Washington, DC – be a tourist without being a tourist

Okay – so you’re in Washington, DC.  You want to do see stuff but without being too touristy.  Here’s my top tips!

1. See the monuments at night.

Everything looks nicer lit up and there’s  no pesky tourists – if you’re driving you’ll find parking easily!

2. Go to the Smithsonian museums on the weekend.

I kid you not, this is THE time to go.  If you want to be rundown by a bunch of school kids, then by all means, go during the week.  But, if you value your life and actually want to see things like the Hope Diamond, then go to the Smithsonians on the weekend.

3.Be a part of a protest – no seriously.

DC has that many protests on any given day… if there’s one going on in the city and you believe in their cause, give them a helping hand.  You may find that there’s an amazing backstory to the other protesters who are joining you on the day.

4. Use the Metro.

It’s one of the easiest ways to get around the city and it takes you where you need to go, plus every station looks like a movie set (or bomb shelter – but that’s what they were made for).

5. Explore Roosevelt Island.  

It’s one of those lesser-known places in DC that’s worth the trip. Celebrating the life of great outdoorsy man, Theodore Roosevelt!  On another note, you can see most of the animals he killed during his term.  They are located in the Natural History Museum (and the Teddy Bear is named after him).