Some of the BEST travel plans that I have had have had anything BUT a plan. The other week, my good friend Bryn and I went into Washington, DC while she visited me with anything, BUT a plan. ALL we had planned, in fact, was which Metro (Washington, DC’s subway transit system) stop to get off at. From there, the rest was up to us and seemingly our minds!
So, funny story, Bryn and I are AWFUL at waking up early – haha! We, indeed got going in the mid-afternoon and hit my local Metro stop for the Smithsonian stop within Washington, DC with our snacks, coffee, and masks on hand. Once we got off at the Smithsonian Metro stop, we walked to the nearby notable Smithsonian of Washington, DC at the National Mall. If you don’t know much about Washington, DC, the Smithsonian is Washington, DC’s collection of museums that are government-run and FREE to all who come to visit. Some of the Smithsonian’s museums include – the Museum of American History, the Museum of Natural History, the Air and Space Museum, and the Smithsonian Castle aka the original and first-ever Smithsonian museum/building. The National Mall is conveniently located right along the Smithsonian, so as you explore ALL of the Smithsonian’s incredible museums, you also get to admire some of Washington, DC’s many monuments – the National Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the Capital, and much more! Once we arrived, we did nothing else BUT get hot dogs and soft pretzels at a local food truck. Another amazing part of Washington, DC’s National Mall is the MANY MANY MANY food trucks lining the streets alongside it.
Once getting hot dogs and pretzels, Bryn and I simply took in the incredible views of Washington, DC that are all around us. We, then, walked over to the Capital where we took wayyyy too many photos and admired the views of our extraordinary nation’s capital. And, we *of course* had to stop to enjoy some coffee and gold fish that we had packed while admiring where all of our United States Presidents have been inaugurated and a major building of many decisions being made within our country, too, have happened. The pond, steps, fields, and pathways surrounding the Capital are super stunning, y’all! It’s worthwhile, too.
Since yet again fueling up at the Capital, we headed over to the White House – a sight in which Bryn wanted to see while she was here visiting. The walk to the White House takes about 30 minutes from the Capital. One of the BEST parts about this walk is that it includes seeing the National Monument along the way. We *of course* had to stop there to take some pictures, too! BUT, the very very very best part of this walk that we took was that it happened to be that we took this walk at sunset. Sunset made our walk so so so much more stunning than on any other given time. It was so cool to see ALL of the monuments light up at night and shine brighter than a diamond. Then, when we got to the White House, it was dark and the White House was beautifully shining for all to see. Sometimes, visiting the White House and simply seeing it outside can be tough – given Presidential events, protests, and much more. BUT, we got lucky a few weekends ago while there AND it wasn’t crowded, either. It was a great time to just sit and admire the home of all our Presidents (well, most of them!).
After the White House sightseeing, we headed for the nearby Metro station and back to my house. Bryn and I both had an amazing time and each spent under $15 including food and Metro tickets, especially given that we had packed some snacks beforehand. All in all, a truly fun, spontaneous, and affordable day aka three of my FAVORITE THINGS! Blessings come in all sizes and packages, including those that are of the most unexpected.
XOXO – Katie <3