Some of my favorite things to do and places to dine – Google or visit their web site for more info.
Allen McCabe
(Rev #17, Spring 2025)
Smithsonians : (some require timed tickets. Check their websites)
American History – 1st Lady Dresses, Dorothy’s slippers, Archie Bunker’s chair, ‘The Price of Freedom’ – America at war.
Natural History – Dinosaurs, Hope Diamond, lots of rocks!
Air and Space – most visited Smithsonian
Air and Space at Washington Dulles airport – enormous – Enola Gay, space shuttle, SR71. Wow! Free admission, $20 parking.
National Portrait Gallery. Barrack and Michelle
National Gallery of Art – one of the best art galleries in the world.
Museum of the American Indian
African American History and Culture
Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Arts and Industries (temporarily closed for renovations)
National Museum of Asian Art – Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery
National Postal Museum
National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Castle (temporarily closed for renovations)
Other Museums/Memorials :
Holocaust Museum. A sobering visit. Timed tickets
Spy Museum. Plan for several hours. James Bond’s Aston Martin
The Botanical Gardens. Beautiful. Near the Capitol.
Planet Word – history of language. For loquacious linguists.
The ‘O’ Museum – fun place, quirky, secret doors. Rosa Parks stayed here when in DC. Everything is for sale. It’s a hotel, too.
Museum of the Bible - History and impact of the Bible. (Spoiler alert!! – I know how it ends!)
The National Firearms Museum. Not surprisingly, at the NRA National headquarters in Fairfax VA. Open daily 0900 – 1600.
The Textile Museum at George Washington University.
National Museum of Women in the Arts – from 16th century to the present. New York Avenue NW
National Building Museum – Montgomery Meigs designed it. Go big or go home! I’d loved to have had the brick contract!
Marine Corps Museum – at Quantico – south 25 miles on I-95.
The Army Museum – Route 1 south of Arlington at Ft. Belvoir. 10 miles. Perhaps the largest parking lot in the entire world!
The Phillips Collection – impressionist and modern art. Nice!
Monuments & Memorials
Lincoln Memorial. Abe’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln attended the opening in 1922. Refurbishing basement to be new visitor center by 2026.
Korean War Memorial. Honoring the 36,000+ we lost
The DC War Memorial – for DC residents who died in WWI.
Martin Luther King Memorial – Civil Rights leader
FDR Memorial – the largest memorial on The Mall.
Jefferson Memorial – notice where Jefferson is looking.
George Mason Memorial – Bill of Rights
Washington Monument (timed tickets)
WWII Memorial – the Gold Stars represent 404,800 dead/MIA.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Maya Lin’s masterpiece
Vietnam Women’s Memorial – remembering the 10,000 U.S. servicewomen who volunteered to serve in Vietnam and those 265,0000 women who served throughout the world!
Constitution Gardens – part of the national mall
Signers Island - signatures of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence engraved into 13 stones. Real heroes.
Ulysses Grant Memorial (at the Capitol)
John Paul Jones statue – 1st U.S. Navy hero. Buried in Annapolis
The Eisenhower Memorial. WWII D-day boss and president
WWI Memorial – Pershing Park – near the White House
The John Ericsson Memorial – Swedish born inventor noted for his design of the iron-plated USS Monitor – with its rotating turret!
The Disabled for Life Veterans Memorial – near the Capitol
The Law Enforcement Memorial – includes the names of every law enforcement officer lost in U.S. history. The museum is next door.
Air Force Memorial – southern end of Arlington. Free.
Pentagon/9-11 Memorial. Pentagon Metro stop. Honoring the 184 passengers/Pentagon employees who died that terrible day.
Marine Corps Memorial – Iwo Jima statue – north end of Arlington. Awe inspiring. Roslyn metro.
US Navy Memorial Plaza and Navy Memorial
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum – 17th Street NW. Traces the American experience from the 1700’s
Netherlands Carillion – next to the Marine Corps Memorial. Gift from the Netherlands after WWII. Bell tower – summer concerts!
The Old Post Office tower is the 3rd best view in DC – after the Washington Monument and Arlington House. Free. Run by NPS
Roosevelt Island – drive there and park. Hiking. Statue of Teddy.
Albert Einstein statue – Constitution Avenue. It’s genius !
