People, who’s been to Washington, DC? What did you do, see, visit and eat there that you think is a must?
I’m off to DC for a couple of days next week and I welcome suggestions. I wanted to go to this famous Russian restaurant there but N says the visit he’ll have to make to the Russian embassy there will be as much Russianness as he is ready to process for now.
You have no idea how hard it is to be a decent Russian person these days. We were at the gym yesterday, and a newscast about Putin’s birthday came on. A bunch of former NHL stars played a faux hockey game with Putin, letting him score 7 times and awarding him a Stanley Cup at the end. As one commentator said, every time Putin hit the puck, the goalie moved away from it as fast as if it were filled with polonium.
So I look over at N and imagine how humiliating it must be to come from a country whose president is so pathetic that a bunch of NHL stars have to treat him like a 5-year-old with a disability just to make him feel good about himself. Which is why I’m not pressing the Russian restaurant idea.
So, DC fans. Suggestions?
Clarissa's Blog 
The Smithsonian museums are all free and worth going to. Among the most popular are the Aerospace and Natural History museums. There is also the American Indian Museum and the US Holocaust Memorial Mueseum also all free. The Library of Congress is awesome and definitely worth seeing. As far as food there is good Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, Korean, and Vietnamese food in the area as well as the regional US specialities. Old Town Alexandria is nice to hang out in and has a lot of nice places to eat. You might also want to check on the free events at the Woodrow Wilson Center, particularly the Kennan Center and various universities such as Georgetown and John Hopkins.
LikeLike
I have eaten at two amazingly good Ethiopian restaurants there. I do not remember the names. One is not too far from the Capitol.
I love the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Air and Space Museum.
LikeLike
I went about eight or nine years ago now, but what I remember most were the Smithsonian museums. They were amazing, and we didn’t spend nearly as much time in there as I wanted. They’re also free.
LikeLike
Hi. Welcome to DC. If you have to go to the embassy, it’s worth a stroll through Georgetown which is just to its’ south.
I’m all for the suggestion that you pick a few Smithsonian sites to visit, and be selective with it so as to allow for enough time to take it all in. The east and west wings of the National Gallery are not to be missed.
Go to Adams Morgan for dinner. It’s a pleasant evening walk and will offer a broad range of cafes, restaurants, and the like.
Otherwise I recommend dining at Tico which is a block from the U Street metro (Green/yellow line,) which has across the street from it the venerable and once crusty old “Ben’s Chili Bowl”.
The U street area is the current “hipster hell” area, so there is always something to horrify and amuse to be found there.
LikeLike
The Smithsonian museums are great and the mall and nearby monuments are lovely places to walk around if the weather is nice. I would recommend doing a little research on the Smithsonian museums before you go, they are enormous and you can spend weeks wandering around in them.
There is a substantial Ethiopian and Middle Eastern communities in DC and those would be high on my list for food choices, but you mentioned earlier that you really didn’t like Thai food, so I’m not sure if Ethiopian is a good suggestion unless you’ve already had it.
The DC subway system is safe and clean. It doesn’t go as many places as it ought to, but I would recommend using it as much as possible. DC has some horrible traffic and a very confusing layout, it’s not a fun place to drive if you don’t know the area.
Have fun!
LikeLike