Live your life by a compass, not a clock – Erica Jong
Washington, DC had been on our bucket list for a long time, so when the opportunity came to visit we jumped at the shot and I want to share what we packed into a weekend in DC so that you to can go on your own adventures.
We stayed in Dupont Circle at this wonderful hotel called The Ven at Embassy Row which was wonderful and close by all the things. This was a hosted stay, but you all know I don’t include things unless truly enjoyed or I like where it is, They had everything onsite including a great restaurant that we got breakfast at one of the mornings. The room was lovely and everyone was super accommodating.
We walked most places and took an uber to places that were too far. We had also rented a car, but quickly realized parking is a bit difficult in DC, so ubering was easiest and fastest. Hot tip. 🙂 Keep reading for my 6 Fun Things to do in Washington, DC which will hopefully help you build your own itinerary when you travel!
- Visit as many museums as you can
All Smithsonian museums are free in DC so this makes exploring art, history and culture accessible for all and creates an environment of knowledge. We visited as many as we could in our short weekend stay with our MUSTS being the following museums:
- National Museum of African American History – Timed entry tickets are free but must be reserved in advance
- National Museum of the American Indian – Walk in, no tickets needed
- National Museum of African Art – Walk in, no tickets needed
Some of the exhibits were tough to see, and honestly as a Brown, Latina woman it was hard to see some of our nations history. It is important that we remind ourselves daily of this history and it should never be erased or forgotten.
 
- Visit the White House
Its a must for every first time visit to DC, very touristy but worth it. It was beautiful when we went with flowers blooming and even though there were tons of people it was a great experience.
- Explore on foot as much as possible
We walked a lot. There are also tons of areas where you can grab scooters or bikes to rent and zoom around the city. Our first day there we walked from our hotel to the White House, which was far but worth it. It was pretty humid, which we weren’t prepared for, but it was a great walk and a great way to explore.
Loved walking around DC!
- Visit the National Mall
Before going to DC, I had no idea what the National Mall was, but its glorious. It basically has everything from the Washington Monument to Lincoln’s Memorial. You can walk all over the place, but it is a lot of walking so you can rent scooters or bikes to get around and see the different areas. Also we visited the Martin Luther king Memorial which was in the area as well, and we loved walking along the river with the trees blooming to get there.
Walking to the Martin Luther King Monument was beautiful
- Eat Donuts at Rose Ave Bakery
The reason Rose Ave Bakery is separate than the rest of the culinary scene is because their donuts are that good and I wanted to highlight them. My amazing nail artist, Paragon Nails had initially given me this recommendation and it was worth the wait! This Asian and Woman owned bakery make beautiful creations that have people waiting around the block for. I was SO happy I managed to snag some pastries for bae and I to enjoy and continue my tradition of eating donuts everywhere I travel. Rose Ave had flavors such as Guava, Passion Fruit and Taro. They also sell other savory pastries plus coffee and tea.
- Explore the culinary scene
In our short time in Washington, DC we visited our first Michelin starred restaurant, ate Native American inspired food at a museum, super good Italian food, incredible donuts and more! There is so much more we wanted to explore and try, but alas in two days its a bit difficult, though if Bae had let me we would have eaten at a new spot every 3 hours. HAHA.
One of the courses at Cranes DC
Burrata was perfection at Sfoglina
Loved this tasty brunch at a Mexican spot close to Dupont Circle- to this day I still cant find the name and I forgot to take a photo of the name.
Needless to say there is a lot you can do in a weekend in Washington, DC if you plan well and hopefully this list helps you on your own visit to DC. I cant wait to share more travel tips and itineraries with all you Mavens this year, its going to be great!
xoxo,
Life as a Maven
