What better way to spend turning another year older than to celebrate in a new city with your best friend? Even if only for less than 48 hours. Shelby and I had planned to spend a long weekend in DC over Labor Day because we found super cheap flights, but plans changed when I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor in July and my surgery was scheduled for the Thursday of that weekend. Check out my facebook or instagram if this totally just caught you off guard. Trust me, it caught me off guard too.
We quickly adjusted our plans less than three weeks before our trip, and booked tickets to travel the weekend before my surgery. At first, I was worried that I might be too sad and would just want to hide under a rock that weekend, but it actually gave me something to look forward to and kept my mind off what would be happening four days after our trip, and my 26th birthday.
There are three airports near the DC area, but I recommend flying into DCA as it is less than 15 minutes from the heart of the city center. If you fly into IAD or BWI, it will be an expensive 50+ minute Uber ride into the city. You can probably save money by taking a bus or the metro, but since we were in town for less than 48 hours, I didn’t want to lose any time.
We stayed at District Hotel in Logan’s Circle. For us, this was the perfect pick! It is not the showiest place, but it was a cheap room ($74/night) that had everything we needed. The location was ideal, as it was less than a block from the hustle and bustle of the endless bars and restaurants offered on 14th Street, and it was also walking distance (less than a mile) to The White House and National Mall (NOT a shopping mall, read about it!).
Shelby’s flight from Detroit landed a few hours before mine, and I wasn’t due into DCA until after 10pm Friday night. So, for our first night I met her at the hotel to drop my bags and we walked a few blocks to Barcelona Wine Bar, where we had arranged 11pm dinner reservations. In some cities, reservations might not be necessary for that time of night but Barcelona was packed and I was too glad we had called ahead. We were seated at a booth in the back room and I loved the atmosphere from the moment we arrived.
We caught up on the 8 months since we had last seen each other and shared several tapas plates; mussels, croquettes, and prawns. As we were about to settle our tab and head to our hotel for the night, our waiter noticed the gift Shelby had given me and asked if it was my birthday. He quickly came back to our table holding a chocolate dessert decorated with a birthday candle. I made a wish and we quickly devoured the deliciousness of what he had just placed on our table.
Prawns at Barcelona
The next morning we woke early, excited to tackle a full day in the city. We headed up 14th Street to The Wydown, a cute little coffee shop where I had a fantastic cardamon pear muffin to tide me over before our yoga session across the street at Lululemon. The Lululemon on 14th Street opens their doors to the public every Saturday morning for a free 50-minute class. They even provide mats, so if you’re traveling light like we were, there is no reason not to go!
Taking a yoga class has become one of my favorite things to do when I travel. It is a great way to get centered in a new place before a busy day on my feet and also a great way to gain exposure to different styles of yoga.
Afterwards, we headed straight to brunch at Le Diplomate, which had the most charming atmosphere of any restaurant we visited on the trip. Their food is excellent, too! There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and every inch tastefully resembles a French cafe.
We each ordered a latte and then split the Avocado Toast and Warm Shrimp Salad since we were in the mood for something light (after the fried croquettes and chocolate cake from the night before). We were pleasantly surprised when our server brought us a basket of assorted breads baked in-house to start our meal. I LOVE bread.
It was about a 20-minute walk from Le Diplomate to the National Mall where we spent the remainder of our day sightseeing. We started at The White House and then the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Vietnam and Korean War Veterans Memorials. All the while, we used The Washington Monument as our compass, as it can be seen from almost every other sight in the mall. Unfortunately, the monument was closed for repairs when we visited but it just opened back up in mid-September and I have heard from the top it has the best views over DC!
White House selfie!
Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Washington Monument view from the Lincoln Memorial
MLK Jr. Memorial
After seeing most of the outdoor sights (they seemed to be endless), we headed into the US Holocaust Museum. We planned to only stay here an hour or so but quickly realized that with everything to see there, we could have spent a whole day at the museum! The exhibits are so moving. After almost three hours, we came up for air and back out into the outdoors. We were absolutely starving and in need of a pick-me-up after our time inside the dark museum, so we headed to China Chilcano for a late lunch.
China Chilcano’s menu is a Peruvian/Asian fusion and was our favorite meal of the trip! Although it is a bit on the pricey side, I seriously cannot recommend this place enough. We shared the Ceviche de Pulpo, Salmon Sashimi, the HaKao and Xiao Long Bao Dim Sum, and the Sudado de Pescado Nikkei soup. We enjoyed the Torta de Chocolate as our grand finale. It was all amazing.
Ceviche de Pulpo
Salmon Sashimi
Xiao Long Bao
Torta de Chocolate
We walked back to our hotel, stumbling across Chinatown on our way. We relaxed at our hotel for an hour or so before deciding to head over to Dacha Beer Garden in the Shaw Neighborhood. It was almost a mile away and our feet were pretty tired from the day, so we decided to rent Spin scooters. Community scooters are pretty controversial in some cities, but I just love them! I don’t typically use them in Tampa since I commute on my bike, but they are so fun to use once in a while and are SUPER convenient since you can pick them up and drop them off anywhere within the city. If you haven’t used Spin yet, use promo code AMANDAMIKOLAJCZYK to get your first free ride.
Chinatown’s Friendship Archway
The beer garden was the perfect vibe for what we were looking for and although it was packed, we were able to get the last open table. We wanted to be in a fun atmosphere, but also a chill one so we would have a chance to catch up without yelling over the music somewhere. Unfortunately, I wasn’t drinking because of my surgery so I can’t speak to their beers, but they make a really tasty Cabrito Poutine if you’re in the mood for a savory bar bite like we were!
On Sunday, our last morning in DC and also MY BIRTHDAY, we took an Uber over to Georgetown. We grabbed coffee at Saxbys Coffee on O Street, where there was literally a line out the door and we could smell the coffee brewing from a few blocks away.
We walked some of the historic campus at Georgetown University and strolled along the Potomac River and Georgetown Waterfront Park. If I hadn’t already fallen in love with this city, the picturesque sights of Georgetown would have certainly sealed the deal with its cobblestone streets and riverside promenade.
The streets of Georgetown have my heart!
Georgetown University
We stopped in to Georgetown Cupcake, which is apparently famous. I didn’t know this until Shelby told me, but Georgetown Cupcake is the location behind the show DC Cupcakes on TLC. The location is sort of a tourist trap, but at least they can make an amazing red velvet cupcake! They also always give a free cupcake of the day to anyone who asks.
As if we hadn’t treated our sweet tooth enough on this trip, we stopped into Ladurée for some authentic French macaroons. I ate the best pistachio macaroon I have ever had, and bought a few more to bring home to Jeremy.
Unfortunately, by this time it was time for us to call an Uber and head to the airport to go our separate ways. This was my second birthday in a row where Shelby and I ventured to a new city together and I treasure these trips so much! I am incredibly lucky to have a bold and adventurous best friend to make memories in new and old places with.
*I would recommend spending at least 3 full days in DC to be able to see more of what the beautiful and well-maintained city has to offer. Did I mention the museums are free?! I also would have liked to venture over to Arlington for a day trip. I guess that just means I’ll have to visit again! 😉
August 2019
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