A pandemic travel guide

It has been so long since the last time that I wrote a travel post, that i had difficulty even remembering the password to login and get started! That said, my hiatus from posting hasn’t been a true hiatus from travel per se, but has been an exercise in frustration with international travel planning. However, having taken a few little domestic trips during this time of upheaval, I’m finding that it’s time to resume a semi-regular posting schedule.

Know Before You Go

Normally when planning a trip I do extensive research into potential activities so that we don’t face the cringe of “I wish we would have known that sooner” reality while we’re visiting a far-off local. However, crazy times call flexibility and in this case, we found ourselves canceling a long planned trip (because of Covid concerns) in favor of a last minute mini-trip to a more domestic location.

To that end, there’s a TON to do in Washington D.C., but with ever changing policy where public health is concerned, don’t assume that you can simply drop-in and visit the free museums or attractions. We planned our trip less than a week in advance and we were not able to obtain timed entry tickets to any of the museums that we wanted to visit despite it being free entry.

Also, get familiar with the weather. Despite checking the weather before we went, we still found ourselves caught off guard by the daily rain we received like clockwork between 4 and 4:30 pm each day. According to a local we spoke with, D.C. rain is just a part of life that you count on being there. I wish we had known this or we would have packed differently and not found ourselves soaking wet on more than one occasion.

What we did with three days in D.C.

First of all, that’s not enough time to do hardly anything by the time you factor in the somewhat limited operating hours of the government buildings, so watch your time very closely!

On day 1 - We arrived and took the metro into town, we stayed in a hotel just a couple of blocks from the white house and walking to/from the metro was quick and easy. After we got checked-in, we immediately set out on foot to scope out the sites and familiarize ourselves with the area.

*D.C. is somewhat odd in terms of walking distance to things, everything is close and walkable, but also can be far on foot but too close for a car or train, so try not to be in a rush when going somewhere specific.

Our hotel was located on the Black Lives Matter Plaza, which at the time was undergoing road construction, but as we walked down it, we realized that they were pouring individual letters to spell it out in concrete. Compared to the painted versions of this in my own town, we were impressed by the investment.

Drawing nearer to the White House, we saw St. John's Episcopal Church, the site of the infamous photo taken by Donald Trump. We had no idea how close it actually was to the White House (again, the small/far complex). Just across the street from the church is the beautiful Lafayette Park, you might walk through it and not ever stop to appreciate it because you’ll be so distracted by the White House sitting at the end of of it, but look around and appreciate the beautifully preserved homes.

The White House, arguably the most famous of all buildings in the United States, was a very special stop. Due to barricades which are up during the day, you can’t walk-up to the fence, but even at a distance, you’re closer to it than you would think that you could get. My heart did a little flip when I saw it for the first time, it’s also much smaller than I expected. Stop and take a few minutes to appreciate it both in the daytime and at night.

Continuing our exploration, we walked all the way around the White House, which is a rather large loop. In the process you’ll also see the Willard Hotel, and walk along a portion of the National Mall. As you reach the rear of the White House, you’ll again note just how small it is and how confined the inhabitants must feel. Walk a little further and you’ll turn again to continue your loop, and walk past the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is where the office of the Vice President is located. Turn the corner again and you’re back at the White house.

By now it was late in the afternoon and we were sweaty and tired, so we returned to the hotel to shower, grab dinner, and that rounded out our first day.

Day 2 - Jumping into our second day, we went and visited the National Archive. The main reason for visiting is to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill Rights, but there’s also other exhibits there. We spent around 3 hours here.

After leaving the archives, we decided to walk the National Mall.

*Keep in mind that it was super hot, and there’s very little in the way of places to pop into and grab a drink, so be sure to bring water with you. That said, central D.C. is flush with ice cream trucks, if it’s just something cold that you’re wanting.

The mall is lovely and you’ll see all kinds of people there, we were there the day before an anniversary event of the MLK “I have a dream” speech, so there was extra activity happening. Eventually, we made our way to one of the ends of the park, where the Lincoln Memorial caps off an incredible linear view over the rest of the mall. You’ll want to spend some time here, it’s not only an impressive structure, but take the time to read everything that is inside. It’s an emotional experience for many.

Doubling back from the Lincoln Memorial, we walked along the reflecting pool and made our way towards the Washington monument. We stopped to view the World War 2 memorial and enjoyed the fountains for a time, but then we noticed the dark clouds of the mid afternoon rain storm start to approach so we quickly made our way to the Washington memorial, from there you have a good mid-point view of the rest of the mall in both directions. In all, we spent a couple of hours just viewing these three monuments and due to the rain, now needed to end our day of sightseeing (it was nearing the 4pm hour).

Day 3 - We visited the White House Visitor Center. Before you get too excited, it’s not actually part of the White House complex, but it’s located nearby and is what I’m going to call “An overlooked gem.” This museum focuses on the “people” that have lived, worked, and built the white house into what it is today. There are lots of artifacts, an educational video, and plenty of information to easily fill a couple of hours. Totally free of charge and no ticket required.

After we finished at the center, we decided to partially finish walking the National Mall. While we didn’t resume from where we left off, we set out from the visitors center and made our way to the Capital and the Supreme Court buildings. Mind you, it was oppressively hot that day and by the time we had walked there, we were tired, hungry and thirsty, so we ducked inside a little deli on the far side of the capital. Unfortunately for us, by the time we finished our little rest, it was time for the daily rain. We had just enough time to snap a few pictures before it started raining so hard that we had to huddle under an oak tree on the capital lawn..it really put a “damper” on the afternoon, but at least we saw it and could mark it off our list.

On our final morning before heading to the airport (Day Four), we took an Uber ride out to visit a bookstore called “Politics & Prose.” It was a bit of a hike, but well worth the trouble if you have a book lover in your life. Many of the Washington Elite do their book signings at this store and the autographed copies are still sold at regular price! Another unexpected perk of this visit, was when we discovered that the bookstore was just a couple of doors down from Comet Ping Pong, known to locals as a family-friendly pizza and ping pong restaurant, but to the rest of us as the unfortunate recipient of unfounded conspiracy theory and the resulting “pizza gate” scandal.

In summary, I loved D.C. and will go back again sooner rather than later.

Questions? Leave a comment or ask a question!