Washington D.C. In a Day

I admit, this itinerary is a very long day, but why not get the most out of your 24 hours in one of the most historic cities in the United States.

Mount Vernon

Start your day as early as possible.  We were at Mount Vernon when it opened at 9:00 am and were able to secure tickets to view the inside of the Mansion.  Tickets for the Mansion tour do sell out, so I advise you to get their early if you can.

If you want to see some of the history and where it all started, start your day early and go to Mount Vernon.

This former home of our 1^st President of the United States is just a short drive from D.C. and has some of the most spectacular views of the Potomac River.  No wonder why George and Martha choose to spend so much of their time here after he was our President.

As you enter the site you are able to walk through a beautiful museum dedicated to the history of George Washington.

Tour the Home (No photos are allowed of the inside of the home), but we were able to take photos of the outside, and the amazing back porch overlooking the Potomac River.

View all the Gardens and additional buildings that the property has to offer.

You could spend hours just walking around the beautiful grounds, but time is ticking, so now go back into the city and make a stop at some of the Smithsonian’s.

Because our time was limited, I wanted to hit the just a few of the museums.

National Air and Space Museum

This museum is amazing when you walk in the doors.  You see the giant planes hanging over head.  As you head around the museum you see giant Missiles and other amazing items of flight and space exploration.

National Museum of American History

Our next stop at the National Museum of American History which was just a few blocks from the National Air and Space Museum.

This museum is what America is all about.  As you walk in you see the amazing artwork of the Star Spangled Banner Flag.  Behind this enormous piece of art is the Original Flag that flew over Fort McHenry at the Battle of Baltimore.  The flag originally was on display on the front of the hall, but to preserve it, it is now behind glass in a dark room in the hall behind the wall.  This is amazing to see the original Star Spangled Banner.  This flag is what inspired Frances Scott Key to write the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry, and was later set to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven” by John Stafford Smith and later became our National Anthem.

Walking through the various halls takes you through different periods in American History.  One of my favorite Exhibits was the First Ladies Exhibit.  Dresses and China from each first lady are on display in this hall, and they are all breath taking.

Other exhibits through out the museum reflect on the incredible history of America.

Museum of Natural History

With all the amazing Smithsonian’s on the National Mall, it was hard to choose just a few, but with our limited time, I wanted to be sure I saw the amazing gems and Hope Diamond at the Museum of Natural History.

It is a grand experience as you walk into the rotunda and see the giant elephant on display.  Walking through the Hall of Mammals and the Oceans Exhibit are amazing.

A quick walk upstairs leads you the Hall of Gems.  This is where you can see the actual Hope Diamond on Display, as well as many other spectacular jewels.  You can also see many of the gemstone in their natural state.

The main reason to visit the Hall of Gems is to see the Hope Diamond up close and personal.  The history of the Hope Diamond does discuss a curse as the previous owners, Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, who were beheaded, are often cited as victims of the curse of the Hope Diamond.

Capitol

Once you are finished with your tours of the museums, take a walk down the National Mall to the Capitol.  Capitol Tours are available, but we just had time to tour the outside.

Spirit of Washington

Once you have finished at the National Mall, head over to the Warf and hop on board the Spirit of Washington for a sunset dinner cruise.

This evening cruise on the 4 story boat allows you to see amazing views of the city in the evening.  Enjoy a buffet meal and bars on board.  Then head up to the top deck to see the sights of D.C.  The boat goes out into the Potomac, and it is a very smooth 3 hour cruise.  You can see the beautiful town of Alexandria, see the Capital in the distance, the Washington Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and Regan National Airport.

Seeing the planes come in was a fun sight as the sun went down, as well as the beautiful sunset.

The views just kept getting better as the sun set.  Seeing the beautiful town of Alexanderia and all the lights was beautiful.

Towards the end of the cruise you are taken by National Harbor, where you can see the Gaylord Hotel and the Capital Ferris Wheel.

To see more about National Harbor and the Gaylord National Harbor, click on the button below.

I hope you enjoyed my full day exploring the amazing historic venues around Washington DC.  Any of the venues I explored could take an entire day to visit, but I wanted to highlight just some of the spots that were on my list.  Please let me know your thoughts and what your favorite DC sites are.