Summer in Washington, D.C.: A Guide

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Table of Contents

  1. Art & Culture
    1. General Things To Do
    2. Museums
  2. History
  3. Outdoors
  4. Food & Drink
  5. DMV Area

Washington, D.C. is a city unlike any other. It’s large enough to feel like a big city but small enough to get around on public transportation. It’s hot and sweltering in July but the early mornings are refreshing (the lush greenery around the National Mall and Tidal Basin made for pleasant morning jogs) and the cooler summer nights are fun (what other city would I find myself sitting out on the National Mall lawn at midnight, with the Capitol on one side and the Washington Monument on the other, glowing pale white in the dark, on a warm summers night??). It rains frequently, often without warning (always bring an umbrella, even if there is only a 10% chance of rain!). D.C. has elements of other cities – the lush green trees lining the highways and light pastel-colored brick houses reminded me of New England. Cars honk a lot but it’s not as crazy as New York City, and it feels a little suburban — each neighborhood has its own vibe. But it still feels like a bustling city, with pockets of lively areas like Adams Morgan and 14th Street where young people hang out (generally, D.C. is a very young city). The city is known for its bougie brunch scene, happy hours, and I will remember D.C. by the cheesy nursery songs emanating from the rows of ice cream trucks that line up around the National Mall each weekend. I will also remember D.C. by the historic, fancy, important-looking buildings (but not skyscrapers, in respect for the Washington Monument) that provide shade in the glaring sunlight and heat of a late afternoon, modern architecture on display throughout the historic city, and the 60-second long crosswalks. Some of the interesting architecture and outdoor art throughout the city:

Picnic tables with swings!
Typical neighborhood street
Plaza near Dolcezza Gelato
One of the longest metro escalators in D.C.

The national holidays are celebrated as a city, in a very D.C.-unique way. The Memorial Day Parade on Constitution Ave was lively with high school marching bands, veterans, and groups like Sons of the American Revolution. The Memorial Day concert, in front of the U.S. Capitol, featured the national anthem with the National Symphony Orchestra, veterans telling their stories, and commemoration of the many American heroes who sacrificed their lives for our country, particularly in WWII, Vietnam War, Korean War, and Afghanistan War.

While many of us see Memorial Day as a nice day off and can go back to our normal lives the next day, for veterans and their families, every day is Memorial Day. Yet, as the concert reflected, it is because of their sacrifices that we get to live freely in a country that respects our basic constitutional rights each day.

On July 4th, actors dressed up as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams read the Declaration of Independence on the steps of the National Archives Museum, and the audience responded with “Huzzah!!” or “Boo…” depending on whether we were complaining about British tyranny or celebrating American independence. Later in the evening, I watched the fireworks from a hotel rooftop bar in Noma. When the National Mall fireworks show ended after 15 minutes, we went to the other side of the rooftop and found a truly panoramic view of fireworks stretching across Virginia—and they were never-ending! Never before have I seen a fireworks show stretch on for hours.

This summer, along with the crowd of interns coming to D.C. to work in government or on the Hill, I had the opportunity to explore a new city. This blog highlights some of my favorite places to explore, eat, and experience all that D.C. has to offer.   

Art & Culture

Summer in D.C. is really fun because there is something happening every weekend, and summer evenings are especially nice here (especially after a hot toasty day). Be sure to follow @clockoutdc on Instagram and subscribe to the Washingtonian and 730DC newsletters! I got a lot of ideas for things to do from these sources.

General Things To Do

  • Outdoor Movie Screenings: In the summer, there are outdoor screenings on weekday and weekend evenings (e.g. Forrest Gump, Hunger Games, Everything Everywhere All at Once, King Richard) in various locations including Franklin Park, The Wharf, and Union Market.
  • Festivals: There are festivals throughout the summer – I went to the Pride Festival on Constitution Ave (which turned out to be part music/festival, part career fair – we are after all in D.C.), Romanian Festival at the Wharf, Thai festival on the National Mall, and Kenilworth Public Gardens Lotus and Water Lily Festival (pictured below).
  • Kennedy Center: shows and concerts  
  • Wharf: A fun place to hang out, with a pier that has wooden swings in high demand, a campfire pit, and great seafood (and sunsets).
  • Navy Yard: Beautiful waterfront where you can also check out a Nationals baseball game!
Unlike other cities, here you can get tickets impromptu, halfway through a Nats game, and it is lots of fun! They don’t let you bring in purses or backpacks though, so you’ll have to rent out a locker there.
  • 14th Street: downtown-like street with bars and restaurants
  • Free salsa dancing class at Public Bar Live near Dupont Circle on Wednesday evenings
  • Metropolitan Branch Trail: ~3 mile bike path in Noma along the metro (check out the Noma Run Club on Insta if you’re looking to join a running group!)
  • Farmers markets: Sundays at Dupont Circle, Saturdays at Mt Vernon Square
  • Mubadala (Mu-BA-da-la) Citi Open: If you’re a tennis fan, there’s a tournament in Rock Creek Park late July/early August! It’s a smaller tournament compared to the Grand Slams so you can get cheaper tickets – I watched Coco Gauff play Maria Sakkari in the finals.

