The end of the year (2019) passed by almost in a blur. How is it 2020 already?? One of my favorite times of year are the holidays in DC. From November to January 1st the holiday spirit makes this city feel magical.
See our previous post about our wandering around the city during the holidays in 2018.
For Thanksgiving both Dustin’s and my parents came to Washington D.C. to visit. It was really nice to spend time with both our parents for a holiday. Dustin’s parents have never been to DC so we enjoyed the opportunity to show them all around. From our neighborhood, to all the major sites; we were able to take some time off work to not only hang out but play tour guides.
We did take them around to all of our fun go-to places in the District, but the Christmas decorations added a special something for everyone (including us!) . Honestly, DC at the holidays is one of my favorite things. The many Christmas trees around the city, the lights, the neighborhood decorations all make the city seem like a postcard you would send at the holidays. Yes it is cold… and snow would make the cold better, but the decorations make up for it. (Visit at the holidays if you can!!)
So one of my new favorite places in DC at the holidays is the United States Botanical Garden. They go all out with your standard decor of lights, trees and ornaments, but then they go a step beyond. They have a full on train set up on one whole side of the building. After a long wait you can walk through the gardens with Christmas decor and a holiday train track throughout. It was super popular so we did not wait in line, but there were people of all ages waiting to see it. I recommend it as a fun family outing, especially if your kid loves trains. They also se up the entry area as a “Holiday National Mall.” There are miniature replicas of buildings and memorials on the National Mall. The buildings are made out of materials found in nature. I was a kid in a candy store. Models of buildings + Christmas= My Love Language (after cheese of course.) There is also a huge miniature of the Biltmore house in another room.
Even Mount Vernon had some fun holiday stuff happening. From chocolate making demonstrations, a Mount Vernon gingerbread house, to a camel brought in specifically for the holiday (it is a Mount Vernon tradition going back to Washington himself) there was new things to see, even though we had been before.
Christmas was nothing fancy but just spending time with some friends in the area. It was a relaxing way to spend the Holidays in DC.
Now that we are in 2020 (still feels weird to say that) we are excited to host some more friends and family; explore and continue to settle in to this amazing place we get to call home for now.
Cat
Hello 2020!
