The second two days of our incredible press trip were spent in the heart of Washington DC, thanks to the lovely people at Visit Washington DC. Luckily for us, the sun showed its face and we were blessed with the most glorious weather, it was honestly like summer! We were lucky enough to visit so many incredible places, so I've created a little city guide for you, so if you ever decide to visit this amazing city (and I highly recommend you do!) you'll have some idea of some spots you might want to see!
To Stay
The gorgeous Eaton Workshop is a brand new hotel right in the heart of the city, and we were lucky enough to be some of the first guests to ever stay there as it was in its soft opening. I have to say, it was one of the most gorgeous hotels I've ever stayed in. Quirky, with mid-century furniture and a gorgeous blue tiled bathroom. Each room also has its own record player and a variety of vinyls to play while you relax. Everything about it is gorgeous, from the lobby to the beautiful rooftop bar. There's even a hidden speakeasy with walls covered in handprinted illustrations from Alice in Wonderland.
If you find yourself in DC, this is the hotel to stay in! It's absolutely beautiful and I can't recommend it enough!
To See
The Watermelon House
Dress - Ted Baker
Before going anywhere, I always google 'the most instagrammable spots' in the city. One of the first places that popped up was the Watermelon House - a huge house painted just like a watermelon after a paint job went wrong. And luckily for us it was just a ten minute walk from our hotel, so we set out bright and early to pay a visit before the day started. There is also a kiwi wall for those of you who may not be melon fans!
The National Mall
Top - Topshop | Skirt - Styled in London | Hat - ASOS
You can't really visit Washington DC without touring the National Mall! Home to all the famous monuments such as the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, it's definitely a must see. The best way to tour is via bike, as you get to see everything you could want in a good amount of time. Our tour was with Bike and Roll who were absolutely fantastic. We had time to stop at every location to take photos and our tour guide was so informative and helpful. We were blessed with a beautifully sunny day and it was actually heaven cycling under the trees. They also do segway tours for if you can't ride a bike!
Also, I have to say that the Jefferson Memorial was my favourite spot of all of them. It was so stunningly beautiful and hardly busy at all compared to the Lincoln Memorial which was so crowded.
Georgetown
Dress - C/O Kirsty Doyle
Originally, Georgetown wasn't on our itinerary but we asked our guide and she was happy for us to go there to take photos, which I was thrilled about! Especially since I knew this beautiful pink florist called Greenworks was located there. It's pretty much instagram goals and I knew I had to visit! This entire area of DC is so beautiful, with gorgeous houses of all different colours and shapes.
Another spot located in Georgetown was the beautiful Dumbarton Oaks, which is kind of like the equivalent of a National Trust park. It's home to the most beautiful orangery I've ever seen, as well as blooming gardens that go on for miles. If I'm honest, I could have spent all day here just exploring because there was so much to see and take in.
Union Market is a gourmet food hall in North-East DC that was voted one of the top 5 food halls in America! It's filled with every kind of food you can imagine, so if you have some picky eaters in your party and you all want different things, this is the perfect place to go. They also have some really cool street murals around it, so you can get some snaps while you're there!
We visited a handful of museums while we were in DC and all of them were very cool! I'd say the National Gallery of Art is perfect for modern art lovers, while the other two have more a variation of the kind of art. The NPG and SAAM are both located next to each other, so I'd definitely recommend going there if you can only visit one place during your trip. We got to see the famous Obama portraits, as well as many other exciting pieces.
Blagden Alley
A must visit if you love street art, Blagden Alley is full of amazing murals, including this incredible rainbow love mural set over four garages.
To Eat
We stopped here for lunch on our first day and it was so delicious, but the biggest portion sizes ever so I hope you're hungry! All of the food is locally sourced which is fantastic, and they also did some of the best bread ever. I love my carbs!
This was our dinner restaurant and this is definitely a fantastic place to go if you're celebrating a romantic or special occasion. It's located right on the waterfront in the wharf, with beautiful views. The food was excellent with a more gourmet vibe, but the service was a little iffy. They had a fully stocked bar but the waiter outright refused to make me a pina colada (the only thing I drink) and even got annoyed at me for asking. Weird! Other than that, it was excellent food so I would recommend it!
This might have been my favourite restaurant we ate at in DC! The food was so good and the portions weren't too large. I went for the fried catfish and it was crazy delicious. It was also the first time I tried fried green tomatoes and my god we need to bring these to the UK. SO. GOOD.
I hope you enjoyed this little guide to Washington DC! Much like Virginia, it's not really a place I would have ever thought of visiting (although I really do want to return for cherry blossom season!) and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. It reminded me of a cleaner version of New York!
Let me know if you've ever been to DC or if you'd like to head there one day! x
Our trip to Washington DC was provided courtesy of Visit Washington DC but all opinions are my own.
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