Hidden Gems of Washington D.C.

 Via Matador Network. 

Washington D.C. is a city that needs no introduction. It is not only the geographic capital city of the US, it is the political capitol of the world. In it there are the most emblematic landmarks of the country, such as the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln monument, enough museums to entertain for months, and pop culture references in every corner. It can be a very intimidating city due to its political and cultural context, but it has enough natural landscapes (cherry blossoms! the Potomac!) to relax your mind and body for a while. If you already know this city or are looking for something beyond typical tourist spots, this list is for you. 

The woods in the middle of  Georgetown

Via DumbartonOaks.com

Dumbarton Oaks is a research institute of Harvard University set in the middle of the residential area of Georgetown. The property is Robert and Mildred Bliss's legacy, a couple of art collectors and humanities aficionados. Inside the house, you can find exhibits of artifacts from different times and regions, from the Byzantine Empire, to WWI. The music room was host of diplomatic conversations that led to the creation of a UN chapter. Besides, it offers a private library and temporary exhibits, but the house almost falls short to the surrounding garden. This "garden" is actually 53 acres big, filled with terraces, plains, orchards, greenhouses, a pool, and more. On springtime, you can watch over 120 blooming plant species, and during wintertime, entrance is free. Dumbarton Oaks is the Narnia of Georgetown: way bigger on the inside. 

Fun fact: in 2014, National Geographic named Dumbarton Oaks one of the 10 best gardens in the world. 

A hostal before hostelworld.com

Via Gretsky Dog and Friends (YouTube)

In the town of Alexandria, lies a very popular 1800's style restaurant: Gadsby's Tavern. A little less popular is the museum right beside it, a small adjacent building that invites you to explore the rest of the inn in all its glory. Many of us are familiar with the concept of a tavern thanks to historical T.V. shows and movies depicting them (i.e. Pirates of the Caribbean), but few of us really know about the state and management of such a place. The essentials of a tavern are a communal dinning hall, bedrooms with sacs or cots, and an open space for balls or assembly. Generally, an inn like this one would host travelers and townspeople. What's so special about Gadsby's Tavern is that it was also apt for higher class people: besides the dinning hall, there is a private dinning room that George Washington came to use a couple times, a private bedroom with it's own washing station that housed Marquis de Lafayette, and a ballroom in which Thomas Jefferson celebrated his Inaugural Ball after achieving the presidency of the United States. Not bad for a seemingly 10-square-feet building. 

Fun fact: taverns used to have huge mirrors hung on the walls to reflect candlelight, thus illuminating the whole room. 

Trivia night in a local bar

Via GIPHY.

Trivia night is a big part of U.S. popular culture. Even though entertainment outlets tend to picture them as the exciting night out of a nerd and their elite dorky team and take the game too seriously, a trivia night is more of a game among friends that tests your knowledge on pop culture than an actual highly intellectual challenge. It is a nice setting to have a good time, release some stress through healthy competition and maybe even learn some things. Many local bars offer trivia nights along with drink promos or theme quizzes (I dare anyone to challenge me to a Harry Potter-themed trivia night). It has even become the specialty of some places, like Trivia Tuesday at Tombs, Georgetown University's alumni's go-to bar. It is a good alternative to make the best out a weekday night. 

Fun fact: Beelzebub, demon mentioned in the song Bohemian Rhapsody, appears in the Bible as one of the fallen angels and is said to be the prince of demons. 

A museum worthy of the front page   

Via Urooj Ali. 

Newseum is not exactly a hidden museum, but perhaps it is a little undervalued. The idea of spending an afternoon at a museum dedicated to journalism can seem dense and unattractive. However, it is a highly interactive place with areas of interest for everyone. From Pulitzer Prize winning photograph galleries and front pages of newspapers around the world (updated each morning!) to an interactive T.V. show set where you can film yourself giving breaking news, the Newseum achieves its purpose to prove that, for better or for worse, journalism is a powerful tool today and always. As a graphic description of "seeing the bigger picture", the museum plays a short film with history-making events of the last century that places equal weight on the Cold War space race and Brexit, giving a very important conclusion: in a not-so-distant future, other people will see our reality the way we see WWII or the creation of the automobile; we truly are living, and changing, history.  

Fun fact: late night comedy news shows such as Comedy Central's The Daily Show and SNL's Weekend Update, are currently the most consumed news sources in the U.S. 

A walk down Film Street 

Via TraveltoUSA.nl

Picture a romcom, any romcom: the main protagonist is walking hand-in-hand with the love of their life, everything surrounding them is perfect, no one bumps into them and the cars actually respect street signs. That's how it feels to walk down M Street. This street feels like a movie set because it's so chill and quiet for such a busy street, it's almost surreal. It is the perfect place to spend an entire day: it is filled with diverse, delicious and 'grammable restaurants and coffee shops, trendy fashion stores that fulfill any shopaholic´s desires (from the high couture and fashion-forward, to the sale upon sale), and, as final entertainment, miscellaneous stores: a huge variety of bookshops, galleries, stationary stores, showrooms and boutiques that will make you feel like walking through your Pinterest board. M Street is the trend hub of Washington D.C.'s lifestyle.

Fun fact: an important landmark in M Street is the PNC bank, a building with a golden dome. Inside it, you can find a vault that has been in service since the 19th century. 

An underestimated cupcake

Via Yelp. 

If you're into cupcakes, you have probably heard of DC Cupcakes, TLC's reality show that follows the Kallinis sisters as they manage Georgetown Cupcake, their cupcake shop. Thanks to the show and its live cam that shows kitchen activities in real time, this place has become very popular and usually has a wait line that goes out to the street. But, if what you're looking for is a truly delicious cupcake, the right place is Baked & Wired. This coffee shop is slightly off M Street and outsider's radar, although it is gaining popularity by the day. Their counter gives away a concept of local bakery and family recipes that contrasts the grunge aesthetic of the rest of the place. With a rustic ambience and original item names, even shopping for the cupcake is a whole experience. Baked & Wired is part of the movement against wifi to invite face-to-face conversation, but what it really provides is a quiet moment to enjoy the true love between a person and their dessert.

Fun fact: Razmanian Devil, Elvis Impersonator AKA The Unporked Elvis, Karen's Birthday, and Uniporn & Rainho are just a few of the names for the cupcakes on the menu.  

Via Cocorina.

The silver lining of visiting D.C. right in the middle of Trump's government shutdown, during which all government buildings where closed to the public (yes, including the Smithsonians), is that my big sister had to get creative on the places she took me to.