Washington, DC – Mercedes Pick of the Best Sites in DC
Day One
You’ll need rugged walking boots for this marathon. Take the Blue/Orange Line to Foggy Bottom – GW metro stop. When you get out of the metro make a left and walk about 6 blocks and you are on your way.
Begin at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial then onto the Lincoln, Korean, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Jefferson Monuments. Head back to the Washington Monument and make sure to stop at the Interpretive Interactive Center. Continue onto the Bureau of Engraving & Printing and/or US Holocaust Museum.
This interactive map will help you make your way around.
Food
Still have enough energy for dinner? Head out to Dupont Circle (red line). My favorites are:
Café Luna***: 1633 P. Street
Cheap, atmospheric and good food.
Food For Thought: 1738 Connecticut Ave NW
Vegan, vegetarin and creative.
Grillfish***: 1200 New Hampshire Ave NW
Campy, fun & gothic – Pecan crusted trout $17.95 and worth it!
Kramerbooks and Afterwards: 1517 Connecticut Ave NW
Continental food with a twist, a little $$ but worth it – check out the bookstore inside.
Lauriol Plaza: 2000 18th Street, NW
If you don’t mind waiting 45 minutes for a table this seems to be the place of the month. Just moved to new digs (very industrial but serve Spanish food – I don’t get that connection).
Day Two
Rise and shine and get in line (6am) if you want to tour the White House.
Then, continue on to the Renwick Gallery, Treasury Department (hop the red line to Gallery Place – Chinatown), visit Ford’s Theatre, FBI Building and the Discovery Channel Store.
Need to refuel? Chinatown is right around the corner and several good restaurants are only a few blocks away (my picks below).
Mehak: 817 Seventh St. NW
The undiscovered Indian restaurant offers a bargain buffet from noon to 3:00 pm on weekends for $9.95! Traditional Indian dishes include; tandoor-singed chicken, curried potatoes and cauliflower, sweetly piquant lamb masala, earthy lentils, warm-from-the-oven bread just to name a few. Relaxing atmosphere and good service make this a great place to take a break from sightseeing.
Fado Irish Pub***: 808 7th Street, NE
Good ole Irish Bar makes you want to curl up by the fire (even on a hot day) with a pint of your favorite ale while you put on the pounds at this reasonably priced authentic Irish gem.
Tony Cheng’s
It’s what you come to Chinatown for…gaudy red sign and interior; don’t be discouraged this place is great!
Day Three
Blue/Orange line to Smithsonian. Spend your day at the following:
Air & Space Museum – currently showing the incredible Imax film – “Wildfire”.
Museum of Natural History – currently showing another Imax film “Africa’s Elephant Kingdom”.
The National Gallery of Art can’t be seen in one day, but check out their website for current exhibits.
Places to Eat
BREADLINE – American/Jewish/Mediterranean/Spanish/Turkish, 202-822-8900
CAPITAL Q – Barbecue, 202-347-8396
NEGRIL – Jamaican, 202-332-2727
OODLES NOODLES – Asian, 202-293-3138
STAR OF SIAM – Thai, 202-785-2839
Day Four
Blue/Orange line to Capital South. The Library of Congress is one of the most exquisite buildings in DC – make sure you go to the Jefferson Building! Then onto the Folger Shakespeare Library, Supreme Court, Senate Office Buildings and the Capital (I’m usually not one for guided tours but do take one here).
Union Station is around the corner, and not only has fabulous architecture – but has a huge food court and a couple of nice outdoor restaurants.
Day Five
Virginia’s claim to fame is not limited to George & Martha Washington’s home – Mt Vernon;
Arlington’s National Cemetary; or
Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home.
There are also commanding views of the Potomac River, The Pentagon, Old Town Alexandria and Christ Church. Easily accessible by the blue/yellow lines and definitely worth the trip.
Day Six
Begin your morning romping with the animals at Woodley Park National Zoo – animals are out and about by 10am and the rare but delightful Pandas feed at 11am (red line – Woodly Park).
Head two stops up on the red line to Washington’s National Cathedral (red line to Tenley Town – bus about 2 miles) to see a most impressive Gothic Cathedral.
Continue on to my personal favorite, Dumbarton Oaks, which not only has a 16 acres of beautiful formal gardens (stop and smell the 1000 roses!) but also houses an excellent Byzantine and Pre Colombian exhibit.
Still haven’t seen enough?
Check out my four additional sights minus the tourists.
101 Free things to do in DC
Still trying to figure out “What’s so great about DC anyway?”
Saludos!
My name is Mercedes, and I live in the Nation’s Capital Washington D.C.
I was born in New York, raised in Miami, and have been living in this spectacular cultural den for the past two years.
My decision to become a correspondent is totally selfish; I want to gain travel writing experience before I begin my year long journey through South East Asia.
Hopefully, my article will not only be informative but have personality as I take you on a virtual tour and show you Washington through my eyes (let’s pray my vision is 20/20!).
How it all began:
My love affair with this magnificent city began on a random visit four years ago.
Having returned from Europe the previous year, I was transfixed by the city’s resemblance to Paris.
My eyes were filled with panoramic views of majestic buildings, wide tree-lined avenues and rainbow colored tulips.
Just when I thought I had seen the most beautiful part of Washington, I caught sight of a spectacular cupola rising in the distance – Capitol Hill.
If you are not good at making decisions, Washington will leave you in indecisive limbo.
The monuments are beautiful day and night, with hundreds of fabulous restaurants and a metro that will challenge you to explore even the most hidden treasures.
What’s my favorite thing about DC? Free museums!
Into music? Then catch a free concert at the Kennedy Center.
Into more progressive sounds? Then check out these websites for upcoming concerts and hotspots.
Want to just sit and relax?
Then find your way over to the Washington Monument, plop down your backpack, take out your favorite book and watch the world pass before your eyes.
Washington DC’s resources are endless, and I will do my best to share them all with you.
Accommodation
Youth Hostels
Capitol Hill Guest House
Hotel Information
Shopping
Sorry – I refuse to send anyone to a mall other than the
Washington Mall but if you cannot resist the urge
sidewalk.com should lead you to some shopping
links.
Miscellaneous
If you have bad knees or are not into walking – here is a
tourmobile site that will take you to all major monuments.
It will cost between $25 – 32 USD, but is worth it if you don’t
have much time to spare.
I want my Internet!!!
Cafemyth.com – hottest new cyber café in Georgetown gives students free computer usage with I.D.
3241 M. Street, NW 202.625.6984
Brief Trivia
Yes, it’s true. It was 1701 when Jefferson took the first bite of the fruit that was then believed to be poisonous.
The Pentagon is also the world’s largest office building, encompassing more than 583 acres.
They were all born and raised in Virginia. More U.S. Presidents were born in Virginia than any other state.
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