Christine & Michael
Things To Do
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
If you are a space nerd, this is the place to be! The flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, exhibits aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts and has been recently renovated. Being a Smithsonian means that the museum is free, but you have to obtain a free timed entry pass before you go.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The pandas are back!!!!! The Smithsonian National Zoo is one of the treasures in Washington D.C., especially now that we have two pandas back in residence. The zoo contains all kinds of animals and exhibits and is a wonderful day to spend an afternoon. Bonus points is that it is very close to where Chrissy and Michael live in Cleveland Park. Being a Smithsonian means that the zoo is free, although you need to reserve a free time entry pass before you go. Afterwards you can stop at one of Chrissy and Michael's favorite casual restaurants for a bite to eat including the local pub, Nanny O'Briens, or Dolan Uyghur famous for their home made asian noodles in a dish called the Korma Chop.
Any José Andrés Restaurant
José Andrés is a famous Spanish-American chef with multiple restaurants in Washington, D.C. Michael and Chrissy have been to many (if not all) of his various restaurants around town for holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. They can be on the pricier side, but have creative and delicious dishes. His restaurants include Oyamel Cocina Mexicana (Mexican), Jaleo (Spanish), China Chilcano (Asian/Spanish fusion), Zaytina (Mediterranean) and others. If you are looking to be wowed with food, any José Andrés restaurant is a safe bet!
Dumbarton Oaks Park
Dumbarton Oaks is for garden lovers as well as art lovers. It has formal gardens and a research library & museum for Byzantine & pre-Columbian artifacts. The property is also walking distance from Georgetown, where you can go shopping, find local eats like Georgetown cupcakes, and walk along the waterfront.
Billy Goat Trail
If you are looking to get active and have a car, head out to the billy goat trail! Michael and Chrissy have hiked these trails a thousand times. Certain sections of the hike are more relaxed while others are more active with rock scrambles, so be intentional about which section you pick to hike. If you don't have a car but are still looking to stay active, the biggest park in D.C. is Rock Creek Park where you can get your fill of hiking, biking, and walking trails.
Nationals Park (Baseball) or Audi Field (Soccer)
If you are a sports person you have events to choose from! Both Nats Park and Audi Field are accessible by metro at the Navy Yard station and have sporting events the weekend of the wedding. The Washington Nationals play the Chicago White Sox at Nats Park all weekend. If you are a women's soccer fan (if you aren't, you should be) D.C.'s hottest sports team, the Washington Spirit, play the Houston Dash Sunday September 27 at Audi Field. If you are ambitious, you could even see a game of each for the perfect double header weekend. You can even hit up some of our favorite beer gardens near the stadiums including Walters, Dacha, and Blue Jacket.
