I attended The George Washington University for my undergraduate coursework. GW is located in the heart of Washington, DC, so I was fortunate enough to have four years to explore the city. Unfortunately, most people just come to DC for a couple of days, and don’t get to see a lot of cool things. Well, I now present to you:
Candice’s Guide To the Five Best Spots In Washington, DC
5 The Heurich House Museum
This is the oldest house in Washington, DC, and can be found on New Hampshire and 21st. You can’t miss it! It’s an old brown cobblestone building with a green roof. The man that lived there with his family was Henry Heurich (pronounced High-Rick), who developed DC’s own Foggy Bottom Ale. (If you’re of age, I highly recommend getting a bottle of this beer!) On the weekends, you can take your younger girls to see Samantha At The Heurich House Museum where she will interact with characters from the American Girls books (namely Samantha and Aunt Cornelia) while also learning a bit about DC history. There are tours of the house every day. The house is also home to the Historical Society of Washington, DC.
4 The Smithsonian Museums
Of course, these museums are probably the most famous museums in the world. If you want to hit them all, you need two days to take everything in. Personally, I don’t care for them all. Being an artist, my mother loves the National Portrait Gallery. I last visited there about a year ago, and saw a beautiful exhibit by Abbot Thayer. It’s nice because their exhibits change all the time, keeping things fresh and giving guests a chance to look at different artists. My favorite is the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, which is located a little ways away from the main Smithsonian Hub. When Star Wars was re-released, they had an awesome exhibit of paraphenalia from the movies. My sister likes the American History Museum, where you can see Archie & Edith’s chairs from All In the Family. My idea of a good time isn’t walking around a museum all day, but the Smithsonians are a nice place to go if it’s yucky outside.
3 The Mall
No, this isn’t a shopping mall. The Mall is the stretch of area around the Washington Monument. During the Spring, the cherry blossoms are so beautiful and fragrant that you just have to have a picnic there. There’s also Independence Island, where you can see all the signatures of the men that signed the Declaration of Independence etched in stone. It’s a neat place to go at night, especially if you’re with your significant other. Once in your life, you just have to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July on the Mall. It’s an amazing sight.
2 Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, Einstein Memorials
I grouped these four attractions together because they’re in the same area. I strongly recommend visiting the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial Wall at night. Trust me, you’ll get chills. The Lincoln is awesome, of course, especially if you know about the ’’secret mistake.’’ When you walk into the Lincoln, go to the right of the statue and you’ll see something engraved in the wall. (I can’t remember which doctrine it is...) The word ’’Future’’ is spelled wrong. The ’’F’’ is actually an ’’E’’ and was corrected. The person that engraved it was so embarrassed by her mistake, that she didn’t even sign her name to it. You can find Einstein set back off of Constitution Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets. You can climb all over this statue if you’d like -- which makes for a lot of great pictures. During college, I would come down to this statue and do my homework, hoping that some of Einstein’s knowledge would rub off on me. (It didn’t.) There’s also a secret to Einstein that not many people know: If you stand in the center of the asterisk (you’ll understand what I mean when you go there) and talk to Einstein, you’ll hear a ’’natural’’ echo.
And Candice’s Number One Attraction in Washington, DC is...
1 The Kennedy Center
This is my favorite place in all of Washington. There are three separate stages, as well as a movie theater and a theater lab. I have seen several shows there, and each one was absolutely awesome. If you get the chance, see Shear Madness in the Theatre Lab. It’s hysterical, and good for the whole family! Even if you don’t want to see a show, go to the Kennedy Center and out onto the Third Floor Terrace. You have a view of DC and its outskirts from every possible angle. Bring your camera!
I hope this helped you possible DC tourists out there.