Col and I had big plans for last weekend, we had originally intended on finally getting to New Orleans, Louisiana . We’ve been here almost three years and have never yet been to “NOLA” as they call it.

So, we set aside the weekend and thought we’d plan it closer to the time… Well closer to the time came and when Col went to look at the three hotels he had his eye on, they were booked out. Our alert radar went off, it suggested something big was going to be in NOLA that weekend and we should steer clear.

So we did and it was back to the drawing board for us, as we both, me in particular, wanted to get away.

Our short list was:

1. Little Rock, AK road trip, for a state Capitol visit and Presidential library. But, with an eight to ten hour road trip, Col would have had to take two full days off work and that was just too short notice!

2. Philadelphia, PA, we were supposed to go here last year for my friends wedding but we didn’t make it. Liberty Bell and Billi’s promise of fish an chips almost won us over, but we decided we need more than two days to see the place.

3. Honolulu HI, I reeeeally have a bug about Hawaii at the moment, I’d love to go. But with the loooong flight to get there we’d need a longer trip available to us, to fully appreciate it!

4. Boston, MA this was one of our two finalists, though with so much to see and do, we once again thought we’d be selling ourselves short with only a two day trip!

That brought us to our winner, Washinton D.C, we decided to go off to visit the White House!!

Once we’d decided that, Col spent about two freakin’ days (ok, it was more like 8 hours, but still), searching for an acceptable hotel for our three night stay in the Capital.  Which, he did, and got us a three night stay at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia – complete with three days breakfast for both of us.

I did what I normally do when we decide to go on a trip.  I hit up Trip Advisor and clicked the ‘Things to do’ tab and made a list of some sights and attractions we’d like to hit up while we’re in town.  I checked out the Groupon and Living Social sites for the city and I picked up some StubHub tickets for a hockey game on Sunday evening before our Monday afternoon departure.

Some places are, what I’d call ‘knee-jerk’ travel destinations, places that you can say, “Hey, let’s go to __ for the weekend” and just up and leave for a wee weekend break.

D.C, however, is not one of those places!

Don’t get me wrong, we had a fantastic weekend away, we saw a lot, we did a lot, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t as planned and organised as it could have been.  For example, I’d love to have done a tour of the Pentagon – that takes time, foresight and planning.

On our trip, lots of things were closed, the Washington Monument, the Reflection pool, the weather wasn’t great so the Cherry blossoms were mostly a wash-out, you can’t just turn up at the Pentagon and ask for a tour, etc etc, this city takes planning.

1. Research!

Plan your trip in advance.

Make a list of the places you’d like to see.

Use Trip Advisor as a resource, they have a great list of attractions and some ‘real people’ accounts of their experiences in D.C.

Read blogs (of course I want you to read mine), but I have friends who travel, Frances, aka English Girl in Texas, has also travelled a lot.  In fact, she was in D.C around the same time as me (only she and her other half had a slightly longer trip than we had).  Read about her experience here.

2. Don’t underestimate this city

I think this is what my problem was.  I underestimated D.C.  O.k, I knew that there was a bunch of things to do there, the White House, the Capitol etc, but I grossly underestimated the sheer wealth of things there were to do in this place.

This city is so rich in culture, history and has something for everything – unfortunately, however, because the McMasters are in to Politics, D.C had a lot of somethings for us! I was, in all honesty, shocked at the amount of places there were to see and things there were to do in this city – again, I repeat, don’t underestimate this city!

3. Go during the week

The weekend crowd in Washington, D.C is busy, so my advice is, go during the week.  Not only is the city quieter than during the weekend, but more ‘must see’ places are open.  The Supreme Court, for example, they give thirty minute lectures which are designed to introduce visitors of all ages to the judicial functions of the Supreme Court, the history of the Building, and the architecture of the Courtroom.

During the week is a much better time to visit, I imagine you’ll get a better sense of the ‘aura’ of the city, its personality and you’ll have, not only access to things that are open, but ‘easier’ access, as it’ll be less busy.

4. Get a Metro Pass

Col and I paid $18 for a Metro day pass (click here for information), Frances and Ben got an off-peak passes that cost around $37 a head.  It’s well worth every penny!  The metro is easy to use, accessible, underground and safe at night (we saw a number of law enforcement officers both at the stations and on board the train).

5. Make a list 

I know my first point is ‘research’, but, making an actual list is something I enjoy doing – mostly, because I love crossing things off lists, one at a time.  Here, for example, is my personal list, of places that are TOP of my list (I say top cause the list is so long!) for when (not if) we go back.  Because we WILL go back, I can’t leave that city undone, and right now – it’s undone for us, we’ve barely grazed the surface!

Arlington Cemetery

I really wanted to go to this place, I imagine it can be quite moving.
They say you should go for the Changing of the Guard.  The guard is changed every hour on the hour Oct. 1 to March 31 in an elaborate ritual. From April 1 through September 30, there are more than double the opportunities to view the change because another change is added on the half hour and the cemetery closing time moves from 5 to 7 p.m.

White House Visitors Centre
Cause Col likes the opportunity to buy tat 😉

Supreme Court
I’d love to have a nosy inside and listen to a lecture! On days that the Court is not sitting, lectures are generally scheduled every-hour on the half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. with a final lecture at 3:30 p.m.   When the Court is in session, Courtroom Lectures are available only after Court adjourns for the day.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial & Jefferson Memorial

We tried to go here, but the weather washed us out 🙁

Pentagon Tour
Reservations may be booked from 8 to 90 days in advance. Reservations will not be accepted for tour dates within 7 days or more than 90 days away.
All guided tours of the Pentagon are free and available by reservation only. Tours are conducted Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours are not conducted on weekends or federal holidays.

State Capitol

Visitors may obtain gallery passes from the offices of their Senators or Representative. International visitors may inquire about gallery passes at the House and Senate Appointment Desks on the upper level of the Capitol Visitor Center.

Newseum
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
International Spy Museum
Smithsonian National portrait gallery – Free
National Museum of Crime and Punishment
Madame Tussauds
Bureau of Engraving and Printing – first come first serve for free tickets
U.S Navy Museum

A couple of places that we have been recommended to eat:

Martins Tavern
U Street – scattered with any number of places to eat, drink and be merry!

6. Spend more than a weekend

Col and I landed on the Friday night and left on Monday, leaving us two full days to enjoy the city.  Two days is not enough.  Not by a long shot – especially if your to-do list, is in any way long, which, as I’ve said above, believe me, it’s going to be! LOL!

7. Wear comfortable shoes!

You WILL be walking a lot, it’s inevitable.  So please wear shoes that aren’t going to kill your feet, your back, give you blisters, take on water, or make you a slow-coach compared to your travelling partner.  D.C may be stylish, but, if you wanna get around it, fashion should be the last thing on your mind – comfort first!

Take some time and do it right.  Don’t screw yourself out of a great experience in a wonderful city!