It’s hard to believe that it’s already been over a month since I was in Washington, DC, and it’s starting to become a bit embarrassing that I haven’t shared anything with you yet about my trip (unless you’re on Snapchat or Instagram!). A good friend celebrated her 40th birthday and some of my best friends in the world traveled across the globe to spend the weekend together — from as close as New York and as far as Nepal and Scotland. Wow, it was exactly what my soul needed!
I arrived a couple days early so that I wouldn’t be completely jet lagged for the weekend. Since I’ve been to DC about a million times, I was more focused on quality time with my friends than anything else, and didn’t really plan anything in advance. But I had a day or two to putz around on my own, so I went and saw some sights that I’ve somehow managed to miss over the years.
My first stop was the Library of Congress, which is across the way from the Capitol building. The building is gorgeous and very impressive! The library is the largest in the world, with over 162 million items (including 38 million books). My favorite part was seeing some of the original 6,000+ books that Thomas Jefferson sold to the library in 1815 after the original library was burnt down by the British. There were no lines to speak of, and like nearly everything in DC, there was no entrance fee. Totally worth the visit! Catch a tour if you can.
I also headed over to see the WONDER exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery. Half of the installations from the exhibit were already gone during my visit at the end of June, but it was still completely worth it. Gabriel Dawe’s rainbow made of 60 miles of thread is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’m not even exaggerating in the slightest!
Finally, on the morning before everyone arrived, I traveled down to the Tidal Basin to see the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, which has only been around since 2011. It reminded me that despite all of the chaos and turmoil we have been through (surely, even because of it), our country continues to progress. So I can only hope that we just keep moving in the right direction.
Then the rest of the weekend was spent with my girls, drinking wine, getting pedicures, and hanging out on the roof deck of our AirBnB. A wonderful highlight was our own personal chef, whom my friend’s husband hired to come to the house and prepare a delicious three-course meal, including wine pairings. He and his assistant did everything — from food prep to setting the table, to serving the food and doing the dishes afterwards too. What a treat!
Finally, Sunday afternoon, I piled into the rental car with the rest of the girls from NYC, and made the long drive north for the remainder of my visit. For more photos (plus a sneak peak of my time in NY), check out my Flickr album.
What are your favorite sights in Washington, DC?
How fun! I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and just went back 2 weeks ago for the first time in years! A quick trip but so much fun (humidity though, not very fun!!!)
How wonderful that you were able to go back for a visit! DC definitely has it’s own special charm. :)
Eee this has got me really excited about moving there (next month!). Heading directly over to your Flickr album ;)
Yay, I’m very excited for you! I think DC is such a fascinating place to be. If you’re into history and museums and such, there is so much to see, and almost all of it is free (surely a bonus with kids). The Native Museum of the American Indian is also one of my favorites — the museum cafe offers lots of indigenous food to try from different tribes around the country. Good luck with all the last minute preparations for your move!