Weekend Getaway to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is probably not the first city that comes to mind for a weekend away. I mean, I took an eight grade field trip there, how cool can it be? Turns out, it’s actually really cool. My husband and I share an interest in history and politics, and while he doesn’t love eating as much as I do, he indulged me by tagging along to all the restaurants I wanted to try. Here are some of the highlights of our weekend getaway to Washington, D.C.

Where to Stay: The Darcy Hotel

The Darcy was the perfect hotel for our trip. Located near DuPont Circle, it was walking distance to most of the monuments and museums. The decor made it an even more pleasant stay, a detail I probably would have missed if the kids were with us.

Where to Eat in Washington, D.C.

I love trying different restaurants whenever we travel, and since we didn’t have the kids with us I didn’t have the limitations I normally do. Here are some of my favorites:

Iron Gate for Brunch

Iron Gate is a quaint little restaurant in DuPont Circle. The weather was beautiful so we sat outside to enjoy our brunch.

Farmers Fishers Bakers for Lunch

Along the waterfront in Georgetown, Farmers Fishers Bakers was another one of our favorites.

Compass Rose for Dinner

I think Compass Rose was our favorite restaurant during our weekend getaway to Washington, D.C. The decor, the unique food, and of course the company made for an amazing evening.

The Best Museums in Washington, D.C.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

This time around we had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Though it has been open since 2016, it is still a very popular museum and advance timed tickets have been reserved through the end of the year. In order to reserve same day passes, you need to be a bit of an early riser as they are made available at 6:30 and 9:30 am.

Visiting the museum is a little overwhelming. Simply put, we have a very painful and unfortunate history in the way African Americans have been treated in America. And it continues today. Seeing evidence and reading stories about the injustice against fellow human beings simply for who they were was very difficult to accept. But there was also inspiration, in the form of charismatic leaders and the notion of demanding what is rightfully yours, and that is what I took away from the museum.

The National Portrait Gallery

My husband isn’t really one for art museums, but I convinced him to go to the National Portrait Gallery. We only had the time to go through the Presidents’ gallery, but it was a great way to get a quick overview of all the presidents. The gallery also has a beautiful courtyard.

What are some of your favorite places in DC? Or places for a quick weekend getaway? Never too early to start planning!