traveling with my bwuhs

We had a lovely, quick holiday trip to our nation’s capital. I’d love to say it scratched my itch to visit Washington, DC for a while—but instead, it left me wanting more. While DC’s physical footprint may be small, it’s absolutely packed with history, culture, and things to see and do. We barely made a dent in our bucket list (which you can check out here: Washington, DC Bucket List).

ZooLights at the National Zoo

Our first evening was spent at ZooLights at the National Zoo. The boys and I had visited the zoo a couple of years ago while we were in the Northern Virginia/DC area for my niece’s high school graduation, but this was Hubs’ first time. I wish we’d had time for him to experience the zoo during the day and see the animals—but that will just have to wait for another trip.

ZooLights itself was such a neat experience. Many of the trees were wrapped in traditional holiday lights or washed in colorful spotlights, and animal-shaped light displays lined the main paths through the zoo. We wandered from display to display, oohing and aahing along the way. The boys absolutely loved it—especially the delicious hot chocolate.

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The carousel was running throughout the evening, along with a light maze and a train ride (additional tickets were required for those). We wrapped up the night with dinner at Mika’s Neapolitan Pizza, a new restaurant right across the street from the zoo. Hubs and I opted for pasta—Mika’s Pasta and the Smoked Fettuccine Alfredo—and both were incredible. The Pull-Apart Cheese Bread was a hit, and the cocktails (the Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita and Mark Twain’s Old Fashioned) were perfectly made. The boys happily devoured their cheese pizza and buttered pasta.

Monuments, Memorials, and Meaning

The next day, we Ubered down to the National Mall and spent our time visiting monuments and memorials. I’d seen the Washington Monument many times before—usually from afar while driving through the city—but seeing it up close was a completely different experience. It’s impressive and immense in a way that photos just can’t capture.

I also learned something new: despite often being photographed together, the Reflecting Pool actually belongs to the Lincoln Memorial, not the Washington Monument. We viewed the Lincoln Memorial from the bottom of the steps as daylight faded, but climbing those steps will definitely be on our list for next time.

image credit: traveling with my bwuhs

image credit: traveling with my bwuhs

We visited several war memorials, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. Many of the fountains were drained for the season, so I’d love to return when they’re flowing and see them in their full glory. Even so, the memorials were deeply moving. The stars, the names—solemn reminders of what has been lost so that we can have what we do.

My mother’s father died during World War II and is buried in the Florence American Cemetery in Italy. My mom has his Purple Heart. Because of that, I’ve always felt a strong pull toward World War II history—and war history in general.

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The Korean War Memorial stopped me in my tracks. The realism of the statues is breathtaking. A wreath had been placed at the front with a note from a fellow soldier who had fought alongside them. It was simply stunning.

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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was equally solemn. As I walked along the wall, a woman knelt nearby, carefully doing a stone rubbing of a name. Another name had already been transferred to the paper. Notes “to the family of” were scattered throughout. It was impossible not to feel the weight of it all.

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Just beyond it sits the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. Before reading The Women by Kristin Hannah, I admittedly knew very little about women’s roles in Vietnam. That book opened my eyes and made me wonder just how close to the truth that “fiction” really was.

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Holiday Stops and a Powerful Museum

On our way out, we stopped at the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial, located on a small island in Constitution Gardens. It was fascinating to see the signatures etched in stone and to note where each signer was from—especially the few from South Carolina.

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We also swung by the National Christmas Tree near the White House. I’ll admit, it was smaller than I expected (the Rockefeller Christmas Tree may have spoiled me), but I learned that the tree’s variety and height change each year. Seeing it with the White House in the background was special, and I loved the student ornament displays. Each state and region—and even some school systems—had its own tree decorated with ornaments designed by a winning school.

Our one museum stop this trip was the National Museum of African American History & Culture, conveniently located across from the Washington Monument. The exhibits and artifacts were incredible. The stories they tell – their voices – are powerful. We explored three of the four floors and still didn’t see everything on those levels. I’m already looking forward to a return visit so we can spend time on the fourth floor and dive deeper into the exhibits we missed.

Until Next Time, DC

I can’t wait to return to Washington, DC and explore more. It truly feels like one of those places you can visit again and again—and still never see everything there is to see.

If you’ve been to Washington, DC, what was the highlight of your trip?

❤ Jen

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