My Dad had been planning a trip to Washington D.C. for a while now, and last weekend we made it happen! It had been years since he’d been there, and I must somewhat embarrassingly admit that I’ve never been to D.C.! Schools will usually orchestrate a trip there, but for some reason I missed out. Washington D.C. has never been on my list of fabulous, must-travel vacation spots, but I felt like I needed to see it at least once in my lifetime.

It’s really not that old of a city, which I think goes forgotten by most. What architecture is there, however, is gorgeous, and I couldn’t help but wander around gazing at the tops of buildings for most of the trip. With the help of a double decker bus (it worked more like a tram than anything, with stops at most of the major monuments; you could hop on and off all day and use it as transportation versus a tour if you wanted which was helpful) we were able to hit up most of the major sights, including the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the Air and Space Museum.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was one spot on my list of must-sees. I remember seeing a painting of it in a family member’s house since I was a little girl, and something about what I’d seen and heard seemed so powerful. Concept-wise, the reflective wall is incredible, and for a piece that isn’t necessarily as flashy or towering as other monuments, equally (if not more) powerful.

The Changing of the Guard was another of those moments. Definitely worth the hike out to Arlington Cemetery (though it could be a day in itself). I anticipated it to be stunning, but it was even more so. If you get the chance to witness it, please do!

I feel like D.C. got dwarfed by the fact that I was in the bustling, towering, remarkable NYC the week prior. Coupled with the fact that I’ve never been much of a U.S. history buff (British history, however, is an entirely different story) and I feel a bit bad, like I should’ve fallen more in love with D.C. than I did. It was amazing to see, really, but I think once was enough 🙂 For a little while, anyway.
Have you been to Washington D.C. before? Any favorite spots?