Wayfinder’s Washington D.C. Top 15

We did a lot in DC. There’s a lot to do and it was hard for us to choose. So we didn’t, or at least that’s how it felt on the last night!

If you don’t feel like wearing yourself out and speeding through everything, I suggest either more time or a shorter list of “Must dos.”

Here are our top 15 to help you start narrowing your list:

The White House

The White House Tour: Plan early! White House tours are free, but fill up. They are scheduled through your Congressional Representative, on a first come, first serve basis.  Don’t expect to see a lot or go everywhere. The tour is self-guided and you are only allowed in a few rooms in The East Wing: Dining room, Blue room, Red room, Green room, etc. I have heard that some people are disappointed with the tour, but we loved it. Just being in The White House, and the fact that we could go in, was pretty cool.  You can find information here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events

"Sea of Stones"

Arlington National Cemetery: When we started planning this trip, I didn’t think I wanted to go to Arlington. I was wrong. I started reading about it in Fodor’s and the more I read, the more I knew I wanted to visit. The “sea of stones” is beautiful and moving. I couldn’t stop taking photos of all of the different angles and shadows. Walking around, away from the crowds is a must. Then be sure to visit The Kennedy Graves, The Arlington House (where Robert E. Lee once lived) and The Tomb of the Unkowns. Time your visit to The Tomb of the Unkowns on the half hour, to watch the changing of the guards. If you miss it, stick around until the next one. You will be glad you did! The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as “The Iwo Jima Memorial”, is north of the cemetery itself. It is worth the drive, walk, bus ride….  whatever. 

Reading the Gettysburg Address

Navy Memorial

Memorials: Just walking around and seeing all of the memorials is a great experience. They are all inspiring in their own way. But, if you are short on time be sure not to miss:

Lincoln Memorial: Massive and inspiring. Read everything and be sure to note the spot on the stairs where MLK gave his “I have dream” speech.

Korean War Veterans Memorial: Beautiful with few words. Look at the faces of the stainless steel soldiers and on the black granite wall and you won’t need anymore than “Freedom is not free.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial: The black wall of names is a powerful and beautiful memorial, made even more so by the many Veterans and families looking for names of family members and friends.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial from Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial: These two memorials are inspirational on their own, but standing at the MLK Memorial, looking across the Tidal Basin and seeing the Jefferson Memorial struck a chord with me.

United States Navy Memorial: We stumbled upon this memorial when we were looking for the National Archives. It’s right across the street. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but the stained glass panels are one of my favorite single pieces in all of DC.

Museums: To be fair, we didn’t spend enough time in any one museum to have an expert opinion. And we didn’t make it to the HolocaustMuseum, which is supposed to be amazing and heartbreaking. That being said, here’s what we liked best:

National Archives: No words can describe seeing the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, but there’s more to this building. If you have time, watch a program, visit another exhibit or do some research! It’s free, unless you make reservations in advance. At $1.50 per reservation, it is well worth it to skip the line around the block. Make a reservation here: http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/reserved-visits.html
National Museum of Natural History: This is Todd’s favorite museum, so I will let him write. “Given the short amount of time we spent at each museum I think this one provided the most bang for the buck. Iconic taxidermied and fossilized giants are on display throughout, easy to see without having to constantly reference a map. Hard to miss the enormous Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops fossils, and you shouldn’t.

International Spy Museum: There’s some cool stuff on display at this museum: Bond’s Aston Martin, KGB Lipstick Pistol, Bulgarian Umbrella, Lighter Camera, etc. But, the coolest thing about going to the Spy Museum is that you get to adopt a cover identity, memorize details and answer questions throughout your tour.  I was Angela Falcone, a 21 year old (ha!), Italian Travel Agent and my destination was Hanoi… for business of course!

Food: We didn’t have any bad food in DC, but these stood out:
Ben’s Chili Bowl: This was our first stop in DC. Have a half-smoke at Ben’s and become a part of history. It’s tasty too!

Jaleo: This was Todd’s birthday dinner. It was fun and delicious! We split the following: Patatas Bravas, Jamon Iberico, Chorizo Iberico, Valdeon (amazing blue cheese), Datiles (bacon wrapped dates), and Ensalada de Remolacha Con Citricos (salad of beets, pistachios, citrus and that amazing blue cheese). Surprisingly, since we are kind of obsessed with cheese and pig, the salad was our favorite!

Ray’s Hell Burger: Best Burger Ever! Or at least one of the best burgers I have ever tasted. And, it’s near Arlington so you can make an adventure out of it.

Old Ebbit Grill: This place is old and storied. We heard it wasn't very good. Just touristy. But we had a gift card, so we went. I only have two word for you to remember: Eggs Chesapeake. Yum.

Jaleo

Ray's Hellburger

The Metro: I love the Metro! It is makes it easy to do a lot in a short amount of time, you don’t have to worry about parking and you can stay at a hotel out of the main tourist areas without missing any of the action!