In pre-pandemic 2019, I planned a surprise birthday trip for myself, my husband and my 85 year old Grandmother to the United States Capitol, the District of Columbia as my birthday and my Gram’s birthday are just a day a part. The trip was an amazing success and we enjoyed the time we spent there immensely doing monument and museum tours, but even more importantly, my Grandmother had a great time. Read along as I take you through our Washington DC trip itinerary.
So I just wanted to take you through our Washington DC itinerary and let you know some of the ways we saved a few bucks on this trip. And even though we weren’t dealing with any pandemic issues back in 2019 and the country is currently getting vaccinated and opening back up at the time of this posting, just remember that the virus isn’t gone yet and it’s just always a good idea to check the COVID restrictions before traveling anywhere, so here’s a link for you to check out so you don’t have to go digging for it (Washington DC COVID travel restrictions).
FLIGHTS
We flew Spirit Airlines from New Orleans to Washington DC and we paid a grand total of $173 roundtrip for 3 people by purchasing our tickets directly from the ticket counter at the New Orleans airport. And despite what you’ve heard or read or experienced with Spirit airlines, this low price perk will always be a winner for me which allows you to save around $20 bucks each way if you can make the trek to your airport to buy your tickets before your trip. And you can save even more money if you could limit your luggage to a small personal carry on no larger than the size of a large purse or normal sized backpack which we all did, then print your boarding passes at home or download it to your smart phone before your flight and your Spirit Airlines check in will be a breeze.
OUR CAR RENTAL
This was my first time renting a car through our Costco Membership and it was a huge money saver when I compared the prices. We paid less than $100 for a 3 day rental. That price is insane. So if you are a Costco member and never considered using the Costco travel arm of your membership, it’s time to reconsider.
MONUMENTS BY MOONLIGHT TOUR
I cannot tell you how intrigued I was by seeing the Washington DC Monuments in the night time moonlight. I was SO INTRIGUED by doing this! And I thought my 85 year old Gram would enjoy it too and she did! So I found the Monuments by Moonlight Tour on Google and promptly booked it for 3. This tour took us past everything, the US Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, the Martin Luther King Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the African American Museum, the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and so much more! My Gram instantly hit it off with the driver of our tour bus MJ and he even led a Happy 85th Birthday serenade for her on the bus (even though technically, it was MY birthday on the day we took this tour, HER birthday wasn’t until the next day, but no biggie) All in all, we had the best time on this tour. And it was very accessible if you’re traveling with someone with mobility issues like we were, just FYI. My Gram loves to travel and doesn’t let anything stop her because she’s gangster and always ready to go which I LOVE.
OUR HOTEL STAY
We stayed right outside of Washington DC in Bethesda Maryland at The Bethesdan Hotel Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The hotel had been recently renovated when we stayed there and it was beautiful.
HOTEL DESCRIPTION
“In the business district and near a metro station, The Bethesdan Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton is in an area with good shopping. Dupont Circle and Smithsonian Castle are notable landmarks, and some of the area’s popular attractions include Washington D.C. Madame Tussauds and Smithsonian Institution.”
We also visited the African American Museum (click to visit HERE) and it’s so very thorough that we only got through 3 of the 8 floors. We were also able to go to Howard University’s Homecoming Gospel Concert and my Grandmother absolutely loved it. Scroll down a bit more to see everywhere that we ate on this trip, we just really had a really wonderful time in DC and can’t wait to visit again.
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