Washington, DC with Teens

Easter weekend provided us with an excellent opportunity to introduce our boys to Washington, DC for the first time. We got to spend 4 days in our nation’s capital, letting our 14-year-old boys experience what they had previously only read about in books or seen in movies. While I wanted to re-experience DC through their eyes, I was also grateful to take in the gorgeous cherry blossoms for the first time and see what the fuss was all about. Without further delay:

Lodging:

St. Regis (a 5-minute walk from the White House and a 10-minute walk from the National Mall)

• Put your Marriott points to work if you have them! Request a higher level floor to reduce street noise.

Transportation:

Nonstop Southwest flight from Austin, TX to DCA (Reagan National) followed by a 15 – 20 minute car ride to most DC hotels. Car rentals are not recommended due to limited street parking and costly parking fees. Taxis and Ubers are readily available.

DC Day 1:

• Take in the mesmerizing cherry blossoms on the way to the hotel (and at the hotel)!
• Force kids to take pictures against the backdrop of the cherry blossoms.
• Set off on foot and go see the White House.
• Enjoy dinner at the hotel’s excellent Mediterranean restaurant, Alhambra.

DC Day 2:

• Take a taxi/Uber or enjoy a 2-mile walk over to the Capitol for a tour. My teens enjoyed the 15-minute introductory film but were a bit overwhelmed by our large tour group of 30 led by a Capitol docent (red coat). If I could do it again, I would request a smaller, more personable tour through my local Congressman/Senator. Booking through your local representative also gives you the opportunity to visit his/her office and see the House/Senate Office Buildings. White House tours were not available on our requested dates.

• A quick but delicious lunch at Unconventional Diner. This was my boys’ favorite restaurant of the trip.
• Abort! Abort! We had plans to visit the Museum of Natural History but left within 5 minutes of entering due to the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. It was insane!
• One of my boys is a self-proclaimed sneakerhead, and to appease him, we visited Commonwealth Shoe Store and Delorean 88 Vintage Clothing and Sneaker Store. Parent win!
• After a brief siesta, we spent two hours walking around the National Mall on a gorgeous Friday taking in the sights and all of the memorials while indulging in some food truck treats. This was a trip highlight!

• My hubs and I snuck off for a quick bite and happy hour at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. Great vibe and fresh food.
• We capped off our day at a Wizards game at Capital One Arena. They lost to the Pistons, but a fun time was had by all!

DC Day 3:

• Began the day with an official visit to Georgetown University to start off what will be a three-year stretch of college tours.

• Enjoyed lunch in a beloved underground Georgetown hole-in-the-wall which happens to be a must for Georgetown students and rowing fans. The Tombs is definitely worth a visit!

• After I convinced my boys to head back to the hotel, I was able to sneak in a little shopping along the cobblestone streets of Georgetown.
• Museum attempt, take 2: the International Spy Museum was a hit. Because this is not free to the public, the crowds were minimal, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Bond exhibit was just an added bonus. Plan on spending 2 hours here.

• While we intended to end the night with a laid-back, teen-approved dinner at Founding Farmers, the weather had other plans. We escaped into Joe’s Seafood for dinner because it was the closest thing to us when the rain started!

DC Day 4:

• Mom fail! I forgot to pack any Easter treats or trinkets and compromised by walking over to Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken for a family sugar high.
  • Astro Doughnuts is on the Underground Donut Tour for those who might enjoy a city tour revolving around donuts and coffee!

• Although my Apple watch was happy with me for the amount of ground/steps we covered, we needed some nature and a break from the concrete jungle. Solution: Theodore Roosevelt Island.  Although the longest trail is only 1.5 miles, we enjoyed our time here and loved seeing the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. His national park legacy puts him in my top three of beloved presidents!

• If we had more time, we would have hit up the Maryland side and visited the scenic yet challenging Billy Goat Trail (part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park). Unfortunately, it required 3 hours that we didn’t have.
• After cleaning up, we ended our trip with some over-the-top-delicious Indian food at Rasika Penn Quarter. Reservations encouraged!

In Summary:

The four days we spent in DC covered a lot of ground while still allowing for the downtime teens (and really everyone!) need. I was grateful to balance the museums and Capitol tour with outdoor walks around the National Mall and around Theodore Roosevelt Island. And while concrete jungle write-ups are outside the scope of Calling All Explorers, I am sharing it anyway, because we did seek out nature while there and apparently because my vacation time will revolve around college tours for the next three years!