Museums

There are so many museums to see in D.C., and the best part is that they are free (with a couple exceptions like the Spy Museum)! They also stay open on holidays (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas). I went to so many museums that by midsummer I had “museum fatigue,” so I definitely recommend spacing them out with other activities — you do not have to do them all! Some museums to consider:

  • National Gallery of Art: The West Wing was probably my favorite because I love impressionist/nature landscapes/Monet style of art. During the summer they have Jazz in the Garden at the Sculpture Garden on Friday nights!! A different band plays each week and it’s not all jazz, there are bluegrass bands too. It is a fun way to relax with friends and listen to music on a Friday evening. You enter a lottery on their website to get tickets — you can increase your chances by entering multiple email addresses. It may take a few tries to get tickets but you will get it sooner or later!
Jazz in the Garden
  • The Hirshhorn: They had a Yayoi Kusama exhibit when I was there – you would need to get tickets in advance for just the exhibit
  • Planet Word: A cool museum on language with interactive exhibits. There was a cool lights show/display where they explained the history of English words (English has Germanic, French, and Latin/Greek roots!). You could play games on techniques used in ads, and there was a karaoke room where they would play popular pop songs and show you techniques used to make the songs catchy (e.g. anaphora, alliteration, and rhyme). They also have free lockers to store backpacks or large bags.
  • American History: There’s a cool food exhibit with Julia Child’s original kitchen!  
  • Natural History: A huge museum – I spent a couple hours in the gems and minerals section alone
  • Botanic Garden: Plants!
  • National Portrait Gallery: Has portraits of all the U.S. presidents
  • African American History: A large museum that is worth going to, plus it has a cool-looking design. I learned about how black artists combined the spiritual and secular into their music, about words that come from African languages like yam (handcuffing means a wedding ring, gumbo is a stew with okra), and the history of slavery. It is a popular museum so you must get tickets in advance (unless you go on Summer Solstice night!).
  • National Archives: Has the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights — they’re so faded you can barely read them, but we got glimpses of the articles of the Constitution, written in fancy calligraphy. On Juneteenth weekend they also displayed the original Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3, which was read on June 19, 1865 announcing that all slaves were free.
  • Ford’s Theatre: Visit a museum highlighting Abraham Lincoln’s life and the moments leading up to his assassination, and sit in the theatre where Lincoln was assassinated
  • I also heard the Post Office, Air & Space, and African Art museums are cool

If you’re here in the summer, definitely go to Summer Solstice Night – it’s the one day of the year where museums open until 10pm or midnight! There were also a couple telescopes in front of the Air & Industries Museum to see the moon and big dipper up close! The light pollution isn’t so bad in the National Mall so we could actually see most of the big dipper with the naked eye.

African American History museum, Washington Monument, and the moon

History

Throughout the ten weeks I was there, I couldn’t get over the fact that I was just a 20-30 minute walk away from the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court – and countless other buildings that looked like important government buildings – in the city that runs the country (and much of the world). There is so much to see – many of the tours need to be booked in advance though so plan ahead!

National Mall and Monuments: A must-visit area and the center of D.C. You can’t miss the Lincoln Memorial, WWII memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Korean War Memorial. The Vietnam War Memorial has a long wall listing the name of every American who died in service — over 58,000. The wall gets wider and stretches quite far, so you feel the weight of the sheer number of sacrifices as you walk along the wall. In contrast, the WWII memorial (top photos) is quite grand, with stone wreaths representing every state and U.S. territory that surround the oval fountain in symmetrical fashion. The Constitution Gardens (middle photo) were especially beautiful under the purple and pink hued skies as the sun set, with the Washington Monument reflection in the still water. Also check out the monuments around Tidal Basin — the Jefferson Memorial (top right photo), FDR Memorial (bottom right photo of Eleanor Roosevelt), MLK Jr. Memorial (bottom right photo – MLK’s statute, cut out of the mountain, represents a stone of hope “out of the Mountain of Despair”), and George Mason Memorial (a little off to the side of the Tidal Basin path).

If you’re feeling more adventurous, take an e-scooter or e-bike around the National Mall at night, when there’s less people walking about!

Washington Monument: The monument was completed in 1884, and at the time it was the tallest building in the world at 896 steps and 555 feet. You can book your tickets online a month or a day in advance at 10am — it seemed impossible to get tickets this way, again and again I would click the button at 10am sharp only to find that all the tickets were gone. But the trick is to choose a later time slot, like 11am, and you might have a better chance! You can also get same-day tickets at the Monument, which opens at 8:45am, but people start lining up beforehand so I would get there at 7:30am (we arrived at 8am and were 5th in line when they ran out of tickets). If you don’t get tickets, there’s a hidden gem alternative — the Old Post Office Tower (which used to be the Trump International Hotel) is the second tallest building in D.C. where you can get pretty good views of D.C. with no reservations needed! You can access it from the side entrance of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (which is also a wonderfully luxurious place to cool off), right across from the Federal Triangle metro station. But if you can get Monument tickets, I would highly recommend for the higher-up views.  

White House. There are tours of the East Wing from Tuesday thru Saturday 7:30am-1:30pm (you need to know an insider to tour the West Wing!). If you can, book your tickets weeks in advance – highly worth visiting! We saw the blue room, green room, and red room, with fresh flowers that the florist changes about every day, the east room dining room, and portraits of many first ladies and presidents (I thought Michelle Obama’s was particularly gorgeous).

Also check out the White House Visitor Center, where you can read humorous letters that kids have written to the president and learn about the layout of the White House (the West and East Wings are not symmetrical!), the interesting foods that presidents ordered (e.g. Reagan loved jelly beans), and the day-to-day life inside the White House. It seems like such a luxurious mansion, though the last renovation was done in 1952 — it is a very old building!

U.S. Capitol: If you can, go on a weekday to see the House of Reps and Senate chambers where they vote on bills. Need to register for tickets in advance.

The tour starts off with a short film featuring beautiful snapshots of the Capitol and summarizing how our country was founded on compromise and the idea of being a country of, by, and for the people. The Capitol was built 1807, burned down in the War of 1812, and renovated in 1814 and a couple times since. The tour guide made sure to emphasize that the Capitol was built by slaves, and that D.C. used to be a tribal land. The building, designed by Thomas U. Walter in 1854, is made of sandstone and the dome of cast iron. We got a tour of the rotunda and a room with state-donated statues (you can petition your state senators to change the statue; the only permanent statue is a seated Rosa Parks that Congress commissioned).
The rotunda is incredibly tall (180 feet) — the ceiling mural is the size of a basketball court. It didn’t seem so large and high up at first, but we soon learned that the Statue of Liberty fits well within it! The mural, painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi and called The Apotheosis of Washington, pictured George Washington rising to the heavens, flanked by liberty/authority and victory/fame and surrounded by 6 groups of figures: War, Science, Marine, Commerce, Mechanics, and Agriculture (interestingly all portrayed by women). Below it was the Frieze of American History, a long panorama painting circling the dome with 19 scenes of historical events that give the illusion of being 3D sculptures.

Supreme Court: This was the one tour I wish I could’ve done; they have tours on weekdays only. There are no oral arguments during the summer, but during the academic year when the Court is in session, oral arguments are open to the public.

Library of Congress: The largest library in the world and the main research arm of Congress. Register in advance (but tickets are much easier to get).

You are greeted by the Great Hall, which was incredibly elaborate and beautiful—I felt like I had walked into a Middle Eastern palace.
Not only did the Library of Congress have books, but it also had galleries with photographs, films, and maps, including the first 1507 map depicting the New World. We saw a gallery containing the first known photograph of Abraham Lincoln and photographs of Harriet Tubman. Thomas Jefferson’s library was full of books in French and English including Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, Laws of Women, Plato’s Republic, Essays on the African Slave, and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, grouped by section: Memory (history), Reason (philosophy), and Imagination (arts). There’s even a little gallery of Gershwin hidden off to the side.

