Literally: In Love With Washington, D.C.!
Here at Au Pair in America, we all have at least one thing in common: We’re in love with America! So we think it’s just about time to share some first-hand experience & advice with all those of you, who are planning on exploring all the hidden corners & secret gems of this beautiful country. We’re super excited to give to you: “In Love With America”, our brand-new travel series!
In this series, we’re shedding some light on our au pairs’ favourite spots in the USA. Whether it is a city, a state or just a general area that our au pairs are currently obsessed with – we’ll introduce some of North America’s “places to be” in an entirely new way. Our secret? We get our recommendations right from the source – our lovely au pairs – to ensure that our travel tips cover everything an Au Pair in America needs to know about and more!
Each blog will be dedicated to a different one of your top rated travel destinations, whereas the categories that’ll help you learn more about that particular part of the USA will remain more or less the same. Get your notepads and pencils ready (or just open your Notes app, really), cause this series is some serious bucket list material!
Next up: Washington, D.C.: “The perfect city for anyone who enjoys a more laid back and relaxed atmosphere instead of a city that never stops hustling and bustling.”
🚇 Metrorail
🚌 Metrobus & DC Circulator
💳 SmarTrip
🚲 Plenty of bike lanes & Capital Bikeshare including their comprehensive Bicycle Map
🚶♀️ Fun to explore and easily accessible on foot for the most part. Guided Walking Tours are available!
⭐ Old Town Trolley & DC Duck Tours
📍 The National Mall | One of America’s most-visited national parks, that is home to some of D.C.’s most iconic monuments and memorials, such as:
📍 Lincoln Memorial
📍 Washington Monument
📍 World War II Memorial
📍 Vietnam Veterans Memorial
📍 Korean War Veterans Memorial
📍 Thomas Jefferson Memorial
📍 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
📍 Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
📍 The White House
📍 The U.S. Capitol Building & Visitor Center | Tours available!
📍 Ford’s Theater | The infamous theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Tours are available through the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts
📍 Recreation Pier at The Wharft
📍 Library of Congress | The largest library in the world!
📍 Bureau of Engraving & Printing | See how money is being made!
📍 Chinatown Arch
📍 Arlington National Cemetery | including the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame, a presidential memorial at the gravesite of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
📍 Eastern & Union Market
🏛 National Gallery of Art | modern or contemporary, art or architecture, Monet or Goya – whatever floats your boat!
🏛 National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden | Jazz in The Garden every Friday afternoon in summer
🏛 The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
🏛 The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
🏛 National Museum of the American History
🏛 National Museum of the American Indian
🏛 National Air & Space Museum
🏛 Portrait Gallery | grab a cup of coffee at the Courtyard Café
🏛 National Air & Space Museum | pro tip!
🏛 Newseum | pro tip!
🍔 Thunder Burger | American
🍔 Teds Bulletin | American Italian
🍩 Bethesda Bagels
🍩 Baked & Wired | Bakery
🍩 Georgetown Cupcakes | Bakery
🍩 Firehook Bakery
🥗 Fogo de Chao | Brazilian
🥞 Founding Farmers | Brunch
☕ Kramerbooks and Afterwords Café
🍭 Sugar Factory | Candy
🌶 Ben’s Chili Bowl | Chili
🐟 Fiola Mare | Fish
🥕 Union Market DC | Food Market
🥙 Zaytinya | Greek
🍦 Dolci Gelati | Ice Cream
🍦 Thomas Sweet | Ice Cream
🌎 Compass Rose Bar + Kitchen | International
🍝 Casa de Luca | Italian
🍝 Filomena | Italian
🍝 Il Canale | Italian
🍝 La Masseria | Italian
🍝 Lupo Verde | Italian
🍝 Tosca | Italian
🍣 Daikaya Izakaya | Japanese
🍣 Momiji | Japanese
🍣 Toki Underground | Japanese
🌮 Cactus Cantina | Mexican
🍕 Comet Ping Pong | Pizza
🍕 Pete’s Pizza | Pizza
🥘 Mari Vanna | Russian
🍛 Tasca | Spanish
