I love to travel. I also love history and flowering trees. So naturally, my husband and I took a trip to Washington, D.C., during the Cherry Blossom Festival. 🌸
What did we do there?
- Ate delicious food
- Met up with old and new friends
- Visited the Smithsonian American History Museum
- Visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum
- Visited the National Archives Museum
- Visited the Washington Monument
- Visited the Lincoln Memorial
- Walked among the cherry blossoms and through the kite festival at the Tidal Basin
If you’re searching for an affordable and intriguing city to explore that is easily accessible, Washington, D.C., is the perfect destination. The downtown area is highly walkable and offers something interesting for people of all ages ranging from eight to eighty. Although we opted for Uber, the metro system is accessible and generally dependable.
Do…
Research restaurants ahead of time and make reservations. Please read the reviews; they’re usually correct. For lunch, you can find some quick cafeterias or quick service spots downtown. For dinner, I recommend the Foggy Bottom (check out Founding Farmers) or 14th St. sections of D.C., Arlington, VA, or the Georgetown area.
Wear sensible shoes, and use a belt bag or backpack. You’re going to be walking a LOT. Also, check the weather beforehand and pack a light jacket and an umbrella.
Loosely plan your trip. You want to be flexible, but it’s much easier to take advantage of your surroundings with a plan. You don’t want to miss out on something (like the Spy Museum) because you didn’t get tickets ahead of time.
Give yourself plenty of time for the museums. It took us several hours to get through the American History Museum. There was so much to see and read. One Smithsonian can take an entire day. Decide which museums you want to see and rank them so you go to your preferred spot first. And gosh darn it, see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution at the National Archives.
Don’t…
Eat the overpriced hotel breakfast. Unless the restaurant in your hotel is highly rated, look up an excellent restaurant for your omelet or avocado toast. We went to Commissary, and it was divine.
Be impatient. There will be large crowds in most of the places you’re going to visit. Be ready to wait in line or in medium to large crowds. Pack your patience for the best experience.
Miss out on the Metro. It’s a great way to travel the city. It’s fast and affordable. Ubers are okay, but it takes a few minutes for your ride to be accepted, and the drivers are pretty creative (I’ll be it scary) about how they navigate traffic. Don’t be like me; book your hotel on a metro line.
I hope these tips were helpful to you as you plan your jaunt to our nation’s capital. We did this trip in three days, so if you’re close by, it’s an excellent trip for a long weekend!
See you somewhere else soon.
Home 
Leave a comment