A look at my hometown of Washington DC

United States Capitol, Washington DC, USA (ISO 800, 45 mm, f/8, 1/1250 s)

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I must say as a travel blogger, it’s a little bit strange to write a post about your own home town. Now whenever I go back to visit and family and friends, I am essentially a tourist again, except I still know all the best kept secrets. It is nice once in awhile to encounter something new in a town you thought you knew so well.

My time in graduate school at Georgetown University has led me to all the different neighborhoods and areas in DC and has given me many positive experiences. Here I will break down some of the places you should not miss on your visit to the capital.

You can find a Google map at the end of this post, detailing all the places I have described. Also, since the Potomac River, which forms DC’s southern boundary, also borders Virginia, I’ll talk about a few great places to see in Virginia as well, all accessible by the DC Metro system or even by using the best foldable electric scooter for commute to explore the city more flexibly.

Getting to DC is easy. Take a flight into Reagan National Airport (DCA) and use the DC Metro from there. You can also fly into Dulles International Airport (IAD), but the metro system does not access that airport yet so you will have to go by bus (more info here) to the last station on the Silver line (Weihle-Reston East).

Speaking of the DC Metro, this is your best way of getting around. Uber is very popular in DC too but for your convenience and cost, try the metro system. At most stations you can pick up a SmarTrip card, where you can add fare value and use during your stay. It’s the equivalent to an Oyster card in London for the Tube. Here is a handy map of the Metro system as well.

You can use Google maps to figure out which stations you should use, but I will also highlight the closest metro stations in the entirely of this post.

Washington Monument, Washington DC, USA (ISO 800, 24 mm, f/4, 1/5000 s)

Without a doubt, the main strip of Washington DC (and the place where you want to go first), is accessible by the Smithsonian-National Mall Stop (Blue/Orange/Silver Line). The National Mall is the entire grassy area between the US Capitol Building and Washington Monument. This is where rallies, protests, concerts, and even dodgeball games are held (from social sports leagues).

I would recommend making your way to the US Capitol Building and the pond in front of it for great photographic opportunities. This building is the seat of the legislative branch and meeting point of the US Congress. To see inside, you can find more information for touring opportunities here. I remember doing it as a child on a field trip with school. That was ages ago so maybe it’s time to see it again!

US Capitol, Washington, DC (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/4, 1/800 s)

As you make your way towards the Washington Monument along the National Mall, you will see museums that flank you on both sides. These are probably some of the best in the city, hence their prime locations. Here you have the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History (my personal favorite), as well as the Smithsonian Castle. The great part of these spaces is that most museums in DC are FREE! The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, runs many of these museums and therefore, has chosen not to charge admission for any of them.

The next obvious stop would have to be the Washington Monument. This is run by the National Park service and the obelisk is a to commemorate the nation’s first president George Washington. It stands 169 meters high and was actually closed temporarily after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit just 90 miles south of DC, leaving the monument slightly damaged (DC never gets earthquakes so it was a strange time). You can also go up the tower to see sweeping views of the entire area.

Vietnam Memorial, Washington DC, USA (ISO 800, 50 mm, f/4, 1/5000 s)

Next, while heading towards the Lincoln Memorial, you can see a few more memorials and monuments along the way. The World War II Memorial is composed of 56 granite pillars, one for each state and American territory, arranged in an elliptical pattern at the edge of the Reflecting Pool. The site is dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces in World War II.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, USA (ISO 1600, 40 mm, f/4, 1/250 s)

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most moving in the entire city. It is located just a few hundred feet from the Reflecting Pool and is composed of many black granite walls, engraved with all 58,320 names of those who died in the Vietnam war. It is truly remarkable at that scale and in that way, the memorial is such a powerful thing to see.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, USA (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/4, 1/640 s)

Lastly, there is the Lincoln Memorial, which doesn’t need much of an introduction. It shows one of America’s best presidents sitting, looking over the Reflection Pool in the direction of the US Capitol. If you don’t know much about Abraham Lincoln, he was the 16th President of the United States, and his greatest accomplishments were ‘Preserving the Union’ during the American Civil War from 1861-1865 and advocating for the abolition of slavery.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, USA (ISO 100, 102 mm, f/4, 1/640 s)

Just near this entire area is the Tidal basin; a man-made reservoir that is most popular in April for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Also located here is the Jefferson Memorial, another solid site on par with the Lincoln one. Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd president of the United States, serving two terms, and is one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence (the thing that Nicolas Cage tries to steal in National Treasure, obviously).

Last but not least, you have the White House. You can take a tour here but there are a few regulations so best to plan ahead before you even arrive here to be able to get a space. You can submit a tour request between 3 months and 21 days in advance and if you are an international visitor, you should contact your embassy on how to take a tour. I assume as an international tourist, stricter security protocols are in place.

Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC (ISO 100, 82 mm, f/4, 1/800 s)

Apart of the area around the National Mall, DC has a few trendy and cool neighborhoods, all (mostly) accessible by metro. One such area is Chinatown (Metro station - Gallery Place/Chinatown - Green/Yellow/Red lines). It is home to the CapitalOne Arena, where the hockey (Washington Capitals) and mens/womens basketball teams play, as well as a venue for concerts. I highly recommend seeing a sports game if there is one going on. DC’s sports culture is very passionate! Plus you can plan your trip before the game by hitting up one of the many amazing restaurants in the area, and going to a nice bar afterwards.

Speaking of restaurants, you can’t go wrong with any restaurant by José Andrés, a Spanish-American restauranteur who also operates World Central Kitchen that provides food to those affected by natural disasters. Specifically, make reservations to eat at Jaleo, Oyamel, and Zaytinya.

Milk Bar Mini is one of my favorite places for dessert treats. It’s located in CityCenter DC, an area with upscale shopping, condos, and restaurants located near Gallery Place/Chinatown and Metro Center metro stations. I can’t really recommend a specific item, just try to sample all if you can!

White House, Washington, DC (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/4, 1/640 s)

Georgetown is another awesome neighborhood in DC. Unfortunately there is no metro station that ‘directly’ accesses it. Your best bet is to take the Blue/Orange/Silver Line trains and get off at 1) Rosslyn or 2) Foggy Bottom and then walk towards the neighborhood. There are countless shops and restaurants in the area, but the overall look of the neighborhood is consistent. This was evident when it took Apple 19 months to get approval from the Old Georgetown Board about the layout of their store facade (more here).

Walk along the main road (M Street) and enjoy the surroundings, but if you want the best experience, make your way to Thomas Jefferson St. and find Baked and Wired. This DC Bakery is my absolute favorite. When I come back into the city, I usually meet friends here, pick up a cupcake and coffee, and walk down to the Georgetown Waterfront Park to catch up. This is one of the best things to do in the city on a warm spring/summer day.

Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4, 1/640 s)

Speaking of warm days, a popular spot is also the Key Bridge Boathouse, where you can rent kayaks for some time on the Potomac River. You can get views from the water of the Kennedy Center (great for shows) and Theodore Roosevelt Island.

Near the boathouse also sits the remnants of what used to be the Alexandria Aqueduct. Now, it’s a small grassy area with a view of the Key Bridge and Rosslyn. You can’t miss it as it is covered in graffiti but is a popular spot to chill out during the days. It was one of my favorite places to go while studying at Georgetown.

Alexandria Aqueduct Ruins, Washington DC, USA (ISO 640, 24 mm, f/8, 1/5000 s)

In the Southwest Quadrant of DC, lies the Washington Nationals Stadium and a completely revamped Wharf area with cafes, restaurants, and bars. This place is very busy when there’s a game on as people typically go to the Bullpen, a massive outdoor bar by the ball park. You can make your way here by taking the metro to either L’enfant Plaza (Blue/Orange/Silver/Green/Yellow lines) or Waterfront (Green line) stations.

One of my more favorite places happens to be a brewery called Bluejacket. The environment is amazing and the food/beers are definitely on point.

Autumn in Georgetown, Washington DC, USA (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/5, 1/500 s)

Since the state of Virginia just across the Potomac river, you can decide to find accommodation there and commute into DC for some sightseeing. There are also great places to see in Virginia as well.

The United States Marine Corps Memorial depicts one of the most famous photographs in American military history, when US forces took the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. This area is stunning and is the end point for the annual Marine Corps Marathon. The memorial is a short walk from the Rosslyn metro station (Blue/Orange/Silver line).

Arlington National Cemetery is 639 acres where the dead of America’s conflicts are buried. It is a solemn place but is worth checking out. The scale of it is really quite incredible. The centerpiece happens to be the Netherlands Carillon, which was “from the People of the Netherlands to the People of the United States of America" to thank the United States for its contributions to the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi Germany in 1945 and for its economic aid in the years after. You can get there by getting off at the Arlington Cemetery metro station (Blue line).

Gravelly Point park is located along the Potomac River just near Reagan National Airport. What makes this area especially nice is for watching the planes take off and land. The perfect time to go is just around sunrise or sunset, but be careful, it is closed right after dark.

Some general advice I would have if you decide to take in the Nation’s capital for a few days are as follows: 1) get yourself a SmarTrip metro card to make using the metro easier, 2) Eat many different types of cuisines, the city has restaurants of all types and the food is almost always pretty good, 3) take in a sporting event, 4) consider booking your hotel in Virginia in the area of Arlington (Court House, Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston Metro stations - Blue/Orange/Silver lines), and 5) enjoy the green spaces as much as you can.

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