What I don’t know about art could fill a book, but I know what I like and that’s all that matters, right? What’s that old saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder? It’s common knowledge the museums of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC are well-known and highly regarded.  However, it’s not so commonly known that the Sackler and Freer Galleries, together form the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian Art.  They may not be as well-known, but they are definitely well-worth visiting.

Any visit to Washington, DC should include a walk on the National Mall. One can easily spend an entire day walking and exploring the 2-mile loop trail along the National Mall and another 2-mile loop around the Tidal Basin. Taking in the sites and memorials that line the mall will keep everyone interested.  To make it easier for visitors to the city, we’re sharing a few insider tips and helpful hints, for taking a walk on the National Mall.

Once upon a time we thought we wanted to live in the country, in Frederick, MD to be precise.  We bought a sweet little brick house that just happened to sit in the middle of five acres of pretty pasture grass.  Fast forward 2 1/2 years and we sold the house and bought one way tickets to Europe.  As much as we loved the small city of Frederick and our little brick house, it turned out we didn’t love living in the country. As a friend said, “How could you know you wouldn’t enjoy living in the country if you didn’t try?”  With that being said though, here’s why you should visit Frederick, MD.

Some things are just fun and fascinating to see.  It was with that mindset we visited the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center.  Getting to see the Space Shuttle Discovery up close and personal was beyond fun and fascinating.  It was awesome.  And, it was a testament to man’s ingenuity and dedication.

I couldn’t help but notice the boxes of tissue as we entered the screening room at James Madison’s Montpelier.  By the end of the film, I understood the need.  Although it didn’t actually bring tears to my eyes, the story of Ellen and the enslaved community in which she lived at Montpelier, tugged at my heart.  It left me wanting to learn more.

In full disclosure The National Portrait Gallery is not exactly off the beaten path in Washington, DC.  But, I’m betting you don’t hear as much about the gallery as you do other museums in the city.  Case in point.  The National Portrait Gallery had 831,000 visits in 2017 while the National Air and Space Museum had 1.6 million visits.  (Smithsonian Visitor Statistics) So, yeah, in my book it’s a bit off the beaten path.

When you think of Washington, DC, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The DC Murals, right? Ha! I’m betting your answer was politics.

When most people think of Washington, DC, politics is probably the first thing that comes to mind.  It’s only natural.  But, here’s the thing, the city has so much more to offer, that politics really does seem to take a back seat on most days.  Don’t ever let the current political vibe dissuade you from visiting such a beautifully diverse city.

I hate to admit it but we’ve been living just outside of Washington, DC for the past 3 1/2 years and it was only just today that we finally made it to Ben’s Chili Bowl – the iconic diner.

We continue to wait.  Six weeks plus three days and counting…  To silence the inner countdown clock, if even for just a few hours, we took ourselves on a bit of an adventure to Great Falls National Park where we took a good long hike and spent the afternoon communing with Mother Nature.  And then we stuffed ourselves with hamburgers, fries and a decadent milk shake topped with whipped cream and a cherry.  It did the trick.  Unfortunately, today the inner countdown clock is ticking louder than ever.

It was on our calendar.  We’d take a daycation to Washington, DC to see the Cherry Blossooms at their peak.  It would make two years in a row after missing them for more years than I care to remember.  But, mother nature had her own game plan. The early unseasonably warm weather fooled the trees in to an early bloom and then just when the blossoms were peaking, in rolled an arctic blast and 10″ of snow fell in some of the surrounding areas.  We weren’t going anywhere!