Spending the 4th of July in Washington D.C.
4th of July in Washington D.C.
What better way to spend the 4th of July than spending it in the nation's capital. During this past fourth of July we had the opportunity to spend the 4th of July in Washington D.C. We were in Chicago for a friends wedding at the end of June and decided beings we were that close to D.C. we would fly on and celebrate being an American by being in the city that holds so much of the history of our great nation.
Itinerary for July 4th
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien
Shopping at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
Lunch at Shake Shack
Stop By Sprinkles Georgetown to get cupcakes to bring home
Explore Georgetown
Workout at Balance Gym inside Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown Hotel
Grab a Coffee & Snack at Baked & Wired
Head to Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. for a private party
Watch fireworks from Georgetown Waterfront Park
Arlington National Cemetery
Visiting Arlington National Cemetery is definitely an experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. You don't really stop and think of how big the cemetery is and the impact being around that many gravestones will have on a person. It was a very quick reminder that freedom isn't free.
We arrived at Arlington via the Washington Metro which was super quick and convenient. Arlington is just a short walk from the metro station. We opted for purchasing tour tickets so that we could get around without having to do so much walking. You can walk all of Arlington but we just didn't have that much time.
We visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where we witnessed the changing of the guard. After seeing this it sparked the thought that whether it is sunny or during inclement weather the changing of the guard takes place each and everyday. The sacrifice that our brave men and women who serve in our armed forces make is incredible. If you have ever seen Arlington or the changing of the guard it will leave you speechless and with a heavy heart.
Next we visited Arlington House which not only was humbling but had incredible views of D.C. They were in process of doing some restorations to the house while we were there but it was very neat to see some of the original artwork and furniture that was in the house.
Shopping at Fashion Centre
The shopping at Fashion Centre was incredible and to think how close it sits to the Pentagon. There are more than 170 stores and restaurants at the mall and a Ritz-Carlton hotel. Some of the top stores include Apple Store, Armani Exchange, Boss HUGO Boss, Coach, Kate Spade New York, Macy's, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Tumi and ZARA.
After we shopped our hearts out we took a break to grab lunch at Shake Shack. We aren't typically fans of fast food but after all we were in Washington D.C. for the 4th of July so we had to do the American thing of eating a burger and enjoying a delicious milkshake.
Private Party at Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
We first got the idea of attending a private party for the fourth of July because we did something similar in Sydney, Australia on New Year's for our honeymoon. Private parties are a great way to enjoy the occasion. Typically there is lots of great food, drinks and a great social setting at these types of events. This event was by tickets only but the ticket included all the food and cocktails you could drink. Cheers!
The Ritz-Carlton hosted their party in their beautiful outdoor space called "The Yard" which had the perfect private setting while incorporating a beautiful evening outside. The Ritz teamed up with a local distillery Jos. A. Magnus & Co. to get several different types of alcohol for their signature cocktails. Our favorite cocktail was the Magnus Mule (Joseph Magnus Bourbon, Fresh Lime, Muddled Ginger, Ginger Beer and Chili Spice) which was a twist on the popular Moscow Mule. These were quite easy to put away a few without much effort.
Now let's get to the mouth-watering part, the food. The food was absolutely incredible. The menu offered small tapas along with some small shareable entrees. Since we wanted to try all of the delicious food we ordered the tomato toast, local prosciutto wrapped summer melon, district steak street tacos, beef slider trio, white balsamic watermelon, scratch made mini corn dogs, crispy jerk chicken wings and flatbread just to name a few. Not only was the food delicious but the presentation was absolutely beautiful.
The staff working at the Ritz provided top notch service and each and everyone of them made an effort to get to know us, which was nice. Ritz-Carlton really knows hospitality and should be proud of that.
Since the fireworks weren't directly visible from The Yard we stayed at the party until about 8:30 pm which then it was only a short walk down to Georgetown Waterfront Park where we watched the fireworks. We choose to watch the fireworks from Georgetown in order to avoid the mass crowds of people at the National Mall. Seeing the fireworks being blasted into the sky above the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was a great way to spend the 4th of July in Washington D.C.
