By Hey there! We visited Washington, DC last week, and we’re here to tell you about it 🙂
2 Girls Who Travel went to DC seven years ago. If you’d like to read about that trip, check out our blog post here.
A few things were different this time. One was the weather. During our last trip, we encountered a blizzard. This time…the weather was in the high 90s. Hot. Just like Houston. So we were used to it. The other thing that was different…the National Museum of African American History and Culture. They were still building it when we visited in January of 2016. We always said we’d come back when it was open. This was our time. But more on that later.
Here are some highlights of places we visited and what we ate in the DMV.
U-Street
U-Street is famous in DC. It’s where you can find black-owned restaurants, shops and entertainment. Our first night, we ate at Jojo’s. It was a two-level restaurant and bar with a live jazz band on the first floor. The food was just OK, but the drinks and vibes were A-1. We sat upstairs, so the music wasn’t too loud where we couldn’t hear each other talk, but it made good background music. A couple of parties were upstairs celebrating birthdays, so it was fun!
After dinner, we walked around U-Street. It was a Saturday night, so naturally it was lively. Tons of wall art, too.
The Wharf
This is a really cool part of DC we highly recommend. It stretches for a mile along the Potomac River and has dining, shops, hotels and living spaces. We liked watching all the boats. It was super hot that day, so they had vendors offering people free water which was great and very much appreciated!
They were also hosting their annual Jazz Fest at The Wharf. While we didn’t have tickets, a lot of smart people were camped outside the gates with their lawn chairs, umbrellas to block the sun and even food! We were able to get a little shade from the trees and catch some of the show, too!
Then we stopped in to Hank’s Oyster Bar for lunch. They were packed! But the food was great and so were the drinks. We definitely recommend if you’re hungry and/or thirsty at The Wharf.
The Ven at Embassy Row
This was the hotel we stayed at during our trip. It’s located in the heart of Dupont Circle, a popular DC neighborhood, and close to a lot of the attractions we were interested in. We’ll be honest. Stepping into the lobby, the hotel is modern, colorful and clean. The rooms…they left a bit to be desired. We liked the green accent wall and the fact they leave a book in each room. Reading is fundamental, guys. The rooms were just a bit small, the carpet was stained and the air didn’t give us that crisp icicle hotel air we’re used to. Still, the hotel had its high points.
First of all, there’s an art gallery in the lower level that highlights local artists. The featured artist during our stay was Greg Scott. He had some great pieces, and we thought it was so cool to be able to access this gallery right in our hotel.
Just one level below the art gallery was a game room. We spent one night playing ping pong and foosball. Brought out our inner child and competitive spirit. Again…so cool for a hotel.
We can’t forget the food. We ate at the hotel’s restaurant Fred & Stilla a few times. The bartenders were all nice. And breakfast for both of us was included every morning of our stay. And we’re not talking buffet. We had our choice of hot, fresh foods.
The hotel hosted a Labor Day pool party at its rooftop bar. Let’s just say it looked lit, but we only stayed long enough to take these pics lol
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Now this is the real hype of the trip. This Smithsonian institution draws crowds from all over. The name says it all. Here you can learn about and celebrate black history and culture. It took us two days to get through it all, and there’s still some things we’d like to come back and see. Truly an amazing experience. Check out some of the pics and videos.
The Choptank
Maryland is known for their crab, so naturally we took a 50-minute Lyft ride to Annapolis to go to The Choptank restaurant.
This restaurant was so nice. Aside from the delicious food and cocktails, there is a waterfront deck that gave us a beautiful view. The lighting inside is dim, but all in all, we enjoyed our visit.
But wait, there’s more!
Here are a few more photos that highlight our time in DC. Would we be down to visit again in the future? Absolutely! There’s still quite a bit that we would like to explore. Stay tuned!
2girlswhotravel 