About Washington DC
Washington DC, also known as The District, is the capital of the United States and is not part of any state. It's situated between Northern Virginia and Maryland, right on the Potomac River. March is a wonderful time of year to visit DC, with weather in the 50s and 60s and backing up to the Cherry Blossom Festival as the colorful trees begin to bloom.
The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is only a couple blocks from the Smithsonian National Zoo, which, like all Smithsonian musuems is free to the public. The hotel is also just across the Rock Creek Parkway bridge from the top of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, two popular areas for dining, night life, reading a book or getting a coffee.
Some other notable Washington DC landmarks and attractions:
- The Smithsonian Museums including the Natural History Museum and Air & Space Museum
- Washington Monument, US Capitol, White House
- Dupont Circle
- Georgetown
- The Victorian, hip, U street corridor
Washington DC is a little city with a lot to offer: history, spectacular views, amazing walking tours, outdoor events, sightseeing, dining and nightlife. Here are some resources to help you fill your free time:
DC Resources for SAHM Members
The Best of Washington, DC 2018 [CityPaper]
https://local.washingtoncitypaper.com/publication/best-of-dc/2018
General travel guides
https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/washington-dc
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/washington-dc
Things to Do
https://washington.org/things-do-washington-dc
https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/free-attractions
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/washington-dc
https://washington.org/visit-dc/free-things-to-do-off-the-beaten-path
Restaurants
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/washington-dc/best-restaurants-washington-dc
https://dc.eater.com/maps/dc-best-restaurants-38
https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/09/13/here-are-the-2019-michelin-star-restaurants-for-dc/
https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/08/23/cheap-eats-around-washington-dc/
Restaurants Near Venue [Open Table]
https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-washington-marriott-wardman-park
National Mall
https://www.nps.gov/nama/index.htm
Inspiring/Beautiful Memorials
Walk or ride a bike around the Memorial Park
https://washington.org/visit-dc/must-see-memorials-monuments-national-mall
Capital Bikeshare
https://www.capitalbikeshare.com
Mall Favorites
National Museum of African American History and Culture
https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes
**Same day passes available at 6:30AM each day [Narrow window. Same-day tickets within 30 min]
Tickets can also be secured in advance.
National Portrait Gallery
https://npg.si.edu/visit
National Museum of Natural History
https://naturalhistory.si.edu
National Museum of Indian American Heritage
https://americanindian.si.edu
Botanic Gardens. [Lovely restaurant--nice place to take a break when touring the mall]
https://www.usbg.gov/national-garden
Newseum
http://www.newseum.org/visit/
Entertainment
The Kennedy Center
http://www.kennedy-center.org
National Theatre
http://thenationaldc.org
Arena Stage
https://www.arenastage.org
Ford's Theatre
https://www.fords.org
Blues Alley
http://www.bluesalley.com
Howard Theatre
http://thehowardtheatre.com
9:30Club
https://www.930.com
Comedy Clubs
https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=comedyclubs&find_loc=Washington%2C+DC
Neighborhood breakdowns
https://www.wheretraveler.com/washington-dc/advice/newly-hip-dc-neighborhoods-you-shouldn-t-miss
Top Apps to Have When Travelling to DC
1. Metro apps - for using the Metro
DC Metro
https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/
MetroHero
https://dcmetrohero.com/ [Runs without downloading an App]
2. Rail hailing apps - for hiring a ride Lyft or Uber
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.lyft.android&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lyft/id529379082?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubercab&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uber/id368677368?mt=8
3. Smithsonian Mobile - for exploring museums
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.si.sim3&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smith...
4. Finding Places to Eat
Yelp
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yelp.android&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yelp/id284910350?mt=8.
D.C.'s Michelin-Rated Restaurants -
https://dc.eater.com/maps/mapping-d-c-s-michelin-rated-restaurants
5. Citymapper
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.citymapper.app.release&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/citymapper-the-ultimate-transit-app/id469463298?mt=8
6. NPS National Mall - for exploring the Mall
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nps.nama&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nps-national-mall/id447866739?mt=8
Regional Excursions
Explore Region
https://blog.ihg.com/within-an-hour-of-washington-d-c
Explore Northern Virgina
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g8132648-Activities-Northern_Virginia_Virginia.html
Explore Central Maryland
https://www.visitmaryland.org/places-to-go/central-maryland