72 Hours in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is America’s capital and the home of go-go music. Since I live in the Northeast, this exceptional city is only about a three-hour hop, skip, and train ride away from me. So I took the Amtrak to see what D.C., aka, “The District” is all about.

Before reading about my experience, here’s what you should know:

• I stayed at Thompson Washington DC in the Navy Yard neighborhood, which is near two major Metro stations.
• I left my vehicle at home (there can be a lot of traffic) and relied solely on Lyft rides, public transportation, and my own two feet to get around town.
• I am an artsy woman who enjoys seeing street art/murals, visiting exhibitions, and getting to experience various cities like a local.

Here’s how I spent 72 hours in Washington, D.C., and everything I loved most about my stay.

Ben’s Chili Bowl

This famous large-scale mural, The Torch, was painted by Aniekan Udofia with Mia Duval and is located on the side of Ben’s Chili Bowl. There are two Ben’s Chili Bowl locations in D.C., U Street and H Street. The restaurant on U Street is the original location and it’s historic in nature. So I had to head over and try the mambo sauce, and its famous half-smoke. Somewhere down the line, I also discovered why the banana pudding is also a local fan-favorite.

U Street Murals

U Street is a mecca of Black culture and is known for its alleyways filled with elaborate murals. Just a few steps away from the Ben’s Chili Bowl mural, several long, alleyway murals decorate the side of the street’s businesses.

Cory Lee Stowers

Just a few steps away from Ben’s Chili Bowl, I stumbled across a famous Paul Robeson mural in D.C. titled, All Men Are Brothers. This large-scale 25-foot mural is located in an alleyway on U Street, and it was created by Cory Lee Stowers, with the help of Eric B. Ricks and several others.

Joel Bregner

Currulao y Desplazamiento is a mural in D.C. that is dedicated to the Afro-Colombians who were displaced from conflict in Colombia. Currulao derives from the word cununao, which refers to drums of African origin, that are essential in Afro-Colombian music from the Pacific region. It also can refer to music with origins in this area, and a traditional dance step that is performed to it. The look of joy on the women’s face is why I gravitated towards this profound mural. But as I walked closer, I noticed the looks of despair on the faces of the people at the bottom of her dress.

Joe Pagac

Standing at 70 feet tall, Wailin’ Mailman by muralist, Joe Pagac, is considered the largest mural in Washington, D.C., to honor an individual. To visitors, he’s just a man in a uniform playing the saxophone, but to the D.C. community, he is the beloved, historical, Buck Hill native who delivers the mail by day and retreats to a corner in his leisure to release sweet melodies into the air.

Alberto “Sabek” Clarencia

Kinded is a large scale mural in D.C., that was created by popular Spanish street artist, Alberto Clarencia a.k.a. Sabek. Behind this vibrant artwork lies a powerful message that screams, “No matter what end of the spectrum we fall on or who we appear to be on the outside, we’re all human.”

The Yards Park

There are two things I noticed about D.C. that I absolutely loved, there are lots of dogs, and almost every area I encountered was walking-friendly. The Yards Park was no exception to this rule. A few miles of land, sea, restaurants, and walkable bridges with breathtaking views were really all I needed to feel at home.

La Famosa

If you live anywhere up North, especially the New York area, you’re probably not going to be the biggest fan of La Famosa. But I tried it anyway, and it was pretty good. La Famosa is a fun, cozy corner restaurant that boasts of its traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. I tried La Tripleta (Triple Meat Sandwich), chicharrones de cerdo (fried pork), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and I topped it off with the Puerto Riki-Tikki.

If I were to rate this restaurant, I would give it a solid 3/5 stars.

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art

Ayana V. Jackson

I was taken aback by all the vibrant patterns, sculptures, and artifacts that consumed me at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

This dress (photographed above) by Ayana V. Jackson is one of the standout pieces in her exhibit From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson. After speaking with a museum docent, I learned that the white hues consuming the black dress of the mannequin had a much deeper meaning than I had initially thought. Now that the veil of mystery has been ripped open, this ensemble is even more fascinating than before.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

If you’ve ever been to the Smithsonian, you know that the first three low-level floors consist of hours of history surrounding the Transatlantic slave trade. That segment of the museum alone is said to take around 1.5 hours to view in its entirety. So, I skipped it this time around and ventured towards the top floors to witness the more artistic side of things.

This shiny, red car (photographed above) is said to be Chuck Berry’s famous red Cadillac Eldorado.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts reopened on October 21, 2023, at its new location on 250 New York Ave NW. It’s so new, that my Lyft driver had no idea the place existed. It was like embarking on uncharted territory for the very first time. With a boasted 15% more gallery space and around 6,000 artworks by hundreds of women artists, the National Museum of Women in the Arts surely didn’t disappoint.

Rina Banerjee

Union Market DC

Union Market DC is located in the Union Market District of D.C., and it is a gem. I entered on the other side, but I knew there was a mural somewhere on this building. So I took a walk around it to get a full shot of the beautiful mural (photographed above), Entrepreneurship is a Boxing Match, by Brandon “BMike” Odums. Inspiration for this mural was sparked by a Black Girl Ventures x Nike partnership that aimed to honor women entrepreneurs from the DMV area, and it was inspired by a poem written by its founder, Shelly Omilâdè Bell.

In addition, there were a few vendors outside and the indoor area had an art show taking place on the second floor. Not to mention, the area is swarming with two of my favorite attractions—cute cafés and murals.

Union Market District Murals

Cleverly hidden within several Union Market District alleyways are murals by talented artists from all around the world. Aside from BMike, whose work I’ve seen in New York City and New Jersey, I was discovering many of the other artists I encountered on my Union Market District stroll for the first time.

Mariela Ajras

La Cosecha (the Harvest) is a mural by Argentinian artist, Mariela Ajras. It was a donation from the Inter-American Development Bank in honor of its 60th anniversary.

Dieglo

While on my way to see La Cosecha, I spotted the mural above by well-known D.C. street artist, Dieglo Studios. This one has quickly become a personal favorite of mine.

Overall, D.C. was a vibe.

From the Metro to the museums, Washington, D.C., lived up to the hype. Except, mambo sauce didn’t exactly taste the way I had envisioned it, it was much sweeter. When it comes to planning the perfect trip, it’s all about location. Navy Yard was a convenient commute away from almost everything worth seeing. It was only a 16-minute walk away from Rubbell Museum, which was closed for renovation when I was in town ( I was really looking forward to visiting). But overall, Washington, D.C., is a wonderful city.

I was rather impressed with how affordable takeout, transportation, and entertainment were. In fact, a majority of the museums I attended were free of charge. Mural hunting outdoors rarely comes at a charge (It’s one of the many things I love about it). So you’re probably wondering, Will I visit Washington, D.C., again? The answer is yes. In fact, I’m already planning another trip for next year.