Wen preparing to travel to Washington, D.C., you probably already know by name many of the current attractions and major places of interest that are around the area: the White House, the Capitol, Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. All of these are popular tourist attractions and are, for the most part, available in the National Mall. With so much to see and do, you can tour these locations and several important museums in the heart of the city. However, there is more to Washington, D.C. then this location and you need to make sure and get out from just right here. Thankfully, there are some other major places of interest in the city and it should help you break away from the throngs of tourists as well.
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is one of the more underrated areas of the city. There are some of the best museums in the entire city right here, not to mention historic homes, a majority of the foreign embassies and a large variety of ethnic restaurants. Due to the embassies in the area, there is almost no kind of food that you are not going to find right here. This makes it a desirable stopover, either for tours or a delicious lunch.
The National Zoo
There are over 450 different species inside the National Zoo, which has a total space of 163 acres. Situated in the heart of the Rock Creek National Park, there are all sorts to see and do here. This is perfect for a family with younger children who might be a bit too young to enjoy the museums and political importance of the other locations in the city.
Eastern Market
The open air market is located right on Capitol Hill. After you tour some of the exhibits, museums, and monuments on the National Mall, you can take a break and head over to the Eastern Market, a different type of attraction. The weekend is the best time to visit this location because, although it is open throughout the week, the weekend brings in additional arts and crafts, which increases the number of exceptional offerings you are going to come in contact to.
Penn Quarter
Penn Quarter is the heart of the downtown Washington, D.C., district. There are smaller museums dedicated to individuals important to American history, but not necessarily to the status of the president. Plus, there are some of the best restaurants and art galleries set in this area of town, and if you are looking to break free from the normalcy of a visit to D.C., take a stop at one of the popular nightclubs on the strip to take in a side of Washington not everyone experiences.
There are all sorts of different options for attractions when it comes to planning your travel to Washington, D.C. From the more traditional experiences to the historically important tours, the city has it all and is bursting with American history that every citizen should enjoy.
