My first day in DC with my teenage daughter, Faith, began around noon. If you are flying to DC, I highly recommend flying into Washington Reagan National Airport. You can get to DC using Baltimore or Dullus but they are much further out of the heart of the city. You can use public transport to quickly get into the city for as little at $2 a person. They were doing work on one of the main lines which would have made the trip over 40 minutes so I opted for a Lyft which was only a little over ten dollars and ten minutes to our hotel.
Hotel Check-in and then Lunch
When you stay in a hotel instead of an Airbnb you can often check in early or at least leave your luggage. With our early morning flight, that was one reason we chose to stay at The Holiday Inn Capitol Hill. We got settled in our room and then headed out to find some lunch. Fortunately, across the street was Rice Bar, a fantastic Korean noodle and rice bowl restaurant. I love me a bowl with all the choices and it did not disappoint.
After our filling lunch we were fortified to face the winds as we walked the ten minutes to the Freer Museum, a Smithsonian I haven’t been to. The small gallery (at least small relative to the other Smithsonian’s) of mainly Asian art was the collection of Charles Lang Freer who gave his collection in 1906 to the nation. Although I strongly oppose Freer’s view of women (see photo – “modern Women”), I do appreciate his donation to our nation. The gallery was quiet, beautiful and informative. We spent about an hour and a half before heading to the opposite side of The Mall to the National Museum of African American History and Culture ) for our timed entry ticket.
Nat’l Museum of African American History & Culture
Having opened in September of 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture was surprisingly crowded even with timed entry tickets. When you enter the building, you go down the escalators for the beginning of the History Galleries. We waited in line for 10 minutes or so before going to the lowest level of the museum where the chronological history of African Americans began. There are three levels that walk you through the early Colonial times and end with current events. Incredibly moving and interesting, I think every American needs to prioritize this museum. Humans have such a capacity to do horrible things to other humans. Knowing this truth shouldn’t fill us with shame but rather helps us prioritize a vigilance to avoid harm in the future. There are four other levels above the history portion with exhibits on African American’s role ranging from cooking to fashion to music to the military. My brain gets full after about three hours in a museum so we just skimmed these galleries but they are worth a return visit to explore further.
Penn Quarter
Nearing 5:00 pm, museums were closing so we headed north to the Penn Quarter. Full of great restaurants, beautiful architecture, and shops (including lots of chains), this section of DC has undergone a revitalization since my childhood visits to DC. We ended up at The Smith Restaurant and Bar to rest our feet and enjoy their happy hour. Faith had the complimentary sparkling water and I ordered the best cocktail I have ever tasted, truly, plus some fries to share. Happy hours are only served at the bar area but on a Friday evening surrounded by young professionals, we enjoyed the different vibe than a typical tourist spot.
We ended our day with some shopping – there are several TJ Maxx’s in DC – grabbing Chipotle for take out and then our 30 minute walk back to our hotel. We cut through the Sculpture Garden which is normally closed in the evenings but parts were open to accommodate a skating rink. Our morning had started before 6 AM to get to DC by noon so relaxing in the hotel room with our take out was an affordable and relaxing way to end our first day. If you haven’t read my blog on planning a weekend trip to DC, be sure to check it out!