A Day Trip to Washington, D.C.

You don't need a week to see all of the sights of Washington, D.C..  Michelle Carr shows us how to see the Washington Monument and many of the other monuments in the nation's capital on a day trip. Photos by Michelle Carr 

A Day Trip to Washington, D.C.

Guest post by Michelle Carr

On my leaf peeping trip to Virginia, I decided to explore the sights of Washington, D.C. since my Front Royal base was only 45 minutes from the United States capital. I drove east on I-66, parked the rental car at the Vienna/Fairfax Metro Station lot, and took the metro to the Smithsonian Station. The National Mall and the White House were the first visions of grandeur I noticed as I exited the station. My heart

Korean War Memorial Washington, D.C. 

stirred with a sense of American pride knowing that blood, sweat, and tears were shed to preserve my liberties. It was like walking on holy ground touring the collection of Smithsonian museums and national monuments.

I began my tour by obtaining information at the Smithsonian Castle Information Center and I was glad to hear that there was no charge to enter the Smithsonian museums. With a goal to see one museum per hour, I set off to explore the Natural History Museum, the American Art Museum, National Gallery of Art (East and West buildings), and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. After the museums closed at five-thirty p.m., I walked to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, and Martin Luther

MLK  Memorial  Washington, D.C. 

King Jr. Memorial to take a few photos before joining friends for dinner at Founding Farmers. When I arrived at Founding Farmers, the farmhouse designed restaurant was filled with locals and visitors and there was a thirty minute wait with reservations. However, time passed quickly after a pre-dinner cocktail with my friends. The fried green tomatoes, skillet corn bread, and Southern pan-fried chicken and waffles were worth the wait. We completed our meal by sharing a piece of red velvet cake.

I really enjoyed my day excursion to Washington, D.C. The day was perfectly filled with sights, history, and a good meal shared with friends. I don’t remember what my first visit to Washington, D.C. was like when I was 13 years old, but I do know that I fell in love with the city in one day and plan to return soon.

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Michelle Carr, from Houston, Texas, writes stories and travels for fun. She gleans tips and ideas from her Twitter followers and writes about her “life by tweets” adventures on her blog. You can follow her on Twitter @lifebytweets to post ideas where she should travel next.

Michelle's other stories on Travel Boldly:

Swapping Stilettos for Hiking Shoes: a Leaf Peeping Story