The Titanic Memorial – in honor of the men who gave up their seats on the lifeboats that fateful night in 1912.
African American Civil War Museum. More than 200,000 African Americans fought for their freedom in the Union Army.
Places to go, things to do:
Arlington National Cemetery. America’s most hallowed ground.
‘The People’s House’ – an interactive experience takes you inside the White House! Sit in the Oval Office, the Cabinet room. Nice!
Mount Vernon – George’s plantation. Easily a ½ day visit.
Ford’s Theatre - Where it all happened. Peterson House – where Lincoln died, is just across the street. Great museum!
The Library of Congress. Absolutely breathtaking inside. See Jefferson’s original library sold to Congress. And get a library card!
The Capitol. Tours available – great visitor center.
The Supreme Court – limited tours inside are now permitted on weekdays. No holidays. Check their website for available calendar.
Embassy Row – Massachusetts Avenue. Many, many foreign embassies – spectacular architecture. Great walking tour.
Lafayette Park – on the north side of the White House. Statues to 4 heroes of the American Revolution – none of them Americans!
Eastern Market. Tuesday through Sunday, near the Capitol. Farmers Market, arts and crafts, food, fun.
United States National Arboretum – spend an afternoon walking the grounds. And see some original columns from the Capitol.
Pentagon tours -You can book 14 – 90 days in advance and submit security background into. Too late for this visit, but good to know for your NEXT visit. U.S. citizens only.
The Baltimore Aquarium. 1 hour drive. One of the best in the world.
Harpers Ferry. Great day trip. The spark that began the Civil War.
George Marshall’s ‘Dodona Manor’ museum. WWII 5-star – developed ‘Marshall Plan’ after the war. Leesburg. 1 hour drive.
Old Town Alexandria – cobblestone streets. GW himself was a frequent visitor. You can take a water taxi. Shopping, ghost tours, restaurants – a fun afternoon/evening. I call it home!
Alexandria Colonial Tours - Ghost tours – a fun evening! Walk the streets of Washington, Jefferson, and other colonials.
Georgetown – take your credit card! The Rodeo Drive of the east coast. M Street is where it’s happening.
The Exorcist steps – where the priest threw himself down the stairs in ‘The Exorcist’. On M Street. Great photo op.
Wineries – Sunset Hills and Bluemont Vineyard. I’m a member of both. Outstanding Virginia wine. The view at Bluemont is breathtaking. It’s an hour drive but worth it. Designated driver!
Sports – Washington Nationals, Commanders, Wizards, Capitals, Washington Spirt – women’s soccer.
Music!! DC Rocks! Local venues include Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center, Jiffy Lube Live, Birchmere, George Mason University, the 9:30 Club, Merriweather Pavilion, and more! www.dcmusic.live
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is again open for public tours. The gift shop sells sheets of real money! Great gifts.
College sports – Georgetown, George Washington University, American University, University of Maryland, George Mason.
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Open to the public - tours, and a great JFK museum. Go up top and check out the views. One of DC’s leading spots for Broadway, opera, symphony.
CapitalOne Arena – concerts, car shows, home of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics
Gravelly Point – just off the George Washington Parkway. A local favorite to watch the planes land/take off from Reagan airport.
National Harbor – Casino! Convention center area. Enormous Ferris wheel! I prefer The Wharf, but there’s a casino here.
The Wharf in southwest DC. A ton of restaurants and bars right on the riverfront. Consider a dinner cruise on the Potomac.
You are in the heart of Civil War battlefields. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Bull Run. Antietam and Gettysburg are day trips. Hire a guide at Gettysburg. Huge site.
Great Falls on the Potomac River - Okay, it isn’t Niagara Falls, but still impressive. National Park. You can visit Virginia or Maryland side. A ton of hiking trails. 45 minutes away.
Annapolis. Fantastic place to visit. Restaurants, shops, colonial history, harbor tours – and visit the Naval Academy. Vietnam War POW and Senator John McCain is buried here.
The White House! You need tickets. The visitor center near the WH is a great place to visit. White House Christmas ornaments!
The National Archives – Constitution, Decl of Independence, Gettysburg address, etc. The real deal. I could spend all day here.
The National Cathedral – spectacular. Can you spot the Star Wars gargoyle? Matthew Shepard is buried here. So is Helen Keller.
The National Zoo-Outstanding Zoo! The pandas are back!!
