Travel Itinerary: Three Days in Washington D.C.

If you’re looking for a place to travel with kids and want to choose a place where multiple attractions are close in proximity, D.C. is that place. The best part about D.C. is that most of those sites are free, which large families will truly appreciate. My wife and I traveled here with our 7-month-old, finding places that suited all of us. You can walk to the various tourist sites if you’re staying downtown or anywhere near the U.S. Capitol. If you’re staying outside the city and are driving in, I recommend using an app such as Park Whiz or Spot Hero and parking at a nearby garage for the duration of the day. Metered parking is also available, but they have two or three-hour limits.

Day One- National Mall Area

Our first stop was the Washington Monument. It’s the tallest building in D.C. and a great starting point or meetup point because you can’t miss it. The immediate area surrounding the monument was fenced off since it was getting a facelift. Nonetheless, it’s an iconic structure, and the field surrounding the monument is perfect for a picnic or flying kites.

Continuing our path, our second stop was the World War II Memorial, a short walk to the west. The Memorial itself was excellent, but the highlight of our time here was the presence of WWII veterans.

WWIImemorial — *World War II Memorial Fountain with The Washington Monument in the background*

Before coming here, I had only seen 2 or 3 WWII vets. Seeing an entire group of men and women serving our country decades ago was cool. Thank you again for your service! After spending about 25 minutes here, we continued to the Lincoln Memorial.

LincolnMemorialFront — *Front of the Lincoln Memorial*

The Lincoln Memorial is very popular, and you will find people here even past midnight when the Lincoln statue is illuminated. As you enter, the first floor has information on the Civil War and its impact on the country. The second floor is where the statue of Lincoln is situated. They have elevators if you cannot climb the stairs or have a stroller.

When you climb the stairs and look towards the east (the path we came from), you get a fantastic view of the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

After spending 40-45 minutes here, we walked to the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial.

The MLK Memorial is next to the Tidal Basin, and you must walk south of Independence Avenue. The next stops were the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

JeffersonMemorial2 — *Front entrance to the Jefferson Memorial*

The Jefferson Memorial is a beautiful building influenced by the Pantheon of Rome. It’s the place to be if you’re in D.C. in early April when the cherry blossoms are full. The map below shows our path from the Washington Monument to the Jefferson Memorial. I’d budget around 3 hours if you really want to experience all the monuments and take pictures.

By the time we were done seeing all the memorials, it was time to get my restless 7-month-old son to the hotel so he could take his usual nap. After dinner, we walked to the South Lawn of the White House at night to take pictures.

No matter who is in office, the White House is just a beautiful building. I prefer the night view as the dark backdrop has a certain elegance. Once we were finished taking pictures here, our first day was in the books.

Day Two – Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Memorial at Night

Mother Nature did not want to cooperate with us on our second day in D.C. We had to deal with rain and thunderstorms, which took most of the outdoor attractions out of the picture. Fortunately, D.C. has a lot of excellent indoor attractions, so we took advantage of this and visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. There are some fascinating exhibits at this museum, and it’s also an interactive museum with hands-on activities that kids will enjoy.

Smithsonian4 — The aquarium at the coral reef exhibit was a favorite among many infants and kids, my son included.

Smithsonian5 — *The famous Hope Diamond*

If you want to see everything comfortably, budget at least 1.5 hours for the Smithsonian. After dinner, the rain mostly stopped, and many people recommended walking to the Lincoln Memorial at night. The Washington Monument reflects off the pool, making for a fantastic picture.

LincolnNight — The statue at night looks really cool.

Day Three: Capitol Hill and Smithsonian Zoo

In the early afternoon, we made the 15-minute walk to the Capitol Building. It was a picture-perfect day with no clouds in sight.

NationalMallcapitolview — View of the National Mall from the Capitol

Unlike all the other sites we had visited in D.C., the Smithsonian Zoo was a 12-15 minute drive from our hotel downtown. Like all the sites we had visited thus far, this one was also free of charge. And for a free zoo, it really had a lot to offer.

We saw lions, tigers, cheetahs, gorillas, giraffes, elephants, and other animals. This place is perfect for kids and offers something for people of all ages.

