Washington DC, USA (3 Days Trip)

This is part of my 1 week trip to USA (Washington DC and New York) and it is definitely insufficient to cover both cities however I am in need of a good break.

Washington DC is very easy to navigate and most attractions are reachable by Metro, the only place which I had to take a bus is to/from George Town.  I bought a SmarTrip card which can be used on the Metro as well as the buses.  More information on the SmarTrip card can be found here.

My initial plan was to explore Crystal City and Arlington on the first day I arrive but due to the long flight delay I have scrapped that plan.  So I started the day with a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.  This is a very educational visit, there is a section on mammals providing facts where you might not know of each mammals, a section on human evolution which I find tremendously interesting, a section on marine life and also a section on dinosaurs.  There are also other exhibitions when I was there like a display of gems.  Also this museum is free which is surprisingly as the exhibits are much much better than alot of paid museums outside.

Some photos of the museum (didn't take much pictures as I am still recovering from my lack of sleep the previous 2 days).

Next I visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum which is also free.  This museum touches also on the evolution of flight and the discoveries and advancement during the different period, a highly recommended museum for aviation enthusiast.  However if you are more looking for a flight experience like a flight simulator than this isn't really the place for you.

As you enter the building you will be wow by the different life size planes hanging over the hall.

After visiting the museum I also saw lots of food trucks lining the streets, which is a common sights in Washington DC.

I took a leisure walk along National Mall towards the Washington Monument then on to Lincoln Memorial, it was a very relaxing walk with people jogging and some walking their dog, the temperature was also a comfortable 15-18 degrees celsius.

It was almost dinner time and I took a bus to George Town to try the famous Luke's Lobster.  It is quite a small shop which spans 2 floor.  There was another table other than me at that time, not sure if it is popular among the locals as well or only made famous by foreigners' blog.  They are quite generous with the lobster (huge chunks of meat), however I do not find it spectacular at $16.50

The next day I went for breakfast at the famous Lincoln's waffle shop.  Again I forgot to take a picture of what I ate.  After that I strolled past Ford's Theater, which is also the site where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

After which I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  If you are into history this is a must visit museum when you are in DC.  The museum brings you through the events of world war II which is very educational and can be emotional at times, reminding us peace is not to be taken for granted.  If you take time on each exhibit, the visit can easily take up more than half of your day.

A visit to the white house is also a must do during your visit to the capital.  Security was very tight at the white house after the recent Paris bombing.

I went to shop around George Town and call it a day.  Note that the shops at George Town close around 7pm.

A few shots of my hotel room at Westin Crystal City.

The next morning I took the Amtrak train which brings me straight into New York City Penn Station. The ride was comfortable and spacious.  The journey took about 3 hours and cost USD52.

Locations

1) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
    Nearest Metro Station: Federal Triangle or Smithsonian

2) Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
    Nearest Metro Station: L'Enfant Plaza

3) Washington Monument
    Nearest Metro Station: Federal Triangle or Smithsonian

4) Lincoln's Memorial
    Nearest Metro Station: Foggy Bottom - GWU (18 minutes walk away)

5) Luke's Lobster
    1211 Potomac St NW, Washington, DC 20007
    Monday-Sunday: 11am - 9pm

6) Lincoln Waffle Shop, 504 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20004, United States
    Nearest Metro Station: Metro Center Station or Gallery Place Chinatown

7) Ford's Theatre
    Nearest Metro Station: Metro Center Station or Gallery Place Chinatown

8) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
    Nearest Metro Station: Smithsonian

9) White House
    Nearest Metro Station: Metro Center Station or Macpherson Sq

10) Westin Crystal City
     Nearest Metro Station: Crystal City