Discovering Washington, DC: 72 hours in Chocolate City

A trip to the capital is always a good idea, especially when it's full of history, good eats, and great sightseeing. This is how we spent 72 hours exploring some of DC’s best attractions.

This trip was a mom-and-daughter trip that  I took with my mom in the Spring. The weather was perfect, but sadly, we had missed the Cherry Blossoms :(. We arrived in DC Friday morning around 11am and headed straight to our hotel. We stayed at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, which is located about 15 minutes away from the airport, not far from Dupont Circle. We quickly changed clothes and headed out to see the city.

We were in a pretty good location, so we decided to start walking towards Georgetown. (We got in a ton of steps this day). We always enjoy looking at the beautiful brick homes when I travel to the East Coast. As we got closer to Georgetown, we stopped to do some browsing and shopping. My mom tried ice cream from Thomas Sweet Ice Cream Shop, which she loved. I enjoyed a simple Strawberry Lemonade popsicle from the “King of Pops” cart!

Because I am a lover of coffee, I stopped again for a nice cool matcha from Maman Bakery. If I had more time and needed a place to study, I would have spent more time here as the location was perfect for getting some work done. The bakery was really cute and had a lot of good food and pastry options.

Random stop for a selfie!

When I did my research before visiting, many people suggested we try Baked and Wired, one of the best bakeries around, and I must say, it was definitely worth the visit. My mom loves cupcakes, ice cream, and all things sweet, so she was very much looking forward to it! They had many different cupcake flavors, including Red Velvet, Doom cupcake, Carrot cupcake, Dirty Chai Cupcake, Karen’s Birthday Cake (named after their mother), Strawberry (which is what I had), and many others. We caught them right before they were closing for the day!

We finally got to Georgetown University and enjoyed viewing the campus architecture. Walking through the university feels like stepping into a movie scene. We also saw some colorful row homes across from the campus, which are famous amongst photographers who love the Victorian era.

We didn’t have time to go back to the hotel before dinner because we had reservations at Georgia Browns, which also came highly recommended, known for its Southern comfort food. The history of this restaurant goes back to the 17^th century as settlers arrived in the country area, bringing their knowledge and cultural foods to create the diverse and historically rich dishes at the restaurant. The vibe of the restaurant was formal enough for an upscale date night but also relaxed enough for a catch-up with friends at the bar. They offer live music on the weekends and Sunday Brunch featuring some Jazz tunes for a full experience of music, special moments, and good meals.

Our dinner started when they served their amazing cornbread, served in a bread basket with butter. For my entrée, I decided on the Shrimp and Grits served with spicy andouille sausage and a seafood broth. It was delicious! My mom ordered a grilled steak dish, which she also enjoyed. 10/10 would definitely recommend! And that completed our first day in DC.

The next day, we woke up early to head to the Smithsonian’s National African American Museum. The museum is free to visit, but we did make reservations in advance, as it can be pretty busy with field trips, tourists, and other larger groups. They are normally open from 10 am-5:30 pm, and we were there for about 4.5 hours. I would try to get there early, as there is a lot to see, and if you are into museums and history, you will want to take your time going through the museum in its entirety.

Just a little outline about the museum, you want to start out on the lowest floor. When you start at the bottom, you start with Slavery and Freedom from 1400-1877. This level was the hardest. It is very detailed and graphic. Although it’s tough, I would not skip it. As you progress up, you move to The Era of Segregation, which is full of interactive experiences and artifacts to give you a glimpse into what it was like during that time. The next floor is A Changing America, 1968 and Beyond. This floor was dedicated to the improvements and current cultural accomplishments and steps toward a better future for African Americans. There is so much to see in this museum, and it will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, but it was intentionally created to educate and highlight the African American culture throughout history.

Inside the museum, you will also find Sweet Home Café, which offers classic African American dishes divided among 4 different stations. The menu options do change, and you can find the updated options online. We decided to try a few of the sides because we had reservations for lunch soon after.

Once we left the museum, we met up with a friend and headed to lunch at Milk and Honey located at the Wharf, which was a nice little area with shops and restaurants along the waterfront. Their menu is also heavily Southern-inspired, filled with many brunch options. Once again, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits (it’s hard for me to get anything else when it’s offered on the menu, lol). The food was good, and the vibe was pretty laid back. Once we finished up, we walked around a little and left the area.

Because it was still early, and we wanted to find another activity, we headed to a bowling alley near Georgetown. When we arrived, we found out we had to have reservations for the evening, so we didn't get to bowl, unfortunately. Once we left, we headed to another fun place called Throw Social, which was a vibrant and tropical-themed entertainment venue that was both indoor and outdoor. They have music, food, drinks, and activities for a night of fun. We decided to reserve a spot for axe-throwing, as my mom and I had never done it before. It was the perfect activity to get some exercise and some laughs on our final night. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and learning how to throw the ax!💪🏽

On our last day in DC, we got up early to head to the Museum of the Bible. Throughout this engaging experience, we were able to see ancient manuscripts, learn about the impact of the Bible throughout culture, and walk through other interactive workshops and experiences. There are also many add-ons that you can enjoy when you purchase tickets for other Premium features. If you have the time to visit and enjoy learning about the Bible, I would highly recommend it. This museum was much more lowkey and such a hidden gem!

Once we left there, we walked down towards the National Mall. We enjoyed some sightseeing and viewed the Washington Monument, the US Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and, of course, the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. The weather was great and the streets were pretty busy, so we enjoyed slow-walking through the crowds doing some people-watching.

Before we could leave, we had to stop for a Lobster Roll, so we took an Uber to Mason’s Lobster Roll before heading to the airport!

There is so much that DC has to offer, and I hope to get back soon to see more of the US Capitol. The entire city is full of history, sparks curiosity, and invites you into a journey through time and culture!