Willard Hotel: We went inside just because it looked fancy and it was a hot day, and turns out it was a historic building too — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Have A Dream” speech here, and every U.S. President has either visited or stayed at The Willard since the 1850s. Abraham Lincoln was smuggled into the hotel shortly before his inauguration to avoid assassination attempts. In 1861 the Peace Congress met here in a last-ditch attempt to avert the Civil War.

Washington National Cathedral: Offers paid tours throughout the week, or if you’re so inclined, check out a (free) service on Sunday! It was my first Episcopalian service (one of the first Protestant denominations). The official name of the cathedral is the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul — it’s the sixth largest cathedral in the world. The church is beautiful, and quite expansive — the entire Washington Monument fits inside of it! Another cool fact: one of the stained glass windows on the right has a moon rock enshrined in it, collected by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during the first moon landing! Also, be sure to walk around the church grounds, including the Bishops Garden.

Carnegie Library/Apple store/DC History Center: The fancy looking building in Mt Vernon Square. There’s a small museum where you can learn quirks about D.C., like how D.C. residents couldn’t vote for President until the 23rd Amendment was ratified in 1961, and how the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to D.C. since it’s not a state (but the 5th Amendment still applies). The building was the city’s main public library from 1903 to 1972 before it was moved to the MLK Jr. Library. However, Apple paid a lot of $$ to renovate the building in 2019 and now has an Apple store there as well.

Outdoors

  • Georgetown Waterfront: Quaint town with cute shops and restaurants and light-colored Colonial-style row homes lining cobblestone streets. Highly recommend kayaking or canoeing on the Potomac!
  • Roosevelt Island: Forest island in the middle of the Potomac — also seems to have trails
  • National Arboretum: Huge park with a bonsai garden and Capitol Columns which were transferred over when the Capitol was renovated in 1958
  • National Zoological Park (aka the Zoo): Lots of cute animals including an elephant, sand cat, sloth bear, sea otter (left photo), giant panda (right photo), cheetah, and brush-tailed bettong (cute mammal from Australia that hops around like a kangaroo). You might also catch a bird show, and if you’re lucky, an orangutan on the high lines! Climate change and species extinction was a theme throughout the zoo, sadly.
  • Rock Creek Park: A forest oasis in the heart of the city, and a great place for a hike or jog. It is huge — would be a great place to train for a marathon — we saw some professional runners zoom right past us (at what looked like their normal jogging pace) wearing what my friend claimed were the expensive pink and neon $400 shoes. It was so nice — we were trail jogging on dirt trails in this canopy of trees, the air was so clean and had the amazing damp forest aroma, and we got a great workout in just 45 minutes with all the ups and downs.
  • Arlington National Cemetery: A little out of the way, but would’ve liked to visit. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres. The expansive grounds honor presidents and those who have served our nation.
  • Gravelly Point: If you’re interested in watching planes takeoff, I’ve heard this would be a good place to do it!

Food & Drink

Brunch and happy hour are big in D.C. Be prepared to spend a lot on food (or use what you save in museum admission fees)!

Brunch

  • Le Diplomate — a must-try bougie French restaurant on 14th Street with nice patio seating. Best to reserve a few weeks in advance, but people cancel so you might be able to get something more last minute, and they take walk-ins too. Try the duck confit (only offered at brunch). They also serve amazing coffee and sourdough bread with whipped butter
Patio seating
  • Joe and the Juice (açaí bowls)
  • Tatte Bakery (basically everything there is amazing – I enjoyed the smoked salmon tartine, pistachio croissant, and latte)
  • A Baked Joint (try the cinnamon roll, cappuccino, and smoked salmon sammie)
  • Unconventional Diner (recommend their blueberry lavender pancakes)
  • Founding Farmers (ask for their cornbread and try the fried chicken waffle – make reservations, especially on a weekend!)
  • Purple Patch (Filipino-American: try the ube waffles with fried chicken and ube ice cream)
  • Boqueria (good paella and croquetas)
  • Call Your Mother: Jewish deli in a cute pink building with long lines and amazing bagels
  • Was recommended Astro Donuts (fried chicken and donuts)

