My mom very graciously planned a trip to celebrate my 30th birthday in the city of my choice (my sister chose Charleston for her 21st last year). Washington D.C. was an easy choice for me. I hadn’t been in twenty years and I wanted to explore the city not from a school tour bus and not eating fast food and cheap buffets. We went for 5 days and to be honest it wasn’t enough. This city has so many things to see, do, and eat. I don’t think you could ever have enough time, but we made the most of the time we had.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in two different hotels for our trip. Our first full day was in Alexandria, VA so we booked our first two nights at The Alexandrian on King St. It was centrally located, had covered parking, and a very kind staff.
The remainder of our nights were at The Hay Adams. This hotel has a prime location across the street from The White House. The rooms are well decorated (I was obsessed with the toille bedding) and the staff was incredibly attentive. Who doesn’t love being greeted by name every day? We would absolutely stay here again. One note, it is a small walk from where everything is, but not by much. Other luxury hotels that are more centrally located by museums and monuments are The Waldorf Astoria and The Willard. There are obviously many more hotels, but you know I love fancy accommodations!
Where We Ate
I’ll not include our first meal (McDonald’s at 2am lol)…
Alexandria
Tatte Bakery - This is a trendy and cute bakery cafe chain. We had to eat breakfast quick before our walking tour and this hit the spot. There are many locations throughout the area making it a nice option to have in your back pocket when you’re in a pinch.
Misha’s Coffee House - A local recommendation from a follower on IG. We stopped here before heading to Mt. Vernon.
Jula’s on the Potomac - On the north side of town, but with a view of the water which is what we craved. I wasn’t feeling well this day, but my sister and mom enjoyed their meals.
Washington D.C.
We had breakfast at the hotel every morning via perks of my mom’s hotel booking. Lunches were basically skipped or were snacks from the many food trucks throughout the city. We were so busy going from museum to museum there was very little downtime in the middle of the day.
Old Ebbitt Grill - The most recommended restaurant by the hotel staff and followers. It’s a historical saloon that gets busy, but offers great food. We met my cousin who lives in VA here and we all loved our meals. The crowdpleaser was the crab artichoke dip starter. We got lucky on a rainy day with a walk in, but highly recommend a reservation in advance.
Zaytinya - One of Jose Andres’ many restaurants in D.C. The restaurant is right by Capitol One Arena and was a favorite stop for people to eat before seeing Zach Bryan that night — lots of cowboy boots and hats which tbh was strange to see as a West Coaster (lol). The restaurant is elevated mediterranean food and was delicious. Like a Mexican restaurant, they refill their fresh baked pita bread baskets throughout the meal.
The Lafayette - This was the restaurant inside The Hay Adams. We ate here last minute one night when everything was a 2+ hour wait. Breakfast was better here.
Georgetown
Baked and Wired - This was our post walking tour fuel. The cupcakes are as good as people say, and I’m not really a cupcake person to begin with. The shop is split in half, so if you’re just heading for coffee and tea you don’t need to wait in the bakery line. Major bonus for me, they stocked my favorite tea: ROOIBOS!
Chez Billy Sud - This was a recommendation by a friend. We loved it! I love a french restaurant, so this was my “birthday” dinner. The decor is very charming as is all of Georgetown. The only downside, which is big one for the women in our family, the Diet Coke was flat *cue a single tear*.
What We Saw (in order of appearance)
Alexandria History Walking Tour - This was a great tour. Alexandria is so charming and full of history. Tim, the owner, is the tour guide and his walk was well planned and he knew the basic history as well as fun facts and stories. He actually knew Tyler, the owner of Walk and Talk Charleston, the most fun walking tour we did last year in January!
Mount Vernon - A classic stop on any Washington D.C. trip. It’s so fun to see and step inside George Washington’s house. The view of the Potomac from the backside of the house is gorgeous. I’m so glad the Mount Vernon Ladies Association saved this from being bought and potentially changed less than a hundred years ago!
Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial - This memorial is a great one to see at night.
9/11 Pentagon Memorial - This was the first time I had seen this memorial. When I came in 5th grade the Pentagon was still under construction from 9/11 so this was very sobering to see finished. Another one that is beautiful and moving to see at night.
White House Tour - To tour the White House you must request a tour from your local congressman. Spots fill up FAST so put in your request months in advance. I’m so glad we managed to get tickets. This tour is self-guided and takes about 30-45 minutes.
Renwick Gallery - This gallery is on Pennsylvania Ave right by The White House. It’s small, but fantastic! I loved every exhibit. Highly highly recommend if you’re an art lover.
National Portrait Gallery - After going to the Portrait Gallery in London last summer, this was on the top of my list. I loved the Presidents collection and the variety of exhibits.
Ford’s Theatre - Unfortunately it was closed the day we went, so I’ll have to add it to my list for next time. Note to you and me: get tickets in advance.
DC Designs Georgetown Architecture Tour - Another great walking tour. The owner was our guide and she was fantastic. There were other couples in our group that said they had done her other tour of Embassy Row and highly recommend it.
Tidal Basin and The Mall - A must do walk because you see all the major memorials and monuments: Washington Monument, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, MLK Jr. Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, WWII Memorial. One downside was Lincoln was under restoration so the majority of the steps were not accessible which made the memorial very busy and crowded.
Capitol Tour - You can tour the Capitol via their website, but I highly recommend you request a tour via your congressman’s office. The benefit of this is you’ll be in a much smaller group (ours was only seven, while the public tours are dozens) and you will have a more personalized tour. We went while Congress was in recess so our tour guide was able to take us on the House floor to sit in the seats! So fun and something public tours do not have the opportunity to do. This was my favorite tour of the entire trip.
Library of Congress - Sadly, it was closed, but its a MUST DO! Thankfully, I had been before.
The Museum of the Bible - A very beautiful museum. I loved seeing all the early editions and translations of the Bible. We were running low on time before other museums closed so I was not able to visit all the floors and exhibits.
National Museum of American History - A must see museum. The original Star-Spangled Banner flag was remarkable to see in person. I love any fashion exhibit, so The First Ladies exhibit was so fun! Lots of history to see like Lincoln’s top hat, GW’s uniform, pop culture items like Dorothy’s ruby slippers and more.
National Archives - I could stare at the Declaration and Constitution for hours, truly. Seeing it in person again made me regret slightly for not getting my degree in history and actually pursuing my dream of being a real life Abigail Chase.
Hillwood Estate - I’ve spoken about this estate on IG and in last week’s Friday Five. I loved seeing Marjorie Merriweather Post’s in person! Her gardens and collections were as impeccable as I expected after reading The Marvelous Lives of Marjorie Merriweather Post. A must do in my opinion if you’re into Faberge eggs, French antiques, 100s or orchids, and jewels the size of your ear.
Parting Thoughts (because Substack is saying I’m almost to my limit)
We saw and walked a lot and still easily did not see half of the city. D.C. is a place I think everyone should see at least once, but more likely two or three times because it would take you that many trips to see and experience it all. Thanks so much for sticking through this post and please leave any questions or D.C. recommendations for others to see and do!