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Vegan travel

Washington DC travel: A newbie’s guide

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Washington DC travel tips: Where to stay, when to go, how to get around, and sightseeing highlights. Includes Smithsonian museums, Ford’s Theatre, memorials, and more.

Washington DC travel. Washington Monument at sunset reflecting on water. Full moon in sky.

I spent most of last week immersed in Washington DC travel. I’d only been there one other time, and that was 25 years ago! So I was excited to get back to the nation’s capital and experience it as an adult.

Today I’m sharing some highlights of the trip, as well as tips from a DC newbie.

Washington DC travel

If I could only give one piece advice for Washington DC travel, it would be this:

Tennis. Shoes.

I’m not talking fashion sneakers or slip-ons. I’m talking about full-on athletic shoes with support and cushion.

A day in D.C. involves lots of walking and concrete followed by more walking – around museums, exhibits, monuments & buildings with marble floors. When I was there last week, most days I walked 5 miles or more.

I didn’t pack any athletic shoes, and so day three of my trip involved a tour of the shoe store.

Save yourself.

Where to stay in DC

We stayed downtown, near Chinatown, and it was incredibly convenient. Not only were there loads of things to see and do within a few blocks, any of the major sites were a mile or two away within a circular radius. That made for a pretty easy walk, subway trip, or taxi cab ride.

(Although, be warned. During rush hour, a trip of a couple miles can cost upwards of $20 via taxi.)

Getting around Washington, DC

Exterior Capitol Building & dome in Washington, D.C.

Interior dome of Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The streets are very user-friendly, as they are built in a grid – circling out from the Capitol. (The Capitol building is the city center.)

Numbered streets run north & south. Lettered or named streets run east and west. With the lettered streets, first they run through the alphabet, then two syllables, and then three. So you can tell how far a street is from the Capitol by the letter with which it begins and how many syllables it contains.

Finally, avenues run diagonally across the grid.

The city is laid out in four quadrants. Since it does radiate out from the center, it’s important to pay attention to which quadrant you’re heading to – northwest, southwest, etcetera.

When to visit

David and Cadry in front of Capitol Building on National Mall.

We visited at the end of November, just after the Thanksgiving traffic had died down.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was in the 50’s and 60’s the whole time we were there, meaning that coats were largely unnecessary as long as I dressed in layers. (Of course, if you’re coming from a warm weather state, that might sound downright frigid to you.)

Also, the museums were a breeze to visit. There were no crowds and no waits.

I’ve heard that April, May, September, October, and November are the best months to visit. March & April are popular times to visit for cherry blossom season.

(When should you visit to see the cherry blossoms? According to the National Park Service, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15 and as late as April 18. The entire blooming period can last up to 14 days, which includes the days leading up to peak bloom.)

We also visited during the week, but before we left on Saturday, I was amazed by how much space there was on the sidewalks. The next time I go, I’ll make sure the trip falls over a weekend for at least some part of it.

What to see

Washington DC travel. Cherry blossoms in front of Washington Monument.

The National Mall

The 2 mile long National Mall is incredibly picturesque. With the Capitol at one end and the Lincoln Memorial at the other, this area is not to be missed.

Many of the Smithsonian museums are located in this area, as well as the Washington monument, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the very sobering war memorials.

Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Washington DC travel. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C.

While I was there, I even played a small part in a proposal!

A woman came up to me and asked me to take a picture of her and her girlfriend. Then she mumbled low, something that sounded like, “I’m setting it to video, because I’m going to post it.”

I don’t use the video function much on my phone, and so I wasn’t totally sure if you press and hold the red button or just press to start and stop. (It’s the latter.) Luckily, I guessed right, because as the numbers were rolling, I realized she didn’t say “post it.” She said propose!

She had her girlfriend stand back to back with her for the photo. Then she pulled out a ring, got down on one knee, and told her to turn around. She said yes!

It was the most beautiful time of day with a pinkish hue falling across the Washington monument and casting a reflection on the water. It was so special to play a small part in it.

National Museum of American History

Oscar the Grouch, Prairie Dawn, and Mister Rogers' sweater at Smithsonian in display case.

The one and only other time I’d visited Washington, D.C., I’d been very excited to see the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Fonzie’s jacket from Happy Days, and Mister Rogers’ sweater. Then after we left D.C., my camera popped open, exposing the film. (Those were the days…)

This time around, Fonzie’s jacket was nowhere to be found. Unsurprisingly, it’s not really a headliner anymore. The ruby slippers were not on display and were instead getting some TLC in the Conservation Lab. (The process will take at least a year while they are treated.)

Luckily, Mister Rogers’ sweater was still making an appearance, along with Oscar the Grouch, Prairie Dawn, and the Swedish Chef. And you’ll be glad to hear, I did not have the slightest trouble exposing my film this time around.

Julia Child's kitchen in Smithsonian.

Also in the American History museum, I saw Indiana Jones’ whip & hat, and Julia Child’s kitchen. I used to love watching Julia Child on PBS when I was a kid. In those days when I prepared meals of ramen, I liked to pretend to be her while I cooked.

On a somber note, the exhibit on the Japanese-American internment camps was very moving. It gave me chills.

National Postal Museum

United States mail truck inside National Postal Museum.

There are loads of museums in D.C., and a lot of them are free. That makes it easy to just pop in for a couple of hours, and not feel like you have to allot the whole day to get your money’s worth.

I am a serious mail lover. So when I saw there was a National Postal Museum, I was excited to visit.

Plus, David was at a conference during the majority of our trip. So I didn’t feel like I was dragging anyone along for what admittedly must be a niche interest. The whole time I was at the museum, I only saw about 5 other visitors.

There was a letter mailed from the Titanic (presumably dropped off at a stop in France pre-iceberg), lots of interactive areas to design your own stamp, a prop plane, railway car, and full-sized mail truck.

