Courtney & Shira
Things To Do
CityCenterDC
Within walking distance from the hotel, CityCenterDC is an outdoor shopping center filled with luxury stores, local cafés, renowned restaurants and park space in the middle of downtown! If it happens to be a warm day, take off your shoes and walk through the water feature, as Court did over the summer while Shira watched in horror, worrying about which foot fungus she might contract.
National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery houses the nation's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House. Courtney and Shira especially enjoyed viewing the portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (miss you. heart you. mean it). They also really loved the courtyard, so much so that they planned to get married there.... until they learned that this was out of their budget by roughly a million dollars. Needless to say, they chose a different art gallery.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters
This trendy neighborhood coffeehouse offers house-roasted espresso in a sleek, industrial-chic interior. Sure, it's not a handcrafted Oat Milk Latte from Court and Shira's beloved Breville Espresso Machine in their apartment. But it'll do for your morning pick-me-up before your four hour drive back to New York.
The White House
Less than a mile from the hotel is The White House, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Currently overrun by tyrants, feel free to stop by for a quick protest prior to our wedding! (disclaimer: if you get arrested, we will NOT have time to bail you out before Sunday afternoon)
Chinatown
If you're looking for some of the best authentic cuisine, look no further than Chinatown's approximately 20 Chinese restaurants. Check out the Friendship Arch, a traditional Chinese gate prominently on display at H and 7th Streets. Also, Shira wants you to know that when reading this back to Court, she thought Shira said "Chinese game" instead of "Chinese gate" and they had a thoroughly confusing discussion for at least 90 seconds.
Newseum
This seven-level museum opened in 2008 with the intention of promoting, explaining and defending the five freedoms of the First Amendment: speech, press, assembly, petition and religion. The Newseum features numerous interactive elements that make it one of the most cutting-edge museums in the world. Court went years ago and says it's awesome. Shira hasn't been yet, but would like to go while we still have a free press.