🍗 The Capital Grille | Steakhouse
Upcoming
🎬 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital | 📆 March 15th – 25th
🌸 National Cherry Blossom Festival | 📆 March 20th – April 15th
⛵ Anacostia River Festival | 📆 April 15th
📕 Awesome Con | 📆 March 30th – April 1st
🌸 Blossom Kite Festival | 📆 31st March
🖼 “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” exhibition | 📆 March 30th – January 2019
🎭 “Chicago” musical | 📆 March 10 – April 7
🎭 Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale”| 📆 March 13 – April 22
🗽 New York City Ballet’s annual appearance at the Kennedy Center | 📆 March 27th – April 1st
All Year Around
🎭 Signature Theater
🎭 Arena Stage
🎭 Ford Theater
🎭 Shakespeare Theater | “Free For All” series
🎭 The National Theater | national Broadway production tours
🎭 Kennedy Center | concerts and other, free performances every day
🎭 Woolly Mammoth Theater
🎫 Lotteries | such as TodayTix’ mobile lottery for Ford’s Theatre performances & other discounts for people <30
🎬 Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse | enjoy a movie and have dinner at the same time
🎼 Free concerts | West Lawn of the U.S. capitol
🎼 Free, live music from local bands | Fort Reno in Upper Northwest
🎼 Luce Unplugged | a free monthly concert series showcasing local talents hosted by Luce Foundation Center for American Art (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
👚 Fashion Center at Pentagon City
👚 Downtown Silver Spring
👚 Downtown Bethesda
👚 Georgetown
🌳 Meridian Hill Park | close to Georgetown, amazing view of the Washington Monument & the city
🌳 Rock Creek Park | plenty of hiking and jogging trails as well as bike lanes
🌳 US National Arboretum
🌳Kahlil Gibran Memorium Garden
🌳U.S. Botanic Garden | Wall Flowers: Botanical Murals (exhibition) through October 15th
🌳 Smithsonian Gardens
🌅 Potomac River | canoeing & other boat trips
🌅 Georgetown Waterfront
🌅 Great Falls Park | 30 minutes outside of D.C.
🛶 Kayaking in DC | Key Bridge Boathouse
🏝 Roosevelt Island | reachable by footbridge right off the George Washington memorial Parkway
🗻 Book Hill Park | amazing view of Georgetown and Virginia, right behind the Georgetown Public Library
🌅 Georgetown Waterfront area | amazing view of Rosslyn & Arlington, Virginia, along Potomac river
📸 Pennsylvania Ave | picture perfect view on the U.S. Capitol between 5th and 10th street
🌳 National Mall | beautiful views everywhere, especially at the Capitol’s Reflecting Pool, the Washington Memorial or the Lincoln Memorial
🌸 Tidal Basin | focal point for the Cherry Blossom Festival and a really nice view of the Washington Memorial
🍂 Palmer Alley | seasonal installations all year around
🚶♀️Neighborhood Heritage Trails | self-guided walking trails through D.C., each trail sign combining stories, historic photos, and maps. Popular: The Downtown Heritage Trail
🏛 The National Archives Building | displays the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence
🕌 Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception | Largest Roman Catholic Church in America
🏘 Old Town Alexandria | A nationally designated historic district minutes from D.C., founded in 1749 “that George Washington called home”
🎆 Spending 4th of July at the Memorial Monument
🎈 Holiday season decorations
📍The one and only capital of the USA
🚍 Great take-off point to travel the East Coast whilst being on a budget
🎬 Plenty of picnic and outdoor movie opportunities
⚾ Go watch a Nationals game at Nationals Park
🌳 Experience the Drum Circle at Malcom X Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon | Meridian Hill Park
🖌Art Enables | Unique Art Gallery and Vocational Arts program dedicated to creating opportunities for artists with disabilities
🌎 Passport DC | “Around the World Embassy Tour” of 52 non-European embassies (Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue)
🚓 Batmobile | at the National Museum of American History
🏛 Sit in on a Supreme Court ruling
🐯 Visit the National Zoo
🍎 Fresh-food Eastern market by Barrack’s Row
🏫 Georgetown University
👻 “The Exorcist” Steps
📚 Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection
