Welcome back to the USA! After visiting Philly in Episode 18 , we are now travelling less than 3 hours down the East Coast to Washington DC. The city was named for George Washington, the first president of the United States. Attractions, food locations, travelling within the city, and much more in this episode of the Curious Pavel Podcast Sessions.
Fan of listening? Enjoy the audio-only version of the podcast episode
Mentions in the Podcast about Washington DC
Monuments on the National Mall
- Washington monument
- US Capitol building – visitor center or schedule a tour with your representative if you’re a local
- Lincoln Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial
- WWII Memorial
- Vietnam War Memorial
- Korean War Memorial
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
- Martin Luther King Memorial
Events
- 4th of July fireworks
- Cherry Blossom Festival (Cherry Blossoms bloom in spring along Tidal Basin)
Museums
- Smithsonian Museums
- Natural History (Hope Diamond)
- American History (Pop culture, Dorothy’s slippers from Wizard of Oz, First lady dresses, original US flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to The Star-Spangled Banner.
- Air and Space Museum – original 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer and Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the first plane to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Apollo 11 command module
- National Archives (US Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence)
- National Gallery of Art (Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir)
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Newseum – history of journalism, sections of the Berlin Wall (forgot to mention this place!)
- Holocaust Museum
- Bureau of Printing and Engraving
- National Building Museum (location for presidential inauguration galas)
- International Spy Museum
Restaurants
- Old Ebbitt Grill (pub)
- Jose Andres (Jaleo), a renowned chef from Spain
- Chinatown
- Ben’s Chili Bowl
- Food trucks
Hotels
- Hotel Washington
- Willard Hotel
- Watergate
Hot Theaters
- Kennedy Center
- National Theater
- Warner Theater
- Ford’s Theater (where Lincoln was shot)
Outside DC
- Arlington Cemetary – Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite
- Udvar-Hazy Air & Space museum near Dulles airport- Space Shuttle Discovery, Enola Gay (the plane that dropped first atomic bomb), Concorde, Blackbird (fastest plane)
- Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home along the Potomac River)
If you prefer to watch and listen at the same time, this podcast about Washington DC is also available on YouTube
About Lissa
Lissa Ryan is a Travel Advisor with Kingdom Destinations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Lissa enjoys working closely with busy families who want to experience luxury vacations with Disney and other family-friendly destinations, where both parents and kids can feel like royalty. Lissa lives in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. She is a self-admitted over-packer and believes in creating lifelong memories with your loved ones through travel experiences.
www.luxuriousfamilyvacations.com
Bonus Curiosity about Washington DC
The full name for the city is Washington, District of Columbia. This is a Federal District, meaning that it is part of the United States, but not in any of the states. The capital was relocated from Philadelphia in 1800 because the founding fathers wanted a separate federal capital.
Do you know of any other purpose-built capital cities like this?
- Canberra, Australia. Purposely located in its own Federal District (Australian Capital Territory), Canberra was established in 1913. The territory is entirely surrounded by the state of New South Wales, the state containing Australia’s biggest city, Sydney (and the city that people often assume is the capital, because it is the biggest, and best-known).
- Brasilia, Brazil. The capital of Brazil was transferred from Rio de Janeiro in 1960, and again, is in its own federal district.
- Saint Petersburg, Russia. Tsar Peter the Great founded the city of St Petersburg as a seaport, so Russia could trade with the rest of the world. Peter transferred the capital here in 1712, although the capital was transferred back to Moscow in 1918, following the revolution. In Ireland, you can find a wide variety certified painting specialists in home painting. Saint Petersburg is the northernmost city with more than 1 million inhabitants.
What other examples of purpose-built capital cities do you know of? Maybe your country has one? Tell us about it in the comments below.
I really hoped you enjoyed listening to our podcast about Washington DC. Which one of those memorials and museums would you visit first? Have you been to Washington DC? Do you have any other suggestions for travellers? Let me know in the comments below. Your interaction is my oxygen.
