National Portrait Gallery Archives

Since moving to the Washington, DC area, I have been so busy that I haven’t had the time to truly explore my brand-new backyard. Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to be able to play tourist in my own city. So, I decided to create my own 2 day mini-cation in Washington, DC where I got to play none other than a tourist. Love me a mini-cation!!!

What I Did!

Each day, I did something unique and different in the city. Two days in Washington, DC can seem like a lot or a little, but it is always a challenge to figure out what to do. There is SO much to do in this glorious city. I did the majority of my mini-cation on my own, but my friend Ashley joined me for part of it which was super fun!

Day 1

On my first day in the city, I met my friend Ashley for her birthday. We started off our day at the local Shake Shack – Ashley’s Birthday choice! -, a burger joint that is up to par with the iconic West Coast joint: In N’Out Burger. We, then, went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery where I had reserved us some tickets. After wondering the museum for some time, we decided to head to none other than the city center’s TJ Maxx! Yes, you heard me right – TJ Maxx’s are amazing in Washington, DC. We had both heard that the Washington, DC neighborhood of Georgetown has a pretty great TJ Maxx, so we decided to give the city center one a try, too. It had a pretty great selection, despite it being a smaller scale city-style location. Ashley and I, then, said our goodbyes, and I decided to head onto the Metro (Washington, DC transit subway system) to the National Mall. Wearing my pink Jack Rogers sandals, my feet started to hurt and I started to feel poached as I forgot to pack a bottle of water so I stopped at a local stand near the Smithsonian Castle – the original Smithsonian Museum built in the 1800’s during I think Andrew Jackson’s presidency – and grabbed a soft pretzel and a bottle of water. I spent the next half hour just simply people watching along the National Mall, before setting down on the grass to admire the United States Capitol in front of me and the National Monument behind me. Such a splendid way to spend a day!

***Noted***: Currently due to COVID-19, the Smithsonian Museums are offering ticketed admission for varying time slots throughout the day to their museums. The museums are slowly but surely opening up and visitors must reserve their ticket approximately 30 days in advance to even get one, due to their high demand. If you do not know about the Smithsonian Museums, they are government-funded museums all across Washington, DC with a few in other cities across the country offering free admission to all visitors. All visitors must wear a mask and maintain their social distance throughout the entire duration of their visit. Like the pre-pandemic days, the Smithsonian Museums are still free to all who come to visit. Museums include: The Museum of Natural History, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The National Zoo, The Renwick Gallery, The National Archives, and my favorite The Museum of American History.

Day 2

Over the past decade or even longer, I had dreamed of going to visit the Washington National Cathedral, yet I hadn’t had made it. Usually, the Washington National Cathedral is booked throughout the day and it is hard to find an available time slot, especially during the busy holiday season. One night when I struggled to fall asleep, I went onto their website on a whim only to find a ticket to visit the current Les Colombes exhibit at the cathedral. So, I booked it!

My second and final day of my mini-cation, took a different turn than I had expected. My day started out with me taking the Metro into the city and to the Tenleytown/American University Metro stop. Little did I know, the Washington National Cathedral would be a 1.5-2 mile walk away from it. Though the longer than expected walk caught me by surprise, I managed to enjoy it and the fairly residential neighborhood with several local joints and chain restaurants in the area. The neighborhood was gorgeous and extremely safe and walkable. I had never been to that neighborhood in Washington, DC, and it was a nice change of pace from the typical touristy city that I have known for the most part. After my long walk, I had finally arrived at the absolutely stunning National Cathedral. My jaw most definitely stopped when I had arrived at the stunning park and just simply walked upon it. If you are visiting, then it is free to walk the church grounds, but you need a ticket to go inside. Once I got inside, however, my jaw began to drop even more! The cathedral’s interior is pretty stunning and reminds me of the cathedrals that I had visited in Europe – Westminster Abbey, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, among the likes! The Les Colombes exhibit made it all that more gorgeous, too. Les Colombes is a traveling exhibit of origami paper doves that was instilled in the Washington National Cathedral in late 2020. The doves symbolize hope after a year full of several trials and struggles. After my visit at the cathedral, I walked over to the nearby Chipotle and then took the Metro to my excitedly awaited visit to the Renwick Gallery. As I got off of the Metro and got lost and lost on my way to the Renwick Gallery, I had finally found my way – ONLY to see that the streets were blocked off and a protest that had just begun was in my way. Looking out for my safety being solo that day, I found the nearest Metro station and headed for home – BUT on my way there, I walked along the Black Lives Matter street and mural! It was all in all, a super neat day, even though things did not go as expected, they never do and that day was just a prime example of it.