Happy Hour

  • Wundergarten (beer garden in Noma with trivia night on Wednesdays)
  • Bartaco (amazing tacos and cocktails, chill vibe)
  • Bar Chinois (more of a bar scene, with dim sum and cocktails — expect it to be popping on a Friday night!)
  • Whiskey Charlie (beautiful view of the Potomac and pricey but very strong drinks)

Other Restaurants

  • Union Market: indoor food market in Noma with a diverse variety of good food. Recommend the dosas, pupusas, Bee J’s cookies, and Southern food, but pretty much everything looked good. Also the rooftop is a fun place to hang out, with cornhole games, booze, and a bunch of tables. When I was there they were playing the movie King Richard outside, with a drive-in parking lot.
  • Jose Andrés Restaurant Group: Zaytinya (Mediterranean – try the chicken shakshuka and eggplant dish!), Jaleo (Mexican – try the fruity sangria)
  • Seafood at the Wharf: Hank’s Oyster Bar (their oysters are soo good and fresh – like just eat it with lemon juice. Apparently you can only get the Salty Wolfe oyster from VA at this place), Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips (exactly what it sounds like), Fish Market (can get raw seafood, cooked crabs, and clam/crab chowder)  
  • African: Ghion (Ethiopian – there is a strong Ethiopian presence in D.C.); also was recommended Bukom Cafe (Nigerian)
  • American: Duke’s Grocery (try the Proper Burger — the medium rare patties were perfectly juicy, the pickles and red onions provided a nice crunch contrast in texture, and the aioli sauce and cheese added just the right amount of flavor), Shouk (vegan, Kosher, super tasty and healthy bowls ­– also their utensils/dishes are compostable)
  • Asian: Good Asian food in D.C. can be few and far between, but I’ve found Laos in Town (Noma) to have authentic Thai food (ask for less spicy if you’re not super spice tolerant!), and Mandu to have pretty good Korean food. Chang Chang (Dupont Circle) had some pretty authentic Chinese food — I liked their puffy fried scallion pancake, crispy Peking duck, and xiaolongbao. Was also recommended Makan for Malaysian food
  • Italian: &Pizza – their best seller is the American Honey: spicy tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, arugula, honey, and red pepper flakes (it’s spicy hot!)
  • Greek: Zorba’s Cafe
  • Middle Eastern: Ottoman Taverna (get the lamb and chicken kebabs), The Green Zone
  • Peruvian: Chicken and Whiskey (try their pisco punch!)
  • Mexican: Mi Vida (pricey but decent food)
  • Dessert: Ice Cream Jubilee (owned by a Wellesley alum!), District Doughnut, Kilwin’s (Wharf), Georgetown Cupcake, Rose Ave Bakery (near the zoo — amazing strawberry lychee rose donut, rose latte, and butterfly pea lemonade), Dolcezza Gelato (try the hazelnut crunch — and on National Ice Cream Day they do half off gelatos!)
Georgetown Cupcake
  • The museums have surprisingly good food too. The National Gallery of Art has good gelato and coffee, the Native American museum had Native American-inspired dishes like fry bread (a simple but tasty flat dough bread) and salmon cake salad, and the African American History Museum had southern food like fried chicken and collard greens.

Drinks & Bar

  • Coffee: Café Du Parc (recommend the Espresso Crema Shakerato, a frothed layer of cold milk cream over iced coffee with hazelnut flavor – sweet, like a Frappuccino), La Colombe (amazing hazelnut coffee), A Baked Joint, Tatte Bakery, Foxtrot
  • Speakeasies: The Mirror, The Gibson (need to reserve, especially on a Friday night)
  • Live music: Madam’s Organ (Adams Morgan) – they have Latin jazz funk music on Thursdays and a pretty good Madam’s Lager beer
  • Nerd Nite: An event in multiple cities where people give silly entertaining nerd talks about random topics at a bar/nightclub venue (DC9 Nightclub), for e.g., how flat earth conspiracy theorists come to be. As expected, the people who go to these types of events are pretty nerdy.  

DMV Area

If you have the time to venture out of D.C. and rent a car, would highly recommend exploring the surrounding DMV area!

