We love to walk, not because it’s cheaper than hopping in a taxi, but because it allows us to absorb a city at its most common denominator: the street. The streets say so much about a city, possibly more so than any writer could. And, the very streets of Washington DC seem to beckon walkers to partake in the education of the history of our nation. Walkers are invited to view national memorials and legacies for absolutely free. From Dupont Circle to the National Mall, and everything around it, walking is probably the best way to soak in the charm, the patriotism and the unique democratic history that our capital has to offer. Taking a tour bus or a taxi would only serve to hinder that experience.
Day 1
President Kennedy once said: “Washington DC is a city of southern efficiency and northern charm.” I’d beg to differ. While we can all agree that DC politics are about as efficient as a snail, DC is a rather amazing city. Residents are genuinely nice, neighborhoods are eclectic and dynamic, and the city has the most efficient and well-maintained layout.
On our first day, we started out at the National Mall, which is easily accessible from the Blue and Orange Metro Lines at the Archives exit. The National Mall encapsulates all things “national,” including the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the National Monument.
Back of the White House Front of the White House World War II Memorial Lincoln Memorial during the day The Washington MonumentAs of 2011, the Washington Monument has been closed for earthquake repairs. Hugging the side of the monument will suffice for going inside the monument.
Claiming the monumentFrom the National Mall, we hopped on the Metro to the Arlington Cemetery exit.
Graves at the Arlington Cemetery Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington CemeteryThe cemetery is immaculate. The Arlington House sits atop the hill of the cemetery. From there, a breathtaking view overlooks all of Washington DC. Out of courtesy, we remained silent throughout our visit.
The Lookout, Arlington CemeteryWe took the metro to the Pentagon exit. Pictures are absolutely not allowed at the Pentagon. I wanted to test that theory, because, again, whenever I see a “no,” I want to do the opposite. But, a nice family already tested the “no photos rule,” only to have their camera temporarily confiscated by a guard and the photos erased.
From the Pentagon, we took the Yellow Line to Alexandria, VA for dinner. Old Town Alexandria is fun, especially because that’s where we met our new duck friends. It was right around dinner time when we visiting Alexandria. So, we stopped off at Hank’s Oyster Bar on King Street. Hank’s has some pretty good oysters and popcorn shrimp for a fairly reasonable price.
At the end of the night, we headed back to the National Mall to take photos of illuminated national memorials.
Lincoln Memorial at nightDay 2
Having visited Washington DC in the beginning of April, after a major rain, we missed out on the blooming of the cherry blossom trees, a gift from Japan. The blooms reached their peak around the end of March to the beginning of April. During that time, the National Mall is awash in a sea of leafy pink. Pink lovers everywhere, such as myself, often revel in the all things pink. So, imagine my dismay when we arrived, just missing out on the blossoms in their prime.
We did, however, make it in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival, a free event with a parade, food and all things Japan-esque. Not to mention, Miss America attended the Cherry Blossom parade (she’s my favorite).
Cherry Blossom ParadeWe took the second day to visit the museums. Most of the museums are free…taxpayers’ money free…so we expected a long line. The National Archives had the longest line of about 20 minutes, since the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are a major hit for both Americans and non-Americans.
The line for the Archives was what we would consider long, but we arrived early in the morning to avoid major waiting times. The Mister took the 20 minutes of downtime in line to plan out his own version of National Treasure. But, with no feasible way to steal such a treasure, he opted to purchase a copy at the gift shop. The shop clerk must have been in on his plan because he commented on the mister’s reenactment of the movie. Frank replied “yes” and the clerk said: “That’s nice. That’ll be thirty dollars.”
The National Gallery of Art is also free and is very close to the National Archives. If you visit, you get to see works of art, like this:
Mr. HairyOne of the more interesting museums in the capital was the National Postal Museum. We learned about the history of the post office. It’s interactive and entertaining. At the time, guests could send people postcards for absolutely free. Who knew learning about stamps was so much fun.
We also visited Congress and the Supreme Court, which were closed on Saturday, because even slow-moving politics need a day off.
Capital Hill Outside the building Supreme Court of the United StatesFor dinner, we headed to Captain White’s Seafood City along the banks of the Potomac River. The outdoor restaurant is chaotic, since the place is so popular. But, after cutting through the crowd, ordering is fairly easy and most patrons eat at the stand-up eating area overlooking the Potomac.
Captain White Dinner ViewDay 3
On our last full day, we ate lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl in the north end of DC. It’s a landmark business with great milkshakes. I was wondering who could eat there for free, but it seems only Bill Cosby and the Obama family can, according to their indoor sign.
Ben’s Chili BowlWe walked up Embassy Row on Constitution Avenue. Some of the embassies represented their countries of origin in design. We ended our embassy walk at the National Cathedral, which has striking similarities to the Notre Dame in France.
In Columbia Heights, very near Embassy Row, there a number of vintage, brick-style houses. Houses like this don’t necessarily exist in Los Angeles. I would love to live in one of those, so long as it’s not haunted by a ghost. We also visited Adams Morgan, a quaint neighborhood known for its diversity. A colorful palette of vintage houses line the streets and shopping isn’t bad there, either.
Since there was a little time left as we rounded out Day 3 in our nation’s capital, we also visited that wacky modern art yard known as the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. From hairy butts to funky sculptures, the National Gallery of Art is entertaining to say the least.
Star of David Sculpture Garden
Have you visited DC? What’s your favorite part of our nation’s capital?
Mine is the hairy butt painting.
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