Other Places of Interest to Consider

Since we were here for three days with a seven-month-old, seeing everything we wanted in that short window would be impossible. If you are going to D.C., consider visiting the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and the Sackler Gallery. The National Museum of Archives is home to the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The Emancipation Proclamation. All these attractions are free, and if you are interested, you can make a small donation when you enter or exit. D.C. is a beautiful city with no shortage of things to do and places to see. It’s a very walkable city and a great place for budget travelers who experience world-class attractions at no cost.

My wife and I got to experience this beautiful property courtesy of our AMEX free weekend night certificates. Unfortunately, the American Express Hilton Honors Ascend Card no longer has this benefit on the cardmember anniversary. You have to spend $15,000 in a given year to get the free night, and I don’t think it’s worth forgoing points with Chase or AMEX Platinum/Gold to pursue a free night with Hilton in most instances. Since my wife and I have the AMEX Hilton Honors Ascend Card, we combined our free nights into a weekend stay. The nightly rate for our room was $450, so we got $900 worth of value plus $50 credit toward dining for the annual fee we paid for both cards ($95 per card).

Check-In

Walking into the hotel, take the elevator to the third floor. There is no second floor; the third floor is where the check-in desk, lounge, restaurant, and lobby are located. Upon checking in, the receptionist verified our Hilton Gold status, courtesy of the AMEX card, and upgraded us to a room on the 9th floor. We could choose 1,000 Hilton points or a $50 dining credit as Hilton Gold members. We took the dining credit (I don’t recommend taking the points in this scenario). The receptionist was kind enough to give us a mini-tour of the hotel, Estuary restaurant, and some of the amenities this hotel offers.

ConradLobby — *The circular lamp changes color each hour.*

My first impression when walking in was that this hotel did not have many 90-degree angles. The architect made a concerted effort to make the interior as curvy as possible. The lobby was beautiful, and since the hotel was only 45 days old when we stayed, it still had that brand-new scent.

ConradClock — *Looking down from the 10th floor to the lobby below.*

Room

Our room was on the 9th floor, with a nice view of New York Street below. Keeping up with the theme, the room was curvy but spacious and very comfortable.

As an avid coffee drinker, I always appreciate it when a hotel provides a Keurig-type machine with pods. The coffee was complimentary, per usual, but the snacks were completely overpriced. If you need snacks, there is a CVS across the street where you can get the same offerings for 1/4 of the price.

The bathroom provided two sinks and a separate blurred door to the toilet so two people could use the bathroom simultaneously while still having some privacy.

The toiletries were Shanghai Tang, and the scent was very nice—not too overpowering but not too light either. The room also provided slippers, a safe, laundry bag, iron, and bathrobes.

Estuary and Estuary Bar

Estuary is the restaurant on the premises on the 3rd floor. We went there for breakfast on Saturday morning and ordered a custom-made omelet and buttermilk pancakes. Both were delicious, albeit smaller in portion than your typical brunch diner.

The Estuary Bar area was spacious, and seating was plentiful during the day. If an event is going on at the hotel, it’ll likely get packed in the evening and into the late night.

Third Floor Terrace and Rooftop Bar

Since the hotel was only 45 days old during our stay, the Rooftop Bar was not officially open to guests, so I could only take pictures from behind the glass door. The 3rd-floor terrace was open for use.

ConradBalconyView — *View from the Rooftop Bar*

ConradTerrace — *The Terrace on the 3rd-floor*

Fitness Center

The fitness center was one of the better ones I had seen at a hotel. Upon entering, guests are greeted with towels, earphones, and apples.

ConradGym2 — *There are multiple treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes*

ConradGym3 — *If you’re into lifting, they have that covered as well.*

Concluding Thoughts

Although I forgot to measure the internet speed, I had no speed or Wi-Fi connectivity issues. If you plan to park your car at the Conrad, parking in their garage is $36 a day. I used the ParkWhiz app and found a garage two blocks away, allowing me to park for $14. There is also metered parking on the street, but it has a three-hour time limit during business hours and is free overnight. One of the most appealing aspects of staying at Conrad DC is that the National Mall, White House, Capitol building, Smithsonian, and many other points of interest are only 10-15 minutes away by walking. I also want to acknowledge the receptionists on the 3rd floor who always gave us complimentary bottles of water whenever we walked by. The staff made an excellent stay that much better.

We look forward to coming back in the future.