Washington, D.C. – A honeymoon, but not…
So, a little backstory. We got married in 2019, I then proceeded to miraculously get pregnant a month after said wedding. I was advised traveling due to some medical concerns was ill-advised. So goodbye Aruba honeymoon. (pain)
Fast forward to 2022 and our son is thriving and active, but I’m still stuck on the fact I never got a proper honeymoon or time away with just my new husband. Yes, we’ve had many trips together over the years, but nothing beats that honeymoon vibe.
So, we decide to take a trip, but what to do with the little one? Drop him off with loving family for a week. Thank goodness for the awesome OH family who took care of him for a week, while we took about 4 days to explore Washington, DC.
Yes, it was definitely time away from being mommy and daddy, but not a honeymoon. I wanted islands, white sand beaches, an adventure under a waterfall, etc. Realistically, hurricane season and neither of us wanted to be too far away from our son in case we needed to get back.
(sidenote: He didn’t ask for us once while we were gone. He knows his family and they love him fiercely. They also have the most adorable dog, Carlisle, who is just my sons size. He’s small and active. So they were best buddies.)
Anyway, so we drop him off, spend some time with the family for a day and then head off on our own adventure.
Being a planner, I had so many ideas, but we were going during Labor Day weekend. We assumed everything would be crazy and packed. Surprisingly it wasn’t. There were plenty of events and festivals happening, but we never felt like anywhere we went was overcrowded.
After arriving at Dulles Airport, after a difficult flight for me. No ginger ale and still very much nauseaous, we found our driver waiting for us at the luggage carousel with our name. I can’t say enough good things about DCAcar service. Our driver had texted since our flight landed and was the kindest gentleman. I know some may say, why pay alot for a car service, well I’m pregnant and I’m not traversing a train or dealing with Uber/Lyft possible peak pricing due to the holiday weekend, nor did I want to share a vehicle van with many others during this Covid and monkeypox health climate. So yes, car service all day! Zero regrets and likely will do it again. So easy, so prompt, such a smooth ride in our luxury SUV.
Staying at the Embassy Suites Convention Center was lovely, but the construction made things a bit nerve-racking until we figured out when to avoid some of the banging noises. The restaurant where we expected to have breakfast and evening receptions were not open yet. So the buffet breakfast and cooked to order omelets were served one floor down using their large conference rooms and expansive corridors. I can’t blame them. It’s a very large property and adjustments are necessary. I will say they kept a well stocked pay-as-you-go pantry area with everything from sodas, snacks, beer, wine, muffins, etc. That area was always open, which was helpful on the two nights we stayed out well past our bedtimes. Hilton Hotel beds are always comfortable and I didn’t have any issues at check in or express check-out.
But enough about the hotel, let’s talk about the food. We visited a few restaurants while in the area, but didn’t do anything over the top. In fact, surprisingly I really just wanted sandwiches half the time. Go figure! Day 1 we visited this vibrant and hip spot called, Creole on 14th. When I say everything we ate was delicious, I mean that whole-heartedly. We got too much food not expecting the vast portions. They were out of one or two items (crab claws) I was looking forward to trying, but everything else was delectable. (Fried green tomatoes, creole wings, jambalaya, and oxtail stew) I can honestly say we ate better than good, with enough room for more, but exhaustion from travel required a rest and reset. Just wish I could have had some of those happy hour drinks.
Later that night we decided to venture out to the MGM National Harbor, knowing Bruno Mars was playing there, but no tickets were available last minute for good seats. So we just stayed enjoyed the very active and packed nightlife scene, and a little turn or two on the slots. All in all a great time and a first for us staying out past midnight together since before our son arrived. Which in retrospect, we definitely need to get out more!
Day 2 was fairly chill, we visited the sights. Natural history museum and being pregnant made walking even those few blocks a stretch and struggle, but frequent stops and some shade trees made it doable. They had food trucks all over the place and we ate around there after seeing the many exhibits, and visiting all the floors. Afterwards, a quick Lyft ride back to the hotel for rest and we opted for dinner at the hotel through delivery.
Day 3 was National Portrait Gallery and casually visiting Chinatown and the outdoor luxury mall area. Reminding me repeatedly I have expensive tastes, but a moderate budget. We enjoyed it all especially the portrait gallery. For lunch we stopped at a nice little Japanese sushi restaurant, Umaya Izakaya, and enjoyed some light refreshing food that allowed room for what I knew was coming later.
That night we dined at Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at the MGM National Harbor. It was a delicious meal and I appreciated them taking my allergy into consideration. Even managed to drink a non-alcoholic beverage they made. It was a very chill, upscale steakhouse vibe, with a long wait unless you booked reservations. (We always do!) (10 oz. Hangar steak, crab cakes, seared swordfish, and a few sides to share)
Day 4 was our relax before going back to reality, so I booked us a late morning couples spa massage at Etalon Day Spa. Excellent service and massages. I as relaxed and feeling amazing after my pregnancy massage, all that walking I needed it! My husband received a sports massage and he enjoyed it greatly also. I will say his masseuse was a pro and showed no quarter getting those knots out of his shoulders. I would have giggled, if I had not been trying to focus on my own.
Later that day we visited the MLK monument and took a casual walk along the Potomac, even catching what I believe was Air Force 2 heading back to the white house. Air space was cleared and it was a good visual.
We had reservations to visit the National African American History Museum that afternoon, which to ensure capacity is not too much they require reservations. It was a bit overcast and close to closing so we got lucky and it was busy, but not overwhelmingly packed. This was an experience I will never forget. Each floor delving into histories, stories, heroes, tragedy, and triumph all under one roof. I can honestly say if you’re ever in D.C. visit and enjoy not just history lessons, but culturally relevant reminders about the life of African Americans and our contributions to this nation.
Afterwards, we went back to the hotel, order some delivery from Chopt Creative Salad Co. and chilled for the rest of the evening before packing to head home the next day.
Our driver was prompt and we arrived at the airport in more than enough time, again our TSA pre-check is a life saver because no ones standing in crazy lines for that stuff. Also we got to finalize our Clear memberships, which thanks to Amex Delta I got for free. I can honestly say, I do not miss those crazy lines, being terrified i might miss my flight or worse, rude people in line. It’s always been an easy situation with the upgraded security services for us. Hope it remains that way, even with more people obtaining TSA pre-check. Arriving back to pick up our son and spend a quiet day inside before flying out the next day was nice, but I missed my baby. He was perfectly fine and really mainly wanted to spend time with his daddy. (Definitely a daddy’s boy, but when hurt or sad, it’s always mommy! I can live with that.)
To sum it all up, D.C. was a nice escape and we enjoyed seeing the sites, but definitely not a honeymoon. Hubby is still on the hook for one of those. Maybe after our 2nd arrives we’ll get that island escape. Until then, keep traveling and enjoying this gift of life travel friends!
Bonus: Must haves while traveling pregnant
1. Neck pillow– Aches and pains on a flight are never fun. This pillow helps avoid those pesky neck issues.
2. Tank tops – Whether it’s hot or cold I’m a huge fan of comfortable tanks. These flowy ones are great when comfort and style are priorities.
3. Phone and laptop charger: This charger is amazing! Enough amps to charge my cell and my laptop. It still had a charge after 2 days of usage. Definitely recommend.
4. Black leggings: I don’t care where you go while pregnant leggings are a must have. At least for my pregnancies. These are comfy and can be worn casually or dress I up with a nice top.