Washington, DC

Have you ever done the thing in the movies where they're sitting on the couch and have the crazy idea to go on vacation, like the next day, and then whirlwind pack and head out of town?

Let me tell ya, it's so fun and I highly recommend you do it at least once-

David and I did this for the first time last week, and the hype is real!

Disclaimer*

This spur the moment trip spun out of American Airlines sending us a letter that we had miles to use before the end of the year (it was December 27th) or we loose them. I was prepared to loose them; we were fresh out of the Christmas season, had just taken a ski trip the beginning of the month, were totally wiped out, but... we didn't have plans for NYE, so when D said "should we go somewhere" the sarcasm in his voice quickly turned serious and we got to work planning.

By 2am and several confirmation numbers later, our flights were booked and we were Washington, DC bound in less than 15 hours.

What I ultimately loved about our nation's capital city was how easy it was to get around and how much there is to do. Oh, and we never had a bad meal...the food scene in DC is tasty! We were there for 4 nights, and almost 5 whole days and we both agreed would could have stayed much longer.

Where we stayed: The Grand Hyatt Washington. This place came recommended to us from as one of the partnership hotels with American Airlines. Walkable (and scooterable- more on this later) to EVERYTHING popular in DC, this was a hit for us.

-atrium or street views, we did atrium

-modern, beautiful rooms with robe, fridge, coffee, desk, open bathrooms, and cozy beds

-room service till 1am (came in handy NYE!), as well as a bar & grill open till midnight

-incredibly friendly and accommodating staff

-**tip: ask for the rate that includes breakfast. As great as the food is in DC, its also incredibly pricey. Save yourself the $60 and get the buffet or served breakfast at their on-site breakfast restaurant, Cabinet.

What we did: I feel like we did quite a bit in the short amount of time we were there, and battling the current government shutdown! We mostly did your classics: the vast array of museums that are mostly free, and all the hot-spot monuments (free as well).

The monuments are all really close to one another, so they're easy to knock out in a day, even a half-day.

They are:

-Washington Monument

-Lincoln Memorial

-World War II Memorial

-Reflecting Pool

-White House

-Capital Building

-**tip: it took us a minute to realize people refer to the strip of land where all the monuments are as the "National Mall." A very different use of the work "mall" than I am use to!

The Museums we did were:

-Most of the Smithsonian's (Natural History, American History, Air and Space, & Sculpture Garden)

-International Spy Museum: this one has an entry fee

-US Botanical Gardens

-ArtTechHouse (a virtual reality art gallery...SUCH a cool experience! This one has an entry fee)

-**I would have loved to see The National Archives...it's where the original Deceleration of Independence is, as well as other original founding documents. However, this was one of the places that was closed due to the government shut down, so we didn't get to go. Other popular places were closed as well, which is why our list is somewhat limited.

In general, just walking around the city is and experience in itself. You walk by so much beautiful architecture and really important buildings that are crucial to our government.

Where we ate: Like I said, food in DC is expensive. Every morning we did breakfast at the hotel, packed snacks for lunch, and booked reservations (highly recommend any place you go) for dinner.

-Founding Farmers DC: farm to table, this expansive menu has something for everyone. The cornbread appetizer was phenomenal, as well as the chicken noodle soup we shared to warm up from outside! Great drinks, delicious meals.

-RPM: Itallian! Lots of Italian places in DC... we didn't get to taste them all except this one. Great staff, smaller portions, great wine menu, and they love truffle- it's a popular item all over their menu!

-Old Ebbitt Grill: my favorite of the dinner places! We lucked out snagging a last minute 3:15 reservation on NYE. Normally, they stay booked for weeks at a time, and I believe it! We got a dozen oysters half off at oyster happy hour (3pm-6pm), some champagne in celebration, and dinner + after dinner drinks. We stayed for over 2 hours! Lovely staff, great menu, reasonable prices- highly recommend.

Drink + Clinks: Not sure what it is about the city, but we often found ourselves looking for an afternoon or after dinner spot to grab a drink. Here's where we stumbled upon (and loved):

-Round Robbin: steps from the White House, we found ourselves here drinking well crafted cocktails and snacking on Churros. It's located inside the The Willard InterContinental hotel- small space, great atmosphere, really historical.

-Morris American Bar: oh so charming! A 70s feel throwback vibe, the owner takes his bar tending and craft to the next level. They only use crystal clear ice, cut it straight from the block before serving in your drink, can make just about anything, and make you feel like family! We loved this spot!! (across the street from RPM if you go there for dinner)

-**We tried to go, but it was closed for renovations, but we heard POV at the rooftop of the W hotel has the best views in all of DC.

Getting Around: Bird & Lime scooters are all over Nashville, and I use to get so annoyed with them. Gone are those days- scooters are AWESOME!

-Pay & Ride Scooters: this was the fastest, affordable, most fun way to see it all! There are several scooter companies in DC- Lyft, Skip, Lime, Bird, and Spin are all popular around the city. Download the apps before you go, and when you see an available scooter, it's $1 to start it up, then .15cents/ minute. We rode for over an hour and each only paid around $8. Great way to zip around the monuments, to and from your hotel to the National Mall area, and to and from dinner! We would have rode these everywhere if we could!

-Lyft and Uber: the classic ride share apps are both options in DC- better for at night when most of the scooters "operating hours" are over (except Skip- they operate at night), and for longer hauls like to the airport or across the river to see other popular monuments.

-Walking: like I said, you could make a day out of just walking around. Pack comfy shoes!

-Metro: DC does have a metro train and bus system. We didn't utilize either, but should you choose to, the Grand Hyatt has a station attached to it for convenience & there are several stations around the city.

Other Essentials:

-OnGuard hand sanitizer + oils for immunity (lots of germs)

-pack warm for colder months...it's also windy

-prepare in case of rain

-time of year is everything; DC prices double in the Spring due to the Cherry Blossoms

-don't plan too much...from start to finish this trip was a whim and everything we did came out of "what now." It allowed for a really fun and flexible time.

Can't wait to return!

Naturally,

Nicki