While The Hudson will always be home, I’m a firm believer that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This past March, my cousin, brother and I took a weekend road trip to our nation's capital. It was our first time visiting and we were in awe at the richness of its’ history, the “monumental” views and the delectable food options.
Thursday: March 15th
Washington DC Guided Night Tour: Our first night we attended a night tour that met at the
U.S. Navy Memorial on PA Ave which took you to see a number of famous monuments. If it's your first time visiting I highly recommend attending this tour. You're able to see so much of the area in such a short period of time and I can’t think of a better way to start a trip. Not to mention seeing the monuments under shining lights was spectacular. Our personal favorites of the night tour were The WWII Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and lastly, The Vietnam Memorial.
Friday: March 16th
The Holocaust Museum: This was and still is extremely tough to process. I definitely think it's important for people to go see this, but prepare yourself before you visit. It’s free to attend, however, reserve tickets ahead of time because it's a popular destination and lines to get in can get really long, really fast. If you’re visiting during “Cherry Blossom Season” then I would look to reserve tickets a few months in advance.
Old Ebbitt Grill est. 1856: Located on 15th Street, this is the oldest saloon in Washington and it’s filled with history. Innkeeper William E. Ebbitt bought it
as a boarding house and hosted a number of famous historical figures including Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding. Although its since moved locations quite a bit since it was first established, the Old Ebbit Grill still holds a great amount of history and 19th century charm. The atmosphere was great and food was even better. This place is known for their oyster bar so if you’re a fan of shellfish be sure to try out a few different kinds. I'm not a huge shellfish fan, so I chose an apple bacon grilled cheese and poutine for an appetizer.
Founding Farmers: YOU MUST MAKE IT HERE! I can confidently say this is one of the best restaurant I have ever eaten at. This place makes everything from scratch and it’s owned by 47,000 family farmers from the North Dakota Farmers Union. Their names inspiration came from the Founding Fathers who not only helped build our country, but were farmers themselves. They also have a sister restaurant in Georgetown that we visited later in the trip that was just as good as this one. My personal favorite thats pictured is the shrimp and sun-dried tomato buccatini. I have so many pictures of the food from here, so make sure you check out my Instagram @hudson_hotspots to see all of the pictures.
Saturday, March 17th:
Newseum: Located on PA Ave, this museum explores the importance free press and The First Amendment has on society. It delves into the history of press in our country as well as on an international level. This place also displays newspaper headlines from all over the world that they update daily. Some highlights from this museum include The Berlin Wall, The FBI Exhibit and the floor dedicated to 9/11.
The National Museum of American History: It was hard to prioritize which Smithsonian Museum to visit since we only had time for one. We chose this one because of the artifacts it's known for having. These pieces dated as far back as Lincoln's presidency such as the top hat he was wearing when he was shot. It has everything from old entertainment and household items, to items from war and presidencies. Some of our personal favorite exhibits in this museum were the America on the Move Exhibit (featured in Parks and Rec Season 5, Episode 1), T is for Television and The American Presidency.
Kramers Bookstore: This place combines my two favorite things, eating and reading. Located on Connecticut Ave, this place looks like an ordinary bookstore from the outside. But nestled in the back of the shop is a small cafe that offers some delicious food. And even better… It’s open 24/7! So if you’re an early bird and want to stop by before work for a cup of coffee and a read, go ahead. More of a late night foodie? There’s a late night snack menu for you here too. We stopped by for a late dinner around 9pm. One of the best meals here was the fish tacos which was grilled grouper, guacamole, salsa, mexican street corn, queso fresco and chipotle slaw all on a corn tortilla.
Sunday, March 18th:
The National Zoo: If you’ve ever been to The Bronx Zoo in New York, I’m sure you’re well aware at how pricey a day at the zoo can be. I was shocked to hear that the Smithsonian National Zoo is free entry. The only thing you pay for is parking if you decide not to walk or Uber there. If you stop by make sure to see Bei Bei, the famous giant panda whose birth made national news back in 2015.
Georgetown: Coming from a small rivertown in Westchester County I have a soft spot for quaint towns with water views. This place had a gorgeous waterfront park that was just a few steps away from a walkable town with great shopping destinations. There was a bridge over the old C & O Canal that connected the waterfront to the main town center. There wasn’t any water in the canal but it’s still a historic landmark. Unfortunately, the line to Georgetown Cupcakes was a bit too long otherwise we would have gone, but I encourage you to try!
Farmers Fishers Bakers: This is the sister restaurant of Founding Farmers and
it was just as delicious. They have the same core values and cook everything from scratch sourced from family farmers. The key difference I found in this location was that their menu offered more seafood options such as sashimi and sushi which we had to try. Our dessert here might have outdid our main meal. 7 layer
cake sitting in a pool of hot chocolate and fried beignets were to die for.
As a major foodie and lover of The Hudson Valley, I have to give DC some credit for their attractions and delectable meals. I would go back in a second to explore more because one weekend was just not enough.