My Favorite Places to Find Food
Mr. Henry's
This fun cafe is located on Pennsylvania Ave just a few blocks past the Capitol building in the cutest tree lined neighborhood. You can find Capitol hill insiders enjoying happy hour on the street at the cafes and bars lining the street in this area. I chose to grab dinner at Mr. Henry's because they offer live music upstairs in their loft in the evenings. I hung out on the shady patio and of course had my signature Shirley temple while people watching before heading upstairs for dinner and music. I enjoyed my hearty London broil and potatoes for dinner while listening to the musician in the coffee shop style setting. I would recommend this place if you are looking for a nostalgic city cafe experience.
The Capital Grille
I have mentioned the Capital Grille on this blog before because it is one of my favorite restaurants to visit for the great food and excellent service. The Washington DC location on 6th street is a special location for me though because it is where I first discovered the restaurant on one of my previous travels to DC. I loved getting to come back to the restaurant and headed to the interior which is paneled with dark wood and decorated with Americana paintings. I ordered my favorite thing on the menu, the Capital Grille burger and left feeling full and satisfied as always. If you are looking for a nice restaurant to enjoy dinner or lunch at this is definitely the place.
BLT Prime
However you feel about the location BLT Prime is the perfect brunch spot in the city. Located in the Old Post Office which was restored into the Trump International Hotel this restaurant overlooks the lavish hotel lobby and has great views of the tower as well. It is decorated in the theme of the Post Office and includes old letters found in the building that have been framed and hung on the walls. For brunch I ordered the Banana Nutella French Toast which turned out to be just as delicious as it sounds! After brunch you can also head over to the Old Post Office museum area and take the elevator up to the top of the tower for some great views of the city!BlueJacket
This trendy bar and restaurant located in the Navy Yard is great for spending a Friday night out on the town. I loved getting drinks and appetizers at this fun place and would definitley recommend the pretzel twist. There are several unique items on their menu but this one was my top pick. It is a pretzel stuffed with seafood and served with housemade mustard sauce for dipping.
Tortilla Station
This popular Mexican spot is located right across the street from the capitol and can be packed during the lunch hour for good reason. They have some pretty decent tacos, taquitos, and burritos as well as a great happy hour menu. If you want a casual sit down restaurant this is your spot!
Cafe Milano
This is the spot to see and be seen in Georgetown. Several famous DC personalities have been spotted here. Plus it has some delicious Italian food! I love this restaurant because it has a little bit of a fashion theme going on as well with posters from Moschino on the wall. The pasta dishes are even named after Italian designers like Valentino and Bulgari. I went with the Risotto which was to die for but I think anything on the menu would've been delicious.
Georgetown Cupcake
This cute little cupcake shop is the perfect place to come for dessert after eating at Cafe Milano. They have some amazing flavors to try and are even on TLC's hit show DC cupcakes so you know it's good! There is always a line at this sweet shop so be prepared! You can even check out the behind the counter footage on TLC's website using the cupcake cam! This place is all around super fun and delicious.
Uno Pizza
If you are looking for a good pizza joint I would recommend checking out Uno Pizza in Union Station. They have some delicious deep dish pizza which you can order in the classic pizza shop or get to go. You can also check out the Union Station food court downstairs for more options of some delicious quick bites. There is even a crepe shop down there!
My Top 7 Museums to Visit
Washington DC is the city of museums and there is literally one on every corner. You can find a museum for almost anything you're interested in from the National Patent museum, to the Postal museum. This is a list of my top 10 favorites and hopefully like me, you will find some of the lesser known ones pretty interesting!
The Newseum
I had a great time at the Newseum, a museum dedicated to first amendment rights including free speech, free press, and freedom of religion. They had several interesting exhibits but my favorite was on the history of TV, Radio, and Internet news. I found it especially interesting as a blogger to see how the news and information industry has evolved over the years. I also thought the history of Newspapers exhibit was super interesting since they had displays of historic newspapers and news books dating all the way back to the 1500s out! Plus don't forget to stop by the NBC newsroom where you can take pictures of yourself at a real news desk and even practice reading a script and then watch yourself on TV!
The National Museum of Women in the Arts
I loved this museum because it not only celebrates women in the arts but it also provides a refreshing collection of work that gave me a nice break from the typical art museum lineup. I especially enjoyed the Women to Watch exhibit which featured work from current female artists from around the country. The admission is $8 however, this is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing the achievement of women artists and admission goes to supporting the museum and it's mission.
