A Destination Celebration

What more could you want for a great get-away? -- springtime cherry blossoms, seat of our government, great cultural opportunities, fabulous restaurants – all great celebration opportunities for family events, birthdays and spring anniversaries.  Our nation’s capital is the perfect choice for so many occasions.  If the focus will be on culture – the Smithsonian, The National Gallery of Arts, The Phillips Gallery and an overview of the major monuments such as the Capital, and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials,  the World War II  Memorial and, the newest one, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – start planning now. Reservations are notoriously hard to get.  It is hard to miss the White House, but an interior tour would be nice and a visit can be arranged though your Congressman.  The visitor already well-acquainted with Washington may want to visit outside the city to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home and gardens across the Potomac, and to Old Town Alexandria. Whatever the season, there is always a great deal to see in D.C., but it is particularly popular in the spring.

What's to Do and to See

Whatever the focus of your trip, Washington is the history buff’s delight – what with everything from the White House, Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and Booth’s Theatre. The majesty of the city was laid out by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a Frenchman who had been asked to join in the American Revolutionary War on behalf of the American colonies.  He arrived in 1777 at the age of 23, serving as a military engineer in the Continental Army with Major General Lafayette.  Despite his aristocratic origins, L'Enfant closely identified with the new country. After serving with General George Washington at Valley Forge, he served in Washington’s staff as a Captain of Engineers for the remainder of the Revolutionary War.   Following the war, L'Enfant established a successful and highly profitable civil engineering firm in New York City and achieved some fame as an architect by redesigning the City Hall in New York for the First Congress in Federal Hall.  President Washington appointed L'Enfant in 1791 to design the new capital city (later named the City of Washington), a development of the ten-mile square of federal territory that would later become the District of Columbia.

Where to Stay

We have our favorites as many do.  Location may depend on the emphasis of your trip. We love the Four Seasons in Georgetown.  After touring most of the day, we enjoy being able to browse the antique shops of Georgetown and be close to some of the finest restaurants -- 1789 and La Chaumiere among them. Georgetown provides the balance to the public side of the city, with quaint side streets of charming homes built during the country’s earliest years.  Another Georgetown-based hotel is the posh Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, just enough off the beaten path so that you can walk along the Potomac River, which the hotel overlooks.  It is every bit as posh as The Jefferson, which also captures top honors for one of the "Best Splurge Hotels" in the Washington D.C. 

Frommer's Travel Guide cites the most historic hotel as the 106 year old Willard InterContinental, which replaced a smaller hotel that existed in its location between 1816 and 1906.  The hotel has hosted nearly every U.S. president since Franklin Pierce in 1853.  President Ulysses S. Grant liked to unwind with cigar and brandy in the Willard lobby after a hard day in the Oval Office, and such literary luminaries as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens used to hang out in the Round Robin bar.  The Willard is a “stone’s throw” from the White House and adjacent to the National Mall for access to all the city’s great cultural and historic institutions.

Our absolute favorite, however, is the elegant and historical Jefferson Hotel, which wins one over with its gracious service and exquisitely decorated guest rooms, several with stunning views of the White House and Washington Monument.  Its bar, Quill, is a favorite of the neighborhood, which is populated by some of the city’s top embassies. The intimate, fine-dining restaurant, Plume, is one of the city’s best.  Even if not staying there, the restaurant should be on the special list for an anniversary or birthday dinner.  Another top hotel is the Hay-Adams has such a great, unobstructed view of the White House that one never forgets where they are.  For a coveted overlook of Washington's famous cherry blossoms in spring or of the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial year-round, stay at the Mandarin Oriental, specifying a room offering that particular view. The W Washington, D.C. Hotel takes in views of both the White House and the Washington Monument. There is the Mayflower Renaissance Washington hotel, the grande dame of City’s hotels, the Hilton, and the Omni Shoreham which is close to Rock Creek National Park and the National Zoo for families with children.

Dining in D.C.

There is no shortage of fine dining in Washington, not a surprise considering the high profile of government leaders, diplomatic corps and well-heeled lobbyists and lawyers.  Some of the hotel restaurants are mentioned above.  Another of our reasons for enjoying Georgetown for our stays is the easy access to some of the best restaurants as well.  Perhaps best known is Citronelle, home of the acclaimed, French-born chef, Michel Richard.  Wine critic Robert Parker is quoted as saying of him: “A great chef who is cooking at a level that far exceeds any three star chef in France.”  Insiders know that there is a bar lounge where small plates can satisfy the longing to enjoy Citronelle’s extraordinary food.  Many guests book into the Latham Hotel so as to have a better chance of procuring a reservation.

A casual place to remember is the café at the Dean & DeLuca in Georgetown.  The D.C.  Dean & DeLuca, referred to by many as the epicurean epicenter of the city, highlights regional specialties, such as Maryland-style crab cakes made from the morning’s catch from the Chesapeake Bay.  Both residents and international guests revel in barbecued baby back ribs, corn chowders, buttermilk-fried chicken, sweet potato casseroles and corn pudding.  Available for take-out, it also available for eating in their adjacent café.  At the very least, do not go home without the Dean & DeLuca cookbook.

The Old Ebbitt Grill is just steps from The White House and museums in downtown Washington. Established in 1856, it was a favorite of Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Harding and Theodore Roosevelt and is still a popular meeting spot for political insiders, journalists, celebrities and theater-goers.  Other popular Washington favorites include the Monocle on Capitol Hill, Nora and the prix fixe restaurant Komi at Dupont Circle.  Although we are told the restaurant has lost its earlier luster, we like Kinkead's for the best in seafood.

A Word About D.C. Art

One of the prime stops along the National Mall is the The National Gallery of Art.  The Gallery's collection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, and decorative arts traces the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas and the largest mobile ever created by Alexander Calder.  Its strength in 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting gives us in inspiration for our topic of entertaining.  The collection of Low Country still life paintings provide a glimpse of their fabulous fabrics, table silver and porcelains as well as the best of produce, fish and meat to celebrate their daily lives.  The National Gallery was established in 1937 for the people of the United States of America by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, with funds for construction and a substantial art collection donated by Andrew W. Mellon.  The Gallery's campus includes the original neoclassical West Building designed by John Russell Pope, which is linked underground to the modern East Building designed by I. M. Pei.  One of the popular upcoming exhibits from May through August will be a solo exhibit on Jean Miró, one of the greatest modern artists.  Don’t forget the visit to the exemplary collection of Impressionist art at the Phillips Gallery in the Dupont Circle area of the city.  In addition to its preeminence in this area, there is an impressive collection of contemporary artists as well.

Other Facets of the City

Not surprisingly, Georgetown is a popular Washington, D.C. neighborhood for shopping, as well as it dining and nightlife. This shopping mecca appeals to the younger crowd but also has plenty of boutiques and antique stores for all ages. Most of the shops in Georgetown are centered along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue.   Understandable with its international population, there are some wonderful antique shops in the District, most notably in Georgetown.  Some of the best are Jean-Pierre Antiques on Wisconsin Avenue, Marston House specializing in French and Swedish antiques, the Old Print Gallery and Susquehanna, in business for almost 100 years, where we have spotted Chinese export porcelains and Irish sterling silver spoons on one occasion.  The New York decorator, John Rosselli, maintains a shop here.  Do not miss A Mano (made by hand), which specializes in table ware and table-related accessories.  It is a home for Italian pottery and Vieri glassware.

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