Ford’s Theatre

Presidential box at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

I am a lifelong fan of A Christmas Carol, but I’d never seen a live performance of it. When I saw that it was being performed at the famed Ford’s Theatre, it seemed like kismet.

I sat below the Presidential box, where Abe and Mary Todd were seated on that fateful night of April 14, 1865 when John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln. There is also a museum below the theatre with noteworthy artifacts from the President’s life.

Capitol Hill

Washington DC travel tips. Supreme Court with sun shining on it in Washington, D.C.

Once David was finished with his conference, we stuck around for an extra day. We did a quick walk through of the public areas of the Supreme Court building (above).

We also toured the Capitol building, guided by a staff member of my local congressman.

For me, the official buildings are a lot more impressive from the outside than from the inside. So on our next trip to DC, I wouldn’t necessarily feel like I need to see the inner workings.

Final Washington DC travel tips:

Washington DC travel tips - Cadry in front of Lincoln Memorial at National Mall.

If you’re interested in getting a free tour of the main government buildings, contact your congressperson or Senator before heading on the trip.

Some of the tours they can help with include:

  • The United States Capitol
  • The White House
  • The Library of Congress
  • The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
  • The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
  • The State Department
  • The National Cathedral

They have a form on their websites, and you just fill it out with your dates & number of people in your party. For White House tours, reservations are available no earlier than 90 days but no later than 21 days in advance of the desired dates.

I didn’t contact my congressperson until a few days before our trip, but they were still able to work us in for a Capitol tour.

The Google maps app is really handy when maneuvering the city.

It includes a variety of directions options plus the amount of time each choice would take – whether by car, Uber, Lyft, bike, subway, walking, or some combination.

If you choose the subway route, click on that part of the trip, and it will list the trains you can take followed by the times they come in. It’s super handy if you’re unfamiliar with the area and aren’t sure in which direction you should be going.

(The trains are listed by color and then by destinations along the route – as opposed to north or south.)

When booking flights, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is closer, but Baltimore-Washington is sometimes cheaper.

Keep in mind, though, that it’s quite a jaunt from downtown. (It takes about 30 minutes when it’s not rush hour.) You can maneuver transportation from there, or get ready for a $70 cab ride each way. Including cab fare, it might not be a better deal after all.

There was still so much more that I would have liked to see on our trip – especially the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the National Air & Space Museum. (I visited the Air & Space Museum on my previous trip, and I remember finding it really impressive.)

You may be wondering – where is the food? Get the lowdown on vegan Washington DC <– in this post. It includes everything from donuts to fine dining. 

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Posted On: December 7, 2017
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About Cadry

Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

Comments

  1. Jennifer Bliss says

    December 7, 2017 at 7:58 am

    I still have yet to go! We have been talking about going for YEARS!!!! Thanks for the nudge! Great pics!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 8, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Thanks, Jennifer! You really should go if you get the opportunity. It’s been on my radar for years too since it’s been such a long time since I was there. However, if it hadn’t been for David’s conference, I’m not sure when we actually would have made it happen.

      Reply
  2. Becky Striepe says

    December 7, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Cadry, I loved this! The Postal Museum sounds like it was really fun, and you know Darrol is going to be jealous that you saw Mister Rogers’s red sweater – that’s his favorite one! I’m so glad that you got to see Julie Child’s kitchen. How fun!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 8, 2017 at 11:58 am

      Aw, Darrol and I have so much in common! I hope I get to meet him someday. The sites in DC really ticked the boxes on lots of my interests – past & present.

      Reply
  3. Laura VZ says

    December 7, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    I really enjoyed following along on your trip through social media. 🙂 I’m happy you had such beautiful weather because it was ridiculously hot when I was there this summer, and I look forward to going back to make some better memories. And the proposal is too sweet – what an honor to be a part of it!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 8, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      Thanks, Laura, and thank you for the great tips on where to eat! I wasn’t able to get to all of them, but that is all the more incentive to go back again. The weather plays such a big part in the enjoyment of a place – especially a walking town. I feel the same way about Austin. It was so hot & humid when I was there that there was a lot of it I didn’t get to experience. It would be nice to go back in the winter to appreciate it in earnest. Other than my own proposal, I’d never been witness to one! So it was definitely a highlight of the trip.

      Reply
  4. Anne says

    December 7, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    So happy to see you featured DC!:) I live in DC, and I absolutely love it here. Looking forward to seeing some of the places you ate at; there are some great vegan restaurants here! I’ve enjoyed seeing how DC has become much more vegan-friendly over the last few years. You got here when we had good weather–starting to get cold now!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 8, 2017 at 12:02 pm

      How lucky for you, Anne! DC is buzzing with energy & things to do. I can see it being an exciting place to live. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the restaurants I visited, and which ones I need to go to the next time around. There were a few that I was really hoping to visit that I wasn’t able to get to because of time/location.

      Reply
  5. Susan says

    December 7, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    I’d really like to go there one day, and visit the ‘other’ Washington. (Of course, Washington state has my beloved Seattle). I can’t wait to see your food!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 8, 2017 at 12:04 pm

      When you only have so much time for vacation, I can see how it would be hard to veer away from your beloved Washington state. Plus, being on opposite sides of the country, it’s not necessarily easy to hit them both. But I hope you’re able to make it there someday and to NYC.

      Reply

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Welcome

Hi, I'm Cadry Nelson. I'm the recipe creator, writer, and photographer behind Cadry's Kitchen.

Cadry's Kitchen is a vegan food & travel blog. It features plant-based comfort food classics that are ready in about 30 minutes.

You can also find travelogues & recommendations on where to eat vegan while traveling - even in unlikely places!

Contact me at cadryskitchen@gmail.com.

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