A weekend in D.C. revolves around sights near the White House.
The highlights of Washington, D.C., like so many other great cities, are almost impossible to capture in a few visits. Each time I head there, I discover new neighborhoods and districts that make this town more than the political epicenter of the country.
A recent rendezvous there with my sister was anchored around the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. Along with catching up, we planned to take in a show and check out one of the city’s newest attractions, The People’s House Museum. We managed to squeeze in a few more fun things along the way.
Our first meet up was at the Hotel Washington, situated directly across from the White House on 15th Street. We picked this historic property, complete with original chandeliers and elevators dating back to the 1917 opening, for its proximity to the destinations on our list. The choice was a good one: Save for one afternoon when our feet succumbed, and we called an Uber, we were able to easily stroll to our selected spots. The hotel served breakfast in an elegant dining room, adjacent to a spacious bar with plenty of room to relax in a conversation nook or grab a late-night Impossible Burger at a hightop. Weekend brunch is also served in the 10th floor’s rooftop dining room with views of the White House and surrounding federal buildings.
We also dined next door to the Washington at an equally famous hotel, the Willard InterContinental, on the corner of 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue. The hotel opened in 1818 and built its reputation as “the residence of presidents,” having hosted every chief executive at some point since the 1850s. Now part of the Historic Hotels of America group, it’s also noted for serving one of the best high teas in town. We skipped the afternoon treats and opted for dinner at the hotel’s Café Du Parc, where classics from onion soup to steak frites anchor the menu. It was also easy to pick up a dessert or croissant at the hotel’s grab-and-go eatery with a sidewalk patio of tables.
A chief attraction in this neighborhood is the National Theatre, another historic site that traces its story back to 1835. Today, it features burgundy walls, a gold ceiling, chandeliers and three tiers of seating for about 1,600 patrons. It’s also home to touring Broadway productions such as Beetlejuice and Mean Girls; we saw Six, the story of Henry VIII’s wives. As with the Willard, the theater’s Pennsylvania Avenue location has drawn presidents since Andrew Jackson in the early 1830s.
A highlight of our visit was The People’s House: A White House Experience. Opened eight months ago, the free exhibit features three floors of portraits, replicas and interactive displays that take visitors into the areas of the mansion rarely seen by the public. We spent the most time in the Cabinet Room, where holograms of various presidents and their aides discuss critical issues in history, and viewers get to vote on what action they think should be taken. But the most Insta-worthy moment was putting my feet up on a replica of the Resolute desk in a faithful reproduction of the Oval Office.
We squeezed in a few other spots during this trip, including a free tour of The Kennedy Center and the 1815 St. John’s Episcopal Church, whose location a block from the White House gives it the nickname, not surprisingly, “Church of the Presidents,” as every leader has been there at least once since it was built. As we found, it’s hard to escape the influence of history that permeates this area of the District anchored by the White House.
HOTEL WASHINGTON
thehotelwashington.com
@hotelwashingtondc
NATIONAL THEATRE
thenationaldc.com
@broadwaynatdc
THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE
thepeopleshouse.org
@peopleshousedc
WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL
washington.intercontinental.com
@williard_intercontinentaldc
