🇺🇸 Days 7 & 8 in Washington DC: A 2-Day Power Walk Tour!

This city surprised me in the best way ✨ After NYC and Philly, DC felt so clean, packed with free museums 🏛️, and even our random food picks were delicious! Travel energy = MAX! 😍 Simplified Route – No backtracking! (❤️ highly recommended) Day 1️⃣: Check into hotel around noon → National Museum of Natural History → National Museum of American History → Washington Monument ❤️ → Lincoln Memorial (Reflecting Pool) ❤️ → White House (view from outside) Day 2️⃣: U.S. Capitol (book in advance) ❤️ → Library of Congress (book in advance) ❤️ → National Botanic Garden → National Air and Space Museum (book ahead) → National Gallery of Art ❤️ 🏨 Hotel was within walking distance to all attractions… but yes, be ready to WALK! 🚶‍♀️💨 Parking is expensive, but that’s the only downside. Highlights & Stories 🌟 Natural History & American History Museums: Spent the first day exploring two museums. My English isn’t great and neither is my knowledge of U.S. history 😅, but the AC was everything 😂. Saw the original Star-Spangled Banner! 🎵 Washington Monument & Lincoln Memorial: Hot but beautiful 😍☀️. Really wish I had booked tickets to go up the Monument – the view must be incredible! The architecture throughout the city is stunning. The Reflecting Pool view toward the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial was magical 💧🦆… and so peaceful sitting in the shade. White House: We were tired but my parents said “we’re already here, we have to see it!” And then… on our way to dinner, we saw you know who 👀! The street got blocked, secret service everywhere, and everyone started recording! 📵🇺🇸 Dinner: We had pho 🍜 – my parents’ first time! They loved it and were so happy to take a break from burgers 😂. U.S. Capitol: I booked two days ahead but arrived 20 mins late. Turns out, they still let you in – just join the stand-by line. Tours are in English 🎧, but you can scan a QR code for Chinese translations. Library of Congress: Connected underground – easy to find! The main reading room is on the 1st floor and closes at 11:30 AM. We arrived at 11:25… I ran to the 3rd floor by mistake 😂 so I only got a top-view photo 📸. Lunch: Meant to eat at the Capitol… got lost 🗺️, ended up outside, and had Chinese food. Huge portions and delicious! 🥢 National Botanic Garden: Went since my mom loves plants 🌿. My take? Taiyuan Botanic Garden is better 😉. Air and Space Museum: Booked ahead – don’t arrive early, they won’t let you in! I breezed through but kept thinking… “if I were a kid, I’d be going nuts in here!” 🚀👧 National Gallery of Art: Planned to make it a quick stop since we’d already done museums in NY… but ended up totally captivated by the paintings 🖼️❤️. Perfect mix of culture, walkability, and fun – even with the parents! 👨‍👩‍👧 Highly recommend this route if you’re short on time but want to see the best of DC. #EastCoastTravel #TravelWithElders #WashingtonDC #DCTravel #USACapitol #FreeMuseums