The National Cherry Blossom Festival - Late March/early April – whenever the cherry trees decide their time to peak. Enjoy DC’s 3,900 cherry trees. Pack your patience. Huge crowds.
The 4th of July fireworks! Yes, it’s almost always on the 4th of July! Pack your patience. Huge crowds – but what a show!
Some local grazing spots you might enjoy – you can google them for menus, directions, reservations – and their web sites. My favs….
Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria -Around since the late-1700’s…Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe dined here (though the chef has changed). Colonial-themed menu, great food, reasonable price. Lots of fun.
Olde Ebbitt Grill on 15th Street NW. A DC favorite –a hangout for politicians, lobbyists. Great food, decent price. A ton of DC history.
Residents Bar and Grill on 18th Street NW. My friend’s son runs it. Fantastic food, unique menu, excellent drinks. Hip place. Reservations a must. Take an Uber. Parking is tough.
Elephant & Castle – Pennsylvania Ave. A British-themed sports bar named after a London Metro stop. Casual. Bar food. Sweet potato fries. A great, casual place to unwind.
Founding Farmers – mainstream Americana food, farm to table theme – decent price. Nice breakfast buffet. At Pennsylvania and 20th Street NW. Reservations suggested.
Martin’s Restaurant – Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave. I love this place. Great food. This is where JFK proposed to Jackie in June 1953! Reservations are absolutely suggested.
The Dubliner – Irish pub located near Union station – 10-minute walk from the Capitol. Fun place to have a Guinness and an Irish Stew. Oldest Irish pub in DC. Live music!
Vola’s Dockside Grill in Alexandria - One of my favorites. Right on the Potomac. Hip spot in downtown Alexandria. You must have a pound of their steamed shrimp. It’s a bar – but excellent food.
Hard Rock Café – The same all over the world. Burgers, beer, cool guitars and get the T-shirt. Next to Ford’s Theatre.
Ada’s on the River – Alexandria. Near Vola’s – an upscale restaurant – business casual – reservations. Great food.
Terrace Restaurant – top of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Excellent food, expensive. Reservations needed.
Froggy Bottom – a local gathering spot near GW University owned by a fun Vietnamese couple. Burgers, sandwiches, and some great Vietnamese food. Try the Pho. They LOVE Vets.
Adams-Morgan section of DC on 18th Street NW. The hip section of DC. Tons of restaurants, bars, nightclubs. Party like its 1999.
Ben’s Chili Bowl - A DC tradition since 1958. You guessed it….chili, dogs, half smokes. A ‘half smoke’ is a regional thing…a larger, spicier hot dog – usually ½ pork, ½ beef – smoked – served with chili. A favorite for locals and visitors. U Street NW.
Kingbird - This restaurant is in the Watergate Hotel (yes, THAT Watergate). Upscale – they serve breakfast, brunch, dinner. Ask a bellman if you can see the ‘Scandal room’.
Also in the Watergate….rooftop – “The Next Whiskey Bar” – named after the Door’s famous song. Very upscale, cigars, whiskey flights. Lifestyle of the rich and famous.
RPM Italian - Outstanding Italian food. Had the meatball appetizer and short ribs on New Year’s Eve. Best short ribs ever. Upscale. On K Street near 7th Ave. NW.
Bastille Brasserie & Bar – excellent French food. I had the Boeuf Bourguignon last time – it was fork- tender. Great cocktails. In Alexandria.
Fiola Mare -Riverview in Georgetown. Upscale Italian – focusing on seafood. K Street NW.
1789 in Georgetown. Fantastic dinner. Very upscale – great atmosphere and food. Named for the year Georgetown University was founded. Reservations strongly suggested.
Pentagon City Mall – Just 2 stops south on the Blue line. Dozens of choices in their huge food court. Very casual.
Eddie V’s. Upscale seafood and steak. Tyson’s Corner west of town. Live music after 7. Great views. Great food. $$$
Succotash – fun place, great food – on F St. right in the heart of things. Mix of Dixie and Asian flavors. Ribs were FANTASTIC!
The VUE Rooftop at The W (Hotel Washington). Rooftop dining – amazing views of DC.
River Club DC. Georgetown. Lebanese/Italian/Spanish focus. Small plates, lots of sharing. A truly wonderful dinner!
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