Washington D.C.

US Supreme Court

We went to DC to see the famous cherry blossoms and, maybe, get a photo bomb from Kevin Spacey like this lucky lady did. Unfortunately, we missed the blossoms by one week due to a colder than usual winter this year, and we didn’t spot Mr. Underwood in our wanderings around the city, but we did crash the Kennedy Caucus Room, got a photo bomb from a super hot secret service agent, and found the best place to take a picture of the the US Capitol (once it’s restored, of course, in 2016, in time for Hillary’s inauguration).

Logistics and Accommodations

We stayed at Sofitel DC near the White House. There are very few late night food places in that area, but if you are staying there and get in town late or need a “snack” after a night on the town, &Pizza, a DC pizza chain, is open till 3 a.m., and is pretty good (sober, not after 12 tequila shots, assessment).

Getting to the hotel from the airport (DCA) was easy. A blue line from the airport took us to the Metro Station right in the middle of the city and close to our hotel. Travel Tip: Although everything looks very close on the map, it is not. The city blocks are huge, so once in the city, I’d suggest taking an Uber or the sub. We found that, unless surging, Uber X was actually cheaper than the subway for two people. Plus, we did not spot any #hotdudesreading on the DC subway, anyway, so you won’t be missing much by skipping it.

We were in DC for 2.5 days and here’s what we managed to do & see . . .

US Library of Congress

Day 1: The US Capitol, The Library of Congress, and the US Supreme Court

Starting bright and early (around 10sh), we headed straight to the Capitol to try and beat the throngs of tourists (no such luck). Being nosy, we poked around the Senate office buildings (2, 3 and 4 on this map) – where the Senators and the staffers office and, allegedly, work. The buildings are open to the public, but since there are no official tours, we were the only tourists there. Although, some 18-year old “press secretary” told us that there was nothing interesting to see in the building, we stumbled upon the Kennedy Caucus Room located in the Russell Senate Office Building. Travel Tip: We found that the locals would often misdirect you and outright lie (jerks) when asked a question – not sure if this was motivated by concerns about security or by desire to mess with the tourists, but we caught on pretty early on.

The Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building is one of the grandest and most historic rooms in the nation’s capital. This is where they held the Watergate Hearings in 1974 and the hearings related to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

Onward with the tour of the Capitol. The tour is free, but short, since most of the building is guarded against visitors. The Rotunda is covered by plastic right now due to the restorations that are being made to its roof, so it’s not quite as impressive as it usually is. We then visited to the Library of Congress, where visitors are allowed in the public hall, but not in the library itself, which is only opened to the members of congress and people doing official research.

Kennedy Caucus Room

We rounded the day with a visit to the US Supreme Court. You can walk around the public parts of the building, and every hour or so they do a tour that includes going into the chamber where the oral arguments take place (you can’t take pictures in there though).

Day 2: The Mall, The Arlington Cemetery, and the White House

On our second day, we walked around the Mall, which was already full of tourists by 10 a.m. You can buy tickets online to go inside the Washington Monument, but you have to do it well in advance. They also give out some tickets each morning on first come, first serve basis, but you have to get in line around 7 a.m. to get them, which we skipped. The other must-sees around the Mall are the World War II Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the famous Lincoln Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Although they look very close to each other on the map, they are pretty spaced out, so biking is probably a good option.

We also walked the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Arlington National Cemetery, where we watched the Changing of the Guard and visited the John F. Kennedy gravesite. You can get a great view of the Lincoln Memorial from the Arlington House (Robert E. Lee Memorial) and even catch a glimpse of the Pentagon building.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial

After all the walking that day, the only thing we were capable of doing without our feet falling off, was to stop at the White House on our way back to the hotel. You can tour the inside if you ask you write to your state representative ahead of your visit and request the permission.

Day 3 (half day): The Newseum and the National Archives

On our last day, we grabbed a quick brunch at the Founding Farmers, a very popular local brunch spot, and then went to see the Newseum, a relatively new museum in DC. They museum is somewhat depressing as it has exhibits on 9/11, the Unibomber and his victims, and a sizable exhibit dedicated to the journalists killed around the world in the line of duty. It also had a temporary exhibits on famous Baby Boomers and Presidents and their Dogs. The sixth floor has a terrace that has the best view of the Capitol (that we could find). By all accounts, this is worth a visit.

The National Archives, on the other hand, was a total bust. The only thing really worth seeing is the Declaration of Independence, but the line to see it is huge and you cannot take any pictures. We pretty much walked in and walked out, choosing not to spend an hour in line. Sorry, the founding fathers!

Eating / Drinking / Nightlife

On our trip, we ate at Zaytinya (great food, horrible service, would not recommend), Jaleo (good service, not so good tapas, would not recommend), Founding Farmers (mediocre food, but a really fun place, would probably come back). We tried to grab lunch / late lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grille a couple of times, but it was crowded with families and kids every afternoon, even at odd times, and didn’t look that appealing. We also stopped for a drink at the POV rooftop bar at the W hotel, but the views were just “okay,” the seating was limited and the crowd seems kind of old and boring, so after reading great reviews online, it was a let down. Oh well, we made up for it at the 18th Street Lounge, a dance club/life music/chill bar kind of a place near Dupont Circle.