Shenandoah National Park

The Old Rag Circuit is a popular trail: it’s a 9.4-mile loop that took us about 7 hours. For this trail specifically you need to book tickets in advance (costs $1), in addition to the entrance fee (which you can get at the gate or is included in the America the Beautiful national park pass if you have it). The park is a two-hour drive from D.C. The website categories this trail as “very strenuous,” but in terms of elevation gain it wasn’t so bad. I think the reason it is categorized this way is because there’s a good amount of rock scrambling, where you have to squeeze between rock boulders or slide down a steep rock, and at one point you have to pull yourself up a rock slab. But it was a fun change of pace! We had perfect weather the day we went — it was in the mid-80s and not too humid, which is really great for August in DC, and much of the hike is in a shady forest so you’re not baking under the sun too much. The blue blazes were also very helpful in pointing the way so that you don’t get lost. Park at Old Rag Parking (Ranger Station): 2577 Nethers Rd, Etlan, VA 22719. Google Maps took us to what seemed like a random location but there were signs indicating the parking lot was up ahead. The trail is beautiful, and the summit rewarded us with gorgeous views of the surrounding forest.

We rewarded ourselves on the way back with some delicious Korean food at Annandale. Jang Won Restaurant is a Korean Chinese fusion restaurant with affordable and delicious fried rice and noodles. Soricha Tea & Theater is a Korean tea house with an amazing green tea ice cream & black sesame waffle, pictured above (their bingsoo also looked very good).

Great Falls National Park

If you don’t want to venture too far from D.C., Great Falls is only about a 30-minute drive outside the city with some beautiful trails as well.

I came here as part of a group activity at my summer internship, and we did the Billy Goat C Trail on the Maryland side, which is one of the easier trails along the river. If I had the chance to come back I would do the Billy Goat A Trail — it’s 5 miles, about 2.5 hours, and also has some rock scrambling. Old Angler’s Inn (MD side) has free parking. From both the Maryland and Virginia sides you can see the Great Falls — the picturesque photo on the front of the website/visitor’s center map.

Annapolis, MD

Annapolis is the capital of Maryland and was a temporary national capital from 1783–84, where Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris of 1783, ending the Revolutionary War. In the 18th century, it became an essential port of entry as well a major center of the Atlantic slave trade.

We walked across Main Street, which had a cute small downtown feel, and checked out the entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy, established in 1845, which was bustling with students. But we really came for the Maryland crab experience at Choptank, a bougie restaurant right on the pier. It was pricey ($60 for a half-dozen blue crabs, covered in old bay seasoning), but worth it. I learned the proper way to eat crab, how to get the most meat out of it. It’s a lot of work, and by the end of the first crab I had given up on trying to suck the last bits from the ends of the claws – the marginal returns were diminishing. It was also a lot of crab — I would’ve been happy just eating one, but they only offered a half-dozen for my friend and me. I felt a little guilty, staring into its small black bead eyeballs and wondering what it was thinking about the second before it was dropped into its death. It took us about two hours to finish them, and when we finally left, I felt like I had been there all day. It was very good and fresh crab, but I think I’m “crabbed out” for at least the next few years!

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

I should’ve guessed that the property where George and Martha Washington retired would be huge. It used to be around 8,000 acres, now it’s “only” 500 acres.

We were late for our guided tour time but were still able to get in. If we had more time I would’ve liked to try the colonial cornbread at their restaurant. The property was quite large — I can imagine it must’ve been a nice place to retire (but not so much for the 318 slaves). There was a farm and wheat threshing hut, fruit orchard, garden, forest (it felt like we were on a hike!), wharf (fishing accounted for 40-50% of their income!), Washington’s tomb/mausoleum, and the servants’ and slaves’ quarters. We saw the inside of the Washingtons’ house (overlooking the Potomac River; it included the white-sheeted bedroom where Washington died after a severe throat infection, and 5 guest bedrooms). We were able to get a tour at the distillery and gristmill right before they closed, where we saw how they make whiskey and grind cornmeal. Washington had a lot of hobbies and was running a full business here!

Old Town — Alexandria, VA

Old Town is a quaint town that is only a 20-minute drive or 30-minute metro ride from D.C. The main street area has red and brown brick buildings, plenty of ice cream shops (check out The Creamery!), and bougie-looking restaurants with outdoor seating, and leads to the Waterfront, which provides some amazing river and sunset views.

Also check out Yunnan Noodle House nearby for some good noodle soup. Old Town (and maybe Virginia in general) seems to have a more chill (and affordable) vibe than D.C.

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