Romancing DC: A getaway to the nation’s capital city

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Washington, DC is filled with history and politics. But it is also filled with romance and opportunities for the perfect weekend escape. My husband and I love Washington, DC. I grew up not far from there in the rolling hills of Virginia and, as a young married couple, we lived there for a year shortly after my husband left the military. We have always loved the history and the art—and the fact that so many of the attractions are free. But on a recent weekend, we decided to make it a romantic escape to DC. That meant we would forego the usual. We wouldn’t visit the Newseum (my favorite, but definitely filled with a few gritty moments and not ideal for the romantic theme). We wouldn’t check out the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (hubby’s favorite but also not my idea of romantic). We were dedicated to the romantic this time. Here are my top picks if you want to woo your sweetheart in Washington, DC.

Book a Romantic Getaway

The Mayflower Hotel, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1925. It opened as one of the country’s most elegant hotels with a block-long promenade, more gold leafing than any other building in DC — except the Library of Congress — and had an apartment wing that housed members of Congress. It remains an icon for elegance and sophistication.

The Mayflower Hotel lobby. Photo courtesy Marriott Hotels

The Mayflower has hosted inaugural balls, housed visiting royalty, has surely been the scene of many a romantic rendezvous and has been host to more power luncheons than most of us can imagine. Today, after a $20 million renovation, it is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, and a perfect spot for your own romantic weekend.

I loved the signature wall behind the bed. It’s a re-creation of the original guest book, including John F. Kennedy, Walt Disney, Hubert Humphrey and Harry Truman, just to name a few.

Signature Wall at The Mayflower Hotel. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham

I thought the jewel-toned accents were perfect for blending modern amenities with a sense of history. And, in keeping with our romantic theme, I definitely appreciated our romantic treats. The concierge can help you arrange the perfect treats for your romantic getaway.

Wine and Chocolates for a Romantic Weekend

A Romantic Brunch

So, call me crazy, but I think there’s something really romantic about brunch. It starts with a lazy morning. No alarm clocks. The morning light filters slowly into the room. You take the time to leave the hotel on your own terms, without any rush. There’s something special about DC on the weekends. There’s no hustle and bustle. The politicos are gone. Sure, there are tourists, but no one is in a big hurry. The government buildings are closed and the traffic is less frantic.

We took off from The Mayflower for a casual stroll down Connecticut Avenue to the Farragut North Metro Station. It’s about 3 minutes and the bell staff can point the way.

Ride the Metro in Downtown DC. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham

I love the Metro in DC. It’s part of the experience for me. Buy your tickets before you go through the gates and take the red line toward Glenmont to the Gallery Place Chinatown Station. It’s only about a 4-minute ride (2 stops). We walked just a couple of minutes to one of the most amazing brunch spots — Jaleo DC by José Andrés. I love the bold colors in the new location of this DC classic and the food is even better than the décor. My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so I was a little worried that he might not enjoy it as much. I had no reason to worry. He enjoyed every bite.

Jaleo by José Andrés is a Great Brunch Spot in Washington DC. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham

The best way to experience this brunch is to order the Jaleo Classics, a tasting menu of the classic and most traditional tapas, which is $30 per person and includes either a glass of cava (the delicious Spanish sparkling wine) or a mimosa. My husband and I opted for a glass of cava each and set out for a lovely two-hour exploration of amazing Spanish cuisine. We started with smoked salmon, served with hard-boiled egg, goat cheese and capers on cristal bread. For my meat-and-potatoes guy, he actually ended up saying this was his favorite course of the day.

Smoked Salmon

We followed that up with Huevos Estrellados—traditional fried potatoes served with organic free-range fried eggs. It’s a romantic weekend, so calories don’t count!

Heuvos Estrellados

Next we moved on to perhaps my favorite course, a poached egg on brioche with Idiazábal cheese, jamón, and spinach. The Idiazábal cheese is a traditional sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region of Spain and jamón is Spanish for ham and usually refers to free-range Iberian pigs.

Poached egg

Our final savