Washington DC — 2 Days
The nation's capital is full of rich history and artifacts that’d take you a month just to get through half. When my girlfriend and I decided to go we spent weeks researching everything. Making sure we only used our time sparingly. Here is how we spent two days in Washington DC.
Flight to DCA
We took a 6:30 AM flight to Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) arriving around 10:15 AM. DCA is one of my top 5 favorite airports to fly to because the DC metro system is well connected as well as super close to all the action.
The journey to our Hostel
After stepping off the plane and walking towards the metro point, you’ll see these giant 80's style computer vending machines. That is where the Metro passes are purchased. While DC does enjoy some of the best public transportation, what they fail to mention is that it's one of the most expensive to take. If you’ve never ridden on the DC metro or lost your smart card that’ll be an extra $2 just for the card. We just put a flat $8 on the card because we were only going to and from the airport. I’d advise not buying the $15 one-day pass, it is a ripoff.
After purchasing our passes we headed up the escalators to the metro dock. Take a good look at the map and study the different lines. We both took the “Yellow Line” toward Ft Trotten which comes every 10 minutes. Make sure to look out the window, we passed the Pentagon! The train took around 25 minutes to reach our stop “Mt. Vernon Sq”. From there we walked a couple of blocks and there we were in front of our hostel.
The Hostel
Originally we planned on staying at an Airbnb but due to some last-minute changes on their end, we were without a place to stay. Most of the hotels in the area during the time were $300 a night, which was a definite no for us. Our last resort was staying at a hostel and I’m super glad it came to that because it was fantastic.
We stayed at the Duo Housing Hostel in the Logan Circle area. The hostel was spotless and the people were so friendly, it was awesome! The location was another huge bonus for us because it was a 10-minute walk from just about everything.
Day 1 Begins
Chinatown
After leaving our bags and checking into our hostel we were ready to go. Our first stop, a 5-minute walk down to DC Chinatown. In Chinatown, you’ll see all sorts of regular businesses with Chinese lettering as the logo on buildings, it's fascinating to see.
National Archives
Next, walking down the street passing the Capital One Arena (home of the Washington Capitals) you’ll come to Pennslyvania Ave. There are so many amazing museums just on this street alone, but the most important one to see is the National Archives. In there is an actual copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and other significant American documents. You can usually beat the lines at abnormal times (early morning, lunch, etc) and it’ll take you no more than 35 minutes to complete.
Lunch
We were very short on time, so we decided just to eat lunch at one of the concession stands on the National Mall.
US Capitol
One month before our DC trip I reached out to my Congressman asking him for a tour of the Capital. I highly suggest you do this because it was wonderful! Be sure to schedule a time during the weekday so you could catch a glimpse of a famous Congressman. On our tour, we saw Congressman Louie Gohmert walking to his next meeting. During the tour, you’ll see the tunnels below the Capitol, the House floor, artwork from all across the country, and learn some interesting facts.
When we reached the rotunda of the Capitol building our guide informed us we were insanely lucky because the Speakers Balcony was open to guests. On that day, we were among a few others able to enjoy the breathtaking view of the three points of DC converging on the Capitol.
After finishing our tour, we walked the grounds of the Capitol and headed to the backside. In the back, there is a huge courtyard filled with fountains and an amazing view.
Supreme Court
Next on the list was to walk on the Supreme Court steps and possibly go inside of the building. Do note that all of the Government buildings in DC shut down at 5 pm so be sure to move quickly. We were able to take a few pictures at the steps and spend about 20 minutes inside before they closed. We checked it off the list but looking back there wasn’t a lot to see on the inside so we could have foregone.
Dinner
It's long been understood that since the attractions in Washington DC are all free, they make up for it in the price of the food. Restaurant prices are on par with New York City or Los Angeles, just know you will be paying a price. After seeing the Supreme Court we were both starving and it got dark so quickly. We headed back up to Chinatown and enjoyed the restaurant Chinatown Garden. After fueling up, we walked back to our hostel and on the way, we saw the huge neon “Milk” sign on New York Ave. As soon as we saw the sign, we had to stop and walk-in because it is a must-visit. Milk Bar serves ice cream, cookies, cakes, you name it. My favorite dessert to order is the “cereal milk” ice cream, it's so delicious!
Day Two
Breakfast
In the northeast, the staple breakfast item to eat is the “breakfast burrito” containing sausage, eggs, cheese, potato, and veggies. You can find them at almost any breakfast shop and they are enormous so be sure to share.
Old Post Office Tower
After breakfast, we headed over to the Trump International Hotel on Pennslyvania Ave. It's a beautiful hotel but there's another reason why you should go see it. The hotel was built on the bones of the Old Post Office building, and still standing today is the Tower of that postal office. The National Park Service operates an elevator that’ll take you to the top of the tower. The view is remarkable, you’ll see the Capitol, White House, Washington Monument, and just about everything else. It does fill a line fairly quickly so be sure to get there early.
Washington Monument
After seeing the view, we walked towards the National Mall passing the Environmental Protection Agency building and the Internal Revenue Service building. Following the path en route to the Washington Monument. When we reached the Monument we snapped a few pictures and walked the pathway.
Lunch
On 14th st, the street before the Washington Monument, a food truck galore is present. I’ve never seen so many food trucks in my life. If you are picky or looking for something new to try, I guarantee you there will be something there.
The White House
We then made our way over to see the White House and noticed tons of people walking that way as well. We found out it was “White House Garden Tour weekend” and were handed tickets to walk inside the grounds of the White House!
It was magical to be able to get this close to the White House and gaze at the beautiful history! Before you go to Washington, look up the dates this event is being held and make it a priority to visit on those days.
Lime on the National Mall
Lime scooters, bikes, and other electric vehicles seem like they are on every street corner in DC. We both grabbed a Lime, scanned the QR code, and boom we were off. We rode on the walkways by the Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument, and all other Memorials in that area. 20 minutes of fun and wind blowing in our faces we were done. Before getting the Limes, we did not know the ride cannot be ended on the National Mall. In the end, we had to ride a couple of blocks outside of the Mall to park.
Lincoln Memorial
We strolled to the Lincoln Memorial to snap a few pictures and read the history inside. On the interior, you will find several famous speeches Lincoln made, including the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural speech.
Upon leaving the Memorial you are met with a gorgeous view of the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.
Union Station Shops
Leaving the Lincoln Memorial you will see a ton of buses on the street directly to the left. However, there is one, in particular, to hop on if you witness it. The bus will have the words DC Circulator and colored bright red. It only costs $1 to ride the bus and it’ll take you all around the tourist area of Washington. We rode the bus to Union Station which is the hub of all land transportation headed to DC. In the station, they have a bunch of stores and local businesses to shop at while you wait. We looked around and visited a few stores like Uniqlo and others.
Dinner
From Union Station, you are only a short walk from Chinatown and other restaurants in the area. We wanted to try a specialty restaurant to commemorate the day and enjoy our last night in DC. After spending some time walking down H street exploring menus. We decided upon DBGB, a french restaurant that had stellar reviews. If you also decide to eat at DBGB, order the ratatouille, it's delicious!
Going Home
We took the 6:05 AM flight out of DCA and back home we were 3 hours later.
Reflection
You may have noticed during the trip we did not hit very many of the 50+ museums that Washington DC has to offer. We deliberately did this to save time for the other, more “touristy” attractions. When we visit again, we will make it a priority to visit the museums.
For next time, I’d like to conduct more research on the restaurants and see what dishes are a must-try. DC is a food town, believe it or not, when we come back I’d like to experience it.
The hotel prices per night are still exorbitantly high and the Airbnb prices are no different. I’m glad we found and tested out a hostel on the trip because most likely we will end up staying there again.
Thank you for reading about my Washington DC trip. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, feedback, or would like me to provide more details. Thanks!
