10 Best Things About Washington D.C.

By Taylor Bruce, Jennifer V. Cole, Tanner C. Latham, Southern Living Magazine

1. The Willard: You don't even have to stay at the Willard to enjoy its opulence. Many D.C. visitors detour through the hotel's magnificent lobby for afternoon tea in Peacock Alley or a cocktail (order a Gin Rickey) at the Round Robin Bar.

2. National Cathedral: Visitors to D.C. flock to the National Cathedral to the tune of about 1 million a year annually. It finished construction in 1990 after 83 years.

3. Comet Ping Pong: Get your game on at Comet Ping Pong. This uber-design-conscious pizzeria with a table tennis bent draws everyone from urban hipsters to the baby-stroller set, making for a low-key atmosphere where even out-of-towners feel right at home.

4. Blues Alley: Set in an 18th-century brick carriage house, this Georgetown spot packs them in with smooth sounds and Creole cuisine. Call ahead for a table.

5. mini bar: Brainchild of a Spanish-born chef, José Andrés, minibar is tucked in a corner on the second floor of local favorite Café Atlántico. There's no menu, only a wine list. Three chefs work together to present a series of 36 small courses, some no more than a bite.

6. U.S. Botanical Garden: In the center, under the spacious 94-foot glass ceiling, a jungle grows, with exotic flowers, clinging vines, bananas, and great palm trees.

7. Adams Morgan Neighborhood: You know you've found Adams Morgan when you spy the 25-foot mural above Madam's Organ Soul Food Restaurant and Blues Bar on 18th Street. And you can order breakfast 24-7 at The Diner, but they serve a great burger too.

8. Roosevelt Island: The tribute to President Theodore Roosevelt is the lesser-known of the monuments. On warm days, rent a canoe in Georgetown and paddle over.

9. Newseum: This 250,000-square-foot techno-wonder is a staggering monument to the world of news and the free press (a 74-foot marble engraving of the First Amendment takes pride of place along an exterior wall). Channel your inner Tom Brokaw in the interactive newsroom; check out a bullet-riddled, armor-reinforced pickup truck used by reporters and photographers in the Balkans; try your hand at production in the Master Control Center.

10. The Mall: Yes, it's expected. But no trip to D.C. is complete without an afternoon on the National Mall. Our favorites include the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial, the picturesque Jefferson Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial, which is poetry in its simplicity.

By , Related Links:

• A Secret Stay At Washington, D.C.'s Tabard Inn
• Ping Pong In Washington, D.C.
• Have A Capital Time In D.C.
• Capital Nights