One of the best things, when you are away from home, is when your loved ones come to visit you. After a few months of being apart, my parents came to NYC to visit me. As they had been in the city before and they were coming here for President’s Week, we thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the long weekend and go somewhere else.
We had never been to Washington D.C. before, so we rented a car at JFK Airport and drive there. It usually takes about 4 hours to get there, but it took us a little bit longer because of the traffic (due to the long weekend) and an unexpected snow storm.
Washington is beautiful, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed my visit to DC!
There are a few things that are good to take into consideration when going to D.C. For example, the monuments and memorials are not as close as they seem to be, so if you don’t have a car, a good way to visit the city is taking a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. They have stopped at every landmark and attraction and it’s better than the subway because you can actually enjoy the ride and see a little bit more of the city.
Of course, the D.C. Metro is a cheaper option, and it’s also quick and convenient. You can get a SmarTrip card, which will help you save $1 each trip.
One of the great things about Washington DC is that many of their attractions are free.
While many of DC’s attractions are open every day to the public, it’s good to know that there are a few places that require reservation tickets up to two or three months in advance, such as the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington Monument. I didn’t know about this until a week before travelling, so it was too late for me for reservations. Even so, we visited all those places from the outside and had a great time as well!
D.C. is definitely a must if you’re in the U.S.!!!
