When I got to New York, I heard quite a bit about our capital city, Washington, D.C.
But I knew very little about the real Washington, DC until I visited as a traveler. Because even though The District is home to a lot of government-y types and even more history, that’s not ALL there is to it.
I’ve now been to Washington DC, so many times as a tourist in the last couple of years that I am thinking about to relocate and start a new life there.
This year my boyfriend and I tried to go and see the cherry blossoms blooming but the flowers were late, and we missed them.
So what to do in Washington D.C
There’s a LOT to see and do here, and some of the best things are the things you’ll find listed in all the guidebooks.
The National Mall
National World War II Memorial (my Fav)
Stroll around the Tidal Basin(particular cherry blossom time)
Go to a museum
- The Newseum (as a journalism/media geek, this is one of my favorite museums in the US)
- The US Holocaust Memorial Museum
- The National Geographic Museum
Explore another neighborhood
Washington, DC, isn’t known for its neighborhoods in the way that, say.
MGM National Harbor, a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, opened a 1.4 billion dollar Las Vegas-style casino in National Harbor just south of Washington DC . The new resort casino is located in Prince George’s County, Maryland in a waterfront development along the Potomac River and is worth a visit.
Georgetown
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood located on the banks of the Potomac River. It’s so historical, in fact, that it predates Washington, DC, itself, having been founding in 1751 in what was then Maryland. This means you’ll find lots of beautiful old buildings, leafy streets, and even an old canal (the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal) in Georgetown.
Visiting Arlington National Cemetery
How to get around
The great thing about visiting Washington, DC, is that you don’t *need* a car to get around. There are plenty of options for getting around the city, which include:
- Walking (for the areas that aren’t too far apart/within some of the coolest neighborhoods)
- Using the Metro – You can get a SmarTrip card at just about any station, and one-way ride fares start between $1.75 and $2.15 depending on the time of day you’re traveling.
- Taking an Uber or Lyft – Both rideshare companies operate in DC and rides often aren’t that much more expensive than if you use public transport (especially if you opt to share your ride with someone else).
