One of my 2024 New Year’s resolutions was to do something in DC once a month. I live in a beautiful tourist destination – one of my favorite cities in the world. But even for me, it is easy for the day-to-day routine to take over. And before you know it, it has been months since you have been anywhere other than work and the grocery store.
My resolution had a few rules, eating and drinking don’t count as new, although they certainly can be part of the experience. And it couldn’t be something I do routinely, like church. But other than that, I didn’t have a lot of guidelines. It could be something I’ve done before, it could be something familiar, and the best adventures were brand new.
Below is a recap of my local adventures, hopefully they will provide you some inspiration for your next trip to DC or exploring where you live.
Jan: It is easy to start the New Year strong. The Illusions “museum” was fun adventure with friends. We took a lot of photos and had a lot of laughs. This is a great activity for both kids and adults. I also went hiking Rock Creek Park which is twice the size of Central Park and located in downtown DC. It is a great place for hiking, biking, and enjoying nature.
Feb: I walked up the western side of the National Mall, up and around Capitol Hill. I explored the Botanical Gardens and the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. I then headed up to Eastern Market for a Happy Hour drink.
Mar: I braved the crowds and headed down to the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms.
Apr: I returned to the Natural History Museum. It had been several years since my last visit. I wasn’t there long but I walked through some of my favorite childhood exhibits and swung by the Hope Diamond.
May: The Women’s Museum was under renovation for a while, so I returned to see the new exhibits. It is in a beautiful building and is free the first Sunday of the month.
May Bonus: I was in town for the long Memorial Day weekend, so I took a day downtown. After church, I got an iced tea and walked eleven blocks to the Capitol Jewish Museum. The museum is built in a historic synagogue and tells the history of the Jewish community in DC and the surrounding area. It’s small and the permanent exhibit is free. I planned to go the special exhibit at the Hirshorn but returning to the Postal Museum had been on my list and I could see it from the Capitol Jewish Museum. Spontaneity is not my strong suite, so I made quick decision to change plans.
One of the fun things about this day was seeing even some of the most familiar areas from a different angle. I’ve been to China Town hundreds of times, but I don’t think I ever walked through it (east to west) until this day. Likewise, by walking to the Postal Museum from the Capitol Jewish Museum took me down some streets and areas that I’ve never been to before. I walked through Georgetown Law campus and the Holodomor Memorial. I’d never even heard of the Holodomor Memorial which remembers the Ukrainian famine of the 1930s.
I haven’t been to the Smithsonian Postal Museum in over a decade (probably closer to two decades if I am being honest). I would highly recommend it — it is of course free, it is significantly less busy than the other museums, it is interactive for kids, and it is a unique way to think & learn about American history. For those out of town, it would be easy to combine with a tour of the Capitol, Supreme Court and/or Library of Congress. There are some good restaurants nearby or you can press the easy button and eat at Union Station across the street which has something for everybody.
I walked along Constitution Ave and stopped by the Japanese American Memorial which I forgot was there. As my final stop, I wanted to swing by Capitol Grille to have a Pineapple Stolle but they were closed. So I continue to the metro, and again, Ms. Spontaneity, decided to get a drink and s snack at Carmine’s which was fantastic and well-priced for DC. I’ll be back!
June: I actually missed June but am counting my second May adventure. 😊
July: I had a glass of wine in the sculpture garden and then paid a visit to the Hirshorn.
August: Biking in Georgetown along the Potomac on the C&O canal.
September: I had plans to visit the National Museum of the American Indian but saw an advertisement for an exhibit at the Archives. In addition to the Nation’s historical documents, the Archives always has a couple of other exhibits. This was Light and Power which is a series of photos documenting the life of American Coal Miners in the 1950s. It was fascinating.
October: Walk the National Mall… This is one of my favorite things to do in DC and it had been way too long! Starting at L’Enfant plaza I walked by the Washington Monument, World War II memorial, the Vietnam memorial, the Lincoln memorial, the Korean Memorial (my favorite), MLK statue, the Roosevelt memorial and ended at the Jefferson Memorial.
November: Unfortunately, November was a bust but I feel like I made up for it in Dec.
December: Christmas tea at the Henly Park Hotel. I had Christmas Prosecco at Peacock Alley at the Waldorf and walked to the Wilard Hotel to see their annual gingerbread display. And I spent an afternoon at the Museum of the Bible. It opened in 2017 and I’ve never been. I thought it was well done. I was there for a couple of hours and you could easily spend half a day or longer there.
This ended up being a fantastic resolution – achievable but hard enough that it required some effort. For 2025 I plan to have a similar goal but to include the larger area in order to include some places that I’ve neglected for way too long.
There is ALWAYS something to do in DC!
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