The National Archives
I love the National Archives museum because getting to see the founding documents up close is a once in a lifetime experience. They also have a copy of the Magna Carta as well! This museum is filled with history and is a must see for anyone visiting DC.
The International Spy Museum
The Spy museum located near the National Portrait gallery is such a fun place to visit especially if you are traveling with kids. They have interactive activities throughout the museum and some really cool displays of spy tools from decades past. There is also tons of interesting history to learn from spy craft in the English court and american revolution to more recent times like the Cold War.
The National Gallery of Art
I am an art lover so I had to stop in this museum. They have an amazing collection of artists from around the world including, Monet, Da Vinci, Renoir, and Cezanne to name a few. They also have some great American artists on display that I would recommend checking out. I also love this museum simply because it is beautiful to be in. Every floor has fountains, and intricate ceiling designs. Make sure to block out an afternoon to spend inside.
The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
This museum might not sound like much but it actually has one of the most interesting collections in DC in my opinion. From rocket models to the first airplanes you can travel back in time to the discovery of flight and the beginning of space exploration. Even if you're not a science nerd I would still recommend this museum because there is so much history to see and come on, who doesn't want to stand next to a rocket?
The National Botanical Gardens
This is another lesser known museum but I think it is actually pretty great! You can wander through the gardens and go through each room to see plants from different regions like, the desert, the rain forest, and the Mediterranean. They even have an orchid room filled with every different kind of orchid you can imagine! If you like flowers and nature you will love wandering through this museum because it is honestly just relaxing to take in the pretty sights! Don't forget to grab an explorer's guide and look for all the rare plants they have marked down for you! It's kind of like a mini scavenger hunt!
Day Trips
National Harbor
I loved my visit to the National Harbor in Maryland. I started my day by taking a water taxi from the Wharf in the waterfront district of DC. Before catching the taxi I grabbed a quick bite in the trendy neighborhood which boasts several new popular restaurants and cafes. I headed down the river on the water taxi ride which took about 30-45 minutes. When I arrived in National Harbor the first thing I saw was the giant Ferris wheel out on the pier. I immediately knew I had to get on that later this evening since I love Ferris wheels! I headed up the pier and started looking around all the fun little shops on the water. I stopped in the Peeps store first and loved seeing all the cute candy themed items in the store. They even have a make your own Mike and Ike's bag there! I got some candy to snack on for the rest of the day while I continued walking around the town. After exploring a little longer I decided to head over to the MGM Grand hotel which is a little ways out of town but definitely worth it.
Alexandria
This cute little town in Virginia is only a metro ride away from the city and it's a perfect way to escape if you love that small town vibe. The riverfront city has tons of history as well so you'll still have some great sites to see. I started out by walking down the main boulevard, King Street and exploring the fun shops and taking in the sites. The flowers lining the streets and brick pathways really make you feel like you've traveled back in time. I passed by the Alexandria Cupcake Shop and couldn't resist stopping in for a sweet treat. Then I walked through the town square that features a fountain in front of the town hall, which is a beautiful piece of historical architecture. I stopped for lunch on King Street at a delicious little Taco shop called Don Taco which was featured on the food channel for their artisan street tacos. It was the perfect place to cool off for lunch before I headed over to the .. Tavern. The tavern is one of the coolest historical stops in Alexandria. It is a colonial tavern turned museum which guests can tour to see what life for a colonial traveler would've been like. Since it is located so close to the capital, this tavern boasts several notable guests who stayed there back in the hey day including President Thomas Jefferson as well as several Senators and Representatives. Jefferson's inaugural ball was actually held in the ballroom of the neighboring hotel. I ended the day by wandering down to the waterfront and enjoying the views before heading back to DC. This is the perfect place to explore if you're looking for some history out of the big city.
Mt.Vernon
The home of George Washington is another fun historical site to visit in Virginia. It is easy to get to by taking the metro to Alexandria and then using either a ride share service or the bus. The beautiful house is located on a sprawling estate that even has it's own dock. You can do a self guided tour of the grounds which include gardens, a greenhouse, and even George Washington's tomb. The house itself is set on a hill against the water with amazing views of the river and a great big back porch. Inside the house guides will tell you the interesting trivia of each room. My favorite was the general's study where according to the tour guides, only Washington was allowed in when he lived in the house. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets that room held!
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