Washington DC- Made to Wander!

With no small children to inhibit our wanderings, we hired Viator to ferry us between locations. We viewed monuments as well as the Vietnam Memorial, the Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery. Since my father was in the Korean War, we viewed that for the first time. It was bright, sunny sweater weather, so walking around was quite pleasant. We ate hotdogs from vendors and chatted with other wanderers.

Another day, we walked around the area surrounding the hotel-browsing in shops, buying silly things we didn’t need and sticking our noses in everything we could. We ended up finding a really good, locally owned Italian restaurant, La Tomate Bistro, family owned since the 80’s. We went in and were warmly greeted. I had Piadina Aperto con pollo and Arnold had Pesto Genovese. Although I turned down the bread, my husband assured me it was quite delicious!

The highlight of our trip was the time we spent with my niece and her boyfriend. Jessica lives in DC and we took them out to dinner. She suggested a restaurant, Dauphines, and it turned out to be the best place we had eaten at recently. Jessica had recently returned from a safari, and she entertained us with stories about her trip. Having never been to Africa, we were fascinated! She has always been a traveler-in college. She spent every break going off the beaten path. I love that she is still out adventuring!

Everything about Dauphines was perfect! The only thing difficult was trying to decide what to order. It did give us an excuse to order the Muffaletta Board, which we devoured as we browsed the dinner menu. I ended up with Gumbo Ya Ya, one of their specialties. My husband had the Hanger Steak. Our guests ordered Tasso Brined Chicken and Scallops Creole. I even broke my long-standing "no bread" rule and ordered the bread sampler. Since then, it has been difficult sticking to that rule!

As we were all too full for dessert, we decided to take a walk. It was a great night to be outside. Jessica showed us where she used to work. I remember some years ago when DC had the reputation of being a dangerous place to be. If that were ever true, it certainly was not while we were there. We walked around, laughing and joking and enjoying ourselves. We waved and chatted with the others wandering around and had a great time!

For those planning a visit to our nation’s capital, I say “do it”! Try for a time where the weather is good….as much as is possible. I have spent several visits there in very hot and humid weather–this was quite an improvement if you plan on being outside a lot–which you absolutely must be to take it all in! We stayed at the Generator, which is a Fora partner. It is not upscale lodging, but it served our purposes well. The staff were friendly and accommodating. Our room was fairly spacious and the bed was comfortable. Since we are planning a lot of travel in the near future, we appreciated having a place at a less expensive rate. We were there only to sleep, anyway. If you want a more upscale hotel, this is not the place for you, but it served us well.

Finally, consider Viator to help you out with your sightseeing. Their prices are quite reasonable and they know what they are doing. They are available nearly everywhere, so feel free to contact me regardless of where you end up! Have dinner at Dauphines if you like Louisiana cooking. It will not disappoint!

If you are thinking about a trip, get up with me and we can talk about it! I love assisting others with their travel and it will be a pleasure to help you!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Washington DC. In need of further inspiration? Check out Amanda Peters’s guide, Your Guide to Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC.