What to see in DC!

The Washington Monument at Night.

The District of Columbia. What a beautiful city to see! Although this is very different from our normal sunny side up adventures at a North Carolina Beach, it was still a wonderful adventure. John and I visited DC for the first time in November, 2015. What a wonderful trip we had, we arrived in DC on a Thursday. If you haven't battled DC parking then I when you plan a trip I suggest you prepare. John and I planned to park in a free parking garage outside of the city, and then catch the metro around the city. This ended up working out perfectly. Our hotel charged $30.00 a day for valet parking and that was a high price sticker we just couldn't afford. So we ordered the seven day pass for the metro rail. We parked in the garage and lugged our luggage down to the metro rail. This was John's first time on the metro, he had never even ridden a train, all he had ever seen was the subway from the movies. It was a fun adventure to learn to navigate our way around the city using the metro! After checking into our hotel, we decided to do a night tour of the Washington Monument.

A Founding Farmers breakfast!

             We commuted and walked across the city to see some of the histories we had only ever experienced on television. Let me warn you, if you travel to DC in the winter time, and you are at all accustomed to our southern temperatures, be sure to pack warm and dress in layers! Seeing the Washington Monument at night can really take your breath away. It is lit up so beautiful against the black night sky and the flags are whipping in the wind. It was such a beautiful sight. An interesting experience that night was seeing the protesters on the lawn holding signs requesting equal rights for the LGBTQ community. After visiting the National Monument, we stopped at Ebenezer's Coffee house for a drink to warm us up. I ordered a delicious caramel latte and John ordered a red eye to up his energy level. After a long day of travel we hit the hay at our hotel. If you stop in DC make sure to grab breakfast at Founding Farmers DC. With the most mouth watering crepes and the farm to table concept down, it was well worth every penny.

At the Lincoln Memorial, taking a picture.

Then, of course, we went to see the White House. It was interesting to see so much history in one city. No matter which direction you look, you are seeing something historical and meaningful. While taking pictures of the White House you will see Secret Service members walking around the outside of the building carrying AR-15's, although my husband thought this was cool, I found it a little nerve-wracking.After visiting the White House we went to see several other monuments such as the World War I & II National Monument, the Thomas Jefferson Monument, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. It was super meaningful to walk through and see these memorials. It really makes you go quiet, when you sit there and read some of the writings on the memorials and you see what people have put down for their family members. The most meaningful memorial to me was when we went to see the 9/11 Memorial by the pentagon. I think I cried the entire time. I know a lot of people go to see the memorials during the day, but I would also recommend making a special trip to see all of the memorials at night also. It takes you back a little bit to see these beautiful memorials lit up in the night sky.

The Arlington Cemetery.

After visiting all of the memorials, we went to see some of the other famous places in DC. John and I visited the Spy Museum, which was interesting, but I would really only recommend it if you have children. We also rode the metro to Chinatown. It was so much fun to see Chinatown. I recommend stopping by Ming's Restaurant for some classic Chinese fare. It was delicious and the service was wonderful. When you are planning your trip to DC, plan in advance. There are tons of free attractions in DC that you can go see. John and I took a short trip to DC, so we did not get to see everything we wanted to, but there are tons of things to see for free! The DC Zoo is free to see, and also the United States National Arboretum is a free place to take your family. I hear the gardens are beautiful in the spring. John and I are certainly planning to make another trip to see some of these things we missed the first time around. The last place I recommend seeing before you leave the city is the Arlington Cemetery. It's a place you will not want to miss. Been to D.C. and craving another big city to visit?! Read about another city adventure we had here!!