Recently me and a friend of mine went for a few days to the nation's capital, Washington D.C.
Our to-do list was endless with all the major sights, restaurants & cafes and of course with personal preferences (museums, shops, etc.). But surprisingly we managed to do almost all of it without any hurry.
So today I am going to share with you how we spend the days and explored the city:
Georgetown's cobblestone streets / Café Bonaparte, a cozy place with yummy food © Lemon's mix |
On our first day we went for brunch to Café Bonaparte and enjoyed a very calm afternoon in Georgetown. Georgetown is a really lovely neighborhood with beautiful homes, a lot of dining spots and great shops on any budget. You can also find there a nice walkway along the waterfront (Georgetown Waterfront Park) and the Old Stone House which is the oldest house in D.C.
Olivia Macaron in Georgetown © Lemon's mix |
Then, in the late afternoon we walked towards downtown and just before dusk we decided to take a closer look at the White House, that has been the home of every president except George Washington.
Front view of the White House © Lemon's mix |
The next day we started our sightseeing tour with the National Mall and explored the numerous monuments and memorials.
And here are the major attractions on and near to the National Mall:
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- DC War Memorial
- Reflecting Pool & World War II Memorial
- The Washington Monument
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial & Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (approx. 15 minutes walk from the Washington Monument)
- Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian Castle, Museums)
- National Gallery of Art
- United States Botanic Garden
- Ulysses S Grant Memorial & U.S. Capitol Building
The best thing about this attractions is the fact, that it's for free. Yes, you don't even have to pay an admission fee for the museums! However, on this day we skipped the museums but just to have more time for the following two points of interest:
Supreme Court façade & courtroom interior © Lemon's mix |
Library of Congress © Lemon's mix |
Not everyone is aware, that the Supreme Court is open to public and can be visited Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Library of Congress is truly one of the most beautiful buildings in Washington D.C. and contains over 158 million items (books, recordings, photographs, etc.) in 470 languages. The Library also owns one of the vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible and papers of 23 presidents.
On our third day we used the time for the Arlington National Cemetery and for some Galleries. And indeed, I absolutely enjoyed the National Portrait Gallery with the nation's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House.
America's Presidents, National Portrait Gallery © Lemon's mix |
Another highlight was the National Gallery of Art with the Garry Winogrand photography exhibit and the Vincent van Gogh paintings in the west building.
Vincent van Gogh paintings, National Gallery of Art © Lemon's mix |
After three full days in Washington D.C. we totally walked our feet off but also noticed even more locations that are worth a visit and seduce me to come back. It's really nice there!