One Week Itinerary In Washington DC

I've always wanted We planned our trip to Washington DC for the last week in March 2014 to coincide with the Cherry Blossom Festival (high travel season) for one full week. We booked the hotel, flight into Washington DC, and train out of Washington DC several months ahead in December 2013. Once we scheduled we contacts our state representatives for tours of Pentagon, White House, Congress Tour, and Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Our trip began with a flight from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Reagan National Airport (DCA). It ended with a Amtrak train from Union Station (Washington DC) to Penn Station (Manhattan, New York). The Washington DC Metro system is easy to learn and connect to all major Washington DC attractions and major transportation hubs (DCA and Amtrack). And the beauty of Washington DC is all the Smithsonian Museums are free of charge.

Hotel:

• Best Western Georgetown - About a 10 minute walk from the closest Metro stop, this hotel had the lowest average cost per night when we reserved three months in advance. The hotel was clean, but furniture was worn. The hotel rate also includes a daily continental breakfast. Note that the hotel was across the street from the Rtiz Carlton.

Where to Eat:

• Founding Farmers Restaurant - Long line, but highly recommend by my sister-in-law. My opinion is the restaurant and fancy, but the food is nothing unique.
• Rasika - A nearby Indian restaurant that was handy for take out. Our hotel had the necessary plates and utensils for fine dining in the room.
• Thai Place - A very average thai place.
• Zaytinya - A stop near Chinatown serving Turkish, Lebanese, and Greek tapas. An awesome variety of high quality food.
• Whole Foods - After our flight into DC landed around 10pm, a quick place to grab food before checking into our hotel.
• Museums - Most museums have food courts or snack bars. For the most part, they're average and overly priced. But you are also supporting the free musuem.
• Kafe Leopold - This place came recommended for brunch, but we did not get the opportunity to try it during our stay.

Musuems:

• Pentagon
• United State Botanical Garden
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Air and Space Museum
• Capital
• Library of Congress
• National Gallery of Art
• National Museum of Natural History
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• National Museum of American History
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Building Museum
• Bureau of Printing and Engraving
• National Zoo

Memorials/Sightseeing

• White House
• Arlington Cemetery
• Thomas Jefferseon Memorial
• Martin Luther King Jr Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Korean War Veterans MEmorial
• Washington Monument
• World War 2 Memorial

Transportation:

• DCA - accessible via Metro
• Metro - our only source of public transportation throughout the trip. Stations are clean, well maintained, with escaltors and elevators to every station.
• Amtrak - accessible via Metro