Even at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was very happy that I was able to plan a great little trip into my own backyard. I love love love getting to play tourist, even in my own town, and I hope to do it again very soon!

XOXO – Katie <3

Growing up right outside of the nation’s capital was something that I unfortunately took for granted until I moved to Raleigh for college. However, after hearing many of my college friends and classmates share with me how much they wished they could be able to live outside of the nation’s largest cities, I knew how lucky I truly was! Having lived right outside of Washington, DC, I have been very fortunate enough to be able to go into the city just for a day and take in some of the city’s many sights. Since starting college, I have had a few friends come to visit me in my hometown over the years, with multiple trips into Washington, DC. On each of these trips, I have been able to budget accordingly to allow for my friends and I to have an enjoyable experience while not spending a lot of money. Personally, I think that Washington, DC is an extremely affordable city to visit, especially with all that it has to offer. Today, I will be sharing the tips and ways that I use when visiting Washington, DC.

1 – The Smithsonian Museums are FREE

Photo taken at the National Gallery of Art

You heard that right – all of the Smithsonian Institution museums are FREE! Guess what?! There are a total of 11 museums that are a part of the Smithsonian Institution just on the National Mall. That means that there are tons of spectacular things to learn and see at your fingertips at no cost to you. The museums pretty much line up both sides of the National Mall, and they could easily take months just for you to see everything within each of them. Luckily, there will be a museum for everybody to enjoy, as the museums on the National Mall include the National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Portrait Gallery. While spending some time museum hopping, you can also snap a few pictures at the Renwick Gallery with their extraordinary art collections, the Smithsonian Gardens, and the Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens. If you get tired of museum hopping, then you can always go right outside and enjoy spectacular views of the city’s monuments or head on over to the National Zoo, which is also a part of the Smithsonian Institution and FREE. The Smithsonian Institution’s plethora of museum offerings the don’t even cost a penny to any of its visitors leaves it such a great, budget-friendly asset for Washington, DC.

Some of my favorite exhibits & museums include:

The Freer Gallery of Art – it primarily showcases Asian art pieces; it’s such a hidden gem!
The Wizard of Oz‘s Dorothy’s Red Slippers at the Museum of American History – I think this was from the Movie/Film/Pop Culture Exhibit, and it was such a cool piece of cinematic history to see!
National Gallery of Art – they have pretty much all of the famous artists, from Vincent Van Gogh to Claude Monet.
The Hope Diamond at the Museum of Natural History – definitely a favorite of mine, along with the many other gemstones on display nearby.
National Museum of African American History – I found this museum to be such an incredible place to highlight the extraordinary works of African American advocates over the years. Moreover, this museum places an emphasis on the struggles that African Americans have faced in America for centuries in their ongoing fight for equal rights.
The Planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum – I went as a kid and LOVED it!! I highly recommend for people of all ages.
First Ladies/Presidents Exhibit at the Museum of American History – if you love fashion, then this one is for you! Former First Lady Helen Taft created the First Ladies collection at the Smithsonian to preserve the First Ladies’ inaugural gowns, many of which are still on display.
The National Archives – you can see the official copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution!

2 – Be Your Own Guide: See the Monuments Yourself

Photo taken at the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps

Ever log onto a site such as TripAdvisor and search for a guided sightseeing tour?! While a guided sightseeing tour is always convenient when in a new city, I highly recommend seeing the monuments on your own in Washington, DC, especially on a budget. Fortunately, the monuments are within close proximity to one another that they are usually within walking distance. The Washington Monument and United States Capital Building line the National Mall on both sides with each being closer to several of the nation’s monuments. Right by the Washington Monument is the Lincoln Memorial and World War 11 Memorial as well as the Constitution Gardens Pond, which is absolutely gorgeous and makes for a stunning photo opportunity. Meanwhile, the United States Capital Building is right by the Library of Congress and the United States Supreme Court Building. The White House, on the other hand, is a nice walk from the National Mall. Not only will you get to see all of Washington, DC’s iconic monuments for free, but you will also get to explore a lot of the city’s streets and see its timeless, historic charm.

