DC Staycation in a Nutshell

To explain our DC staycation would take so many posts.  To get it down to one post, this will be very picture heavy.  I apologize in advance!! I think in total we all had over 1000 pictures combined.  But when your close friends (Nikki, Justin & Emersyn) come for a week, bringing their adorable 2 year old, and visit all the fun stuff in town with you; you take a lot of pictures.

Here is what we did for the week they were here:

• National Mall walk/ Memorials Visit
• The National Zoo
• The United States Capitol
• The White House/ White House Visitor Center
• Georgetown
• Capitol Hill
• The Spy Museum (The boys did that one alone and took no pictures.  They cannot be trusted to document apparently.)
• The National Archives
• National Museum of American History
• National Air and Space Museum
• Union Station
• Fords Theater
• National Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian National Zoo does not disappoint and how often does a person get to see the famous pandas?  If you are visiting with kids to the DC area, visiting the zoo should definitely be a top of the list place.

The Capitol tour is a lot less in depth than I thought it would be.  Dustin and I are checking to see what other ways we can tour the building.  On the general tour, you will only have 3 stops to 3 locations.  Though they are interesting and very beautiful, the tour really is only 45 minutes including about a 15 minute movie in the beginning.  Try to go during the week for the least amount of people also.

The White House was totally worth it.  You get to see quite a few of the main rooms, and can go at your own pace.  I would recommend arriving ahead of your time to stop by the White House Visitors Center.  There is a lot of information that would have amplified our experience of seeing the rooms with the backstories and information.

Walking around some neighborhoods was a fun sidebar to visiting the main tourist stops.  Georgetown was a place our friends wanted to visit and the famous Georgetown Cupcakes was a must go for them.  You know I am always down to take in some row homes, cobblestone streets, and Blue Bottle Coffee!

Union Station is a great place to take a beat and regroup if needed.  It has coffee, restraints, bathrooms, and an easy hop on to the Metro red line.  It also now is home to a New York based bakery with amazing goodies!

Did you know Ford’s Theater is considered a National Park?  It’s true.  And it is a really cool experience.  Any Abe Lincoln fans should definitely check it out!

We tried to eat at home for a lot of meals which is the beauty of a DC staycation.  We did go out for some really great food including a solid D.C. brunch which turned into a memorable dance party between Dustin and Emersyn.  (Check out my instagram for the cutest video!)

Some food we ate:

• Carmines
• Shake Shack
• Good Stuff Eatery
• Georgetown Cupcakes
• Magnolia Bakery (A New York bakery which recently opened in Union Station.)
• Alba Osteria (brunch)
• The Dough Jar
• Bakers & Baristas

Some tips from our “staycation”:

1. The Spy Museum is ok.  Just ok.  It costs about $25 per person, and with so many free things to do in DC we recommend saving it for if you have time only.
2. The best bang for your buck is Carmines for at least a group of 4 adults.  The family style was filling and amazing.
3. The American History Museum has the best kids area.  Seriously cool, even I was having fun!
4. Ford’s Theater is a really cool experience and only a few dollars.  It includes seeing the theater itself, a talk from the national parks ranger (which is actually very interesting), the museum across the street, and the house where Lincoln died.  I would recommend this to everyone living in or visiting DC.
5. Always take the Metro (train or buses) when visiting.  I know we live here and use it daily, but it is hands down the best way to get around.  Plus if your kid loves trains why not???

Some serious memories were made, and we were excited to share some cool experiences with some amazing friends.  Loved our DC staycation and so glad we could share it with such a cool family!

Update: We have written an overall visit DC post with lots of tips, tricks, attraction/ food suggestions and more.  Check it out!