the coffee shop.
• Un Je Ne Sais Quoi – Chocolate Merveilleux (sandwich of two very light meringues with whipped cream and chocolate). One of the best things I’ve tasted.
• Poke Papa – Pineapple, mango, and watermelon radish as toppings? Yes please!
• Ben’s Chili Bowl (original location on U St) – Half Smoke. The original location has so much history and is a frequent spot for well-known people, including President Obama.

Where to Stay

Two places I’d like to highlight are The River Inn and the Renaissance hotel.

The River Inn is great if you want to stay outside the busiest areas of Washington DC. It’s just a quick walk to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station. It’s also walking distance from a Trader Joe’s. The room we stayed in had a fully stocked kitchenette, but if you want ice, you have to call and have it delivered, since there are no ice machines. Although we could hear our neighbors a few times, it wasn’t that big of a deal (and I’m a light sleeper). Plus, the beds were super comfy!

If you’re looking for a place closer to the heart of Washington DC, the Renaissance is a pretty nice option. Located just a few blocks away from the Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metro Station and less than a mile from the National Mall, it’s a pretty big hotel. The good news is that there are multiple sets of elevators and I never had to wait too long to go to the lobby from the 15th floor. For being centrally located, the room was surprisingly quiet. This was really nice for me, since I needed a place to decompress after long days exploring the city. I liked how I could hang a breakfast card outside my door the night before and indicate the time I would like my food delivered. Very comfy room and flexible checkout times make this place convenient!

Where to Go

Washington DC has so much history and points of interest. Most require security screening before entering, so I suggest having all of your metal and electronics in a bag for swift entry. Here are some of my favorites.

Library of Congress

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the nation. It is also the largest library in the world, with over 168 million items! It has such a rich history, including being saved by President Jefferson during the War of 1812, when the British set fire to the city, including the library. Jefferson sold to Congress his personal library of over 6,000 books to reestablish the library.

Besides the tours they give and the amazing store, you can gain access to the reading rooms in all three buildings. If you are a book nerd like I am and want arguably one of the best pieces of reader swag, you can get yourself a Library of Congress Reader Identification Card. I suggest pre-registering online – it makes pickup a lot smoother!

Washington Monument

Completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was built in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, paying homage to ancient civilizations. Back then, the monument was the largest building in the world, towering at over 555ft. It is made almost entirely of stone. After the 2011 earthquake, the monument was temporarily closed for repairs. It reopened in 2014, and in 2019 a renovation project to the elevators was completed.

If you want to ride the elevator up, which I highly recommend, you can either reserve your ticket or try walking up to the kiosk, which is located down the walkway from the monument. I went at 8:30am and didn’t have any problems getting a ticket. The elevator is a quick 1min ride up, and 2min ride down, where you can see different pieces of history as you descend. The views of the White House, Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial, are quite amazing!

• 

• 

• 

Don’t just visit the monument during the day – it’s truly spectacular at night too!

• 

• 

• 

Of course, I always recommend creative composition for photography. I like the following shot as it highlights the “I Have a Dream” speech from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lincoln Memorial

Congress issued the construction of the Lincoln Memorial two years after President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. So much symbolism went into its construction. For example, the architect, Henry Bacon, felt that a memorial dedicated to a person who defended democracy should be modeled after the birthplace of democracy: The Parthenon. In addition, thirty-six columns surround the memorial – one for each state of the Union at the time. Also, the statue itself pays homage to the president. For example, if you look closely, one hand is clenched, representing the president’s strength and determination to see the war to its conclusion. In contrast, his other hand is open and more relaxed, representing his warm nature.

• 

• 

Other Memorials

There are so many other memorials to visit: The Vietnam Veterans, World War II, Korean War Veterans, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert Einstein, Pentagon… like I said, so much history!

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington has a rich history that predates being officially named a cemetery in 1864. George Washington’s adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, established the estate as a living memorial to President Washington. Curtis’s daughter, Mary, married Lieutenant Robert E. Lee in 1831 and the family abandoned the estate at the start of the Civil War. In 1861, the U.S. Army seized the property for its strategic value, as it provided views of every federal building in the nation’s capital.

Arlington National Cemetery was a segregated cemetery until 1948, when President Truman desegregated the military. Originally, being buried here wasn’t considered an honor. Rather, it was for families of service members who could not afford a proper burial at home. As token of unity, a Confederate section was included after the war ended.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

If you’re looking for a place to escape the city, Theodore Roosevelt Island is a great place to go. When taking the Metro, just jump off at Rosslyn Station and it’s a short walk to the bridge that connects the island to the mainland. It took me about 40min to walk the perimeter of the island. It’s surprisingly quiet there, and you can see the city from a unique perspective.

Rock Creek Park

Another place to visit to get a bit of nature is Rock Creek Park. Located about 3mi north of Washington DC, I had an amazing time hiking the trails here. It’s so peaceful and a great place to see Fall colors. There are a bunch of different species of birds here too! In 1890, Rock Creek was one of the first federally mandated parks. Peirce Mill, built in 1829, is still a fixture in the park today!

Sample Itineraries

Visiting Washington DC can be overwhelming, especially with all of the sites, tours, and history. So here are a couple of example day trips during Winter months that I’ve taken over the years. I hope you find them helpful! I normally get my day started at 8am and like to be back at the hotel by 7pm, just for reference.

• Washington Monument > Library of Congress > Capitol Building > Theodore Roosevelt Island > Lunch (I went to Ben’s Chili Bowl) > Albert Einstein Memorial > Vietnam Veterans Memorial > Lincoln Memorial (should be evening by now to see the rest at night) > Reflecting Pool > WWII Memorial > Washington Monument
• Georgetown University > Georgetown Waterfront Park > Arlington National Cemetery > The Pentagon (just the outside – need background check done weeks in advance to go inside) > Lunch (I went to Stoney’s on L) > National Mall

Honorable Mentions

I didn’t want to make this post too long, but here are a few other places I recommend:

• National Mall and the Smithsonians
• U.S. National Archives – See the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights!
• National Gallery of Art

Washington DC is such a wonderful place to visit and be immersed in history. I hope this travel guide has given you some inspiration!

References

“History of the Library of Congress”. Congress.gov. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“Fascinating Facts”. Congress.gov. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“History & Culture”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“History & Culture”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“Features of the Lincoln Memorial”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“Lincoln Statue”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“History of Arlington National Cemetery”. Department of the Army. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”. Department of the Army. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Gravesite”. Department of the Army. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“The Known Unknown”. 99% Invisible. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“Peirce Mill”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.
“History & Culture”. National Park Service. Accessed February 2nd, 2020.