Photo taken at the Constitution Gardens Pond

3 – Tours of Many Monuments are FREE

Photo taken in front of the Washington Monument

YES, the Smithsonian Institution is not the only place in Washington, DC that offers sights for free to its visitors. The Washington Monument is also free to guests as well, that is, as long as you line up outside of the ticket office starting at either 7am or 8am to get your tickets the day of. The same also goes for the Library of Congress, the White House, and the United States Capital Building, even though for those you do typically need to get a Congressmen’s approval to visit, through submitting a tour request. If you do choose to tour either the Library of Congress, the White House, and the United States Capital Building or all of them, I would highly suggest looking up your representative and their tour request form and submitting it months in advance to reserve your spot, since tickets are on a first-come first-served basis. I have done the Washington Monument tour, and I highly recommend it, as you get great skyline views of the city, and the monument keeps the number of people in it at a time at a small capacity. That all being said, Washington, DC definitely has a ton of iconic sites that you can see FOR FREE!

4 – Take Metro EVERYWHERE

I cannot stress this one enough!! If you do not know already, the Metro is essentially Washington, DC’s subway transit and bus system. It is also easy to use and navigate once you get the hang of it and a whole lot cheaper than calling an Uber everywhere you go. Additionally, using public transportation is super environmentally-friendly. While taking Metro, you’ll be saving yourself some cash and helping the planet in the long run!

5 – Eat Most Meals at Cafes or Local Joints

I most definitely recommend this when in any city! Right along the National Mall, there are several food trucks at various price ranges available to visitors. I would highly recommend taking advantage of these food trucks while spending a day at the Smithsonian/on the National Mall. Besides food trucks, Washington, DC has several budget-friendly cafes and local joints. One of my favorites is Lincoln’s Waffle Shop as well as Cosi and Le Pain Quotidien. Another great restaurant to hit up, although a bit pricey for fast food, is Shake Shack – their burgers are up to par with In-N-Out Burger and are TO DIE FOR GOOD! While you can easily splurge on food in Washington, DC, there are many ways that you can save while still eating just as good if not even better!

6 – Reserve in Advance

Photo taken at a Justin Timberlake concert at Capital One Arena

As previously mentioned with the White House, United States Capital Building, and the Library of Congress, reserving in advance is most definitely the way to go. Washington, DC is a world-renowned tourist destination, so millions of people visit each year and want to see all of the sights that the city has to offer. While many activities are offered for free here in DC, places like the Madame Tussands Was Museum, International Spy Museum, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts come at a minimal cost. Performances at the Kennedy Center or Fords Theatre will cost you some dollar as well. Along with assuring that you have a spot in any activity or tour that you want to do while visiting, you also will probably save a bit of cash as prices are typically lower the earlier that you book. Not only will you be guaranteeing yourself a spot on the must-see activity of your dreams, but you will also probably be saving yourself some cash too.

7 – Stay in an AirBNB or Budget-Friendly Hotel

Even though I have a home to stay at when I come to Washington, DC, I do know that there are several places to stay on the budget-friendly side. Whether going with one or many of your crew, AirBNB is a great option to look into, as you and your crew can usually find a nice place to stay and potentially get your own rooms at a steal of the cost for a hotel. If you choose AirBNB, then I would highly recommend only booking through hosts that are SuperHosts, meaning that they have been highly rated for their AirBNB’(s) that you would be staying at. If you prefer not to stay at an AirBNB, then there is always the option of a hotel. When searching for a budget-friendly hotel, you may have to sacrifice location downtown for something potentially on the Metro line in Virginia or Maryland or not near all of the sites in DC. I would try a site like Hotels.com to look for hotels on a budget. Wherever you choose to stay, just ensure that it is a safe place and READ THE REVIEWS!!

Overall, I have found Washington, DC to be an extremely budget-friendly city to travel to for families and friends alike. One of the biggest assets of this city is the vast amount of things to do that are FREE. While Washington, DC is a city that I am extremely knowledgable on due to it being in my backyard, it does not mean that you cannot use some of these tips in booking a budget-friendly trip to another city. Like Washington, DC, you can pretty much travel to any city on even a tight budget, as long as you are strategic with your research and spending. Once it is safer to travel, the world will be your oyster and maybe a trip to Washington, DC will be seen in your near future.