From Fodor's Travel:
D.C.'s booming dining scene makes it a destination unto itself, and with everything from fancy Michelin-starred restaurants to wonderful holes-in-the-wall, why would you go to a tourist trap? Fourteenth Street, Navy Yard, and Eighth Street on Capitol Hill are filled with fun, innovative eateries, or dare to venture into the lesser-known neighborhoods where some interesting things are going on—Thip Khao on 14th Street NW, featuring Lao cuisine and Italian-inspired Red Hen in Brookland are cases in point. There's also Union Market in NoMa, with its fun-to-browse food stalls, the full-service Bidwell Restaurant, and the nearby Cosecha market featuring Latin American fare. Even the museums have some skin in the game, notably Sweet Home Café at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Mitsitam Native Foods Café at the National Museum of the American Indian.
And some changes in DC:
D.C. has changed immensely over the past ten-plus years—and it's not slowing down. If you haven't visited in a while, you won't recognize the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood, including its multi-million-dollar development at the Wharf that includes primo restaurants, music halls, and waterside fun. Neighborhoods where once you would not dare venture—NoMa, Shaw, Columbia Heights, 14th Street, U Street—are hopping with innovative restaurants, local boutiques, theater, music, and cafés. Now you can try craft distilled whiskey, go SUPing on the Potomac, listen to music in a historic Black Broadway theater, taste the latest foodie craze at a pop-up restaurant, and come to understand that D.C. is no longer a one-trick pony (well, two tricks, if you count politics and its Smithsonian museums) but truly a leading global city.
And some freebies are always welcome:
D.C. may very well be the best city in the world for cultured cheapskates because not only are the Smithsonian museums free, but so are a whole slew of concerts, plays, and exhibits. The Smithsonian American Art Museum routinely showcases world-famous musicians, while free summer concert series are offered at the Capitol Riverfront and the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, among others. The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage has free shows every evening at 6, and its REACH Plaza has free outdoor film screenings and live performances in summer. Even the National Zoo (part of the Smithsonian family) is free. Check out Washington.org for upcoming free events.
I don't know about you, but I love my visits to DC. Yes, it is the power center of the civilized world, the buildings are magnificent, the Smithsonian without peer, the food improving, and the culture is rich and vibrant.
Several friends have gone to DC on the Honor Flights. And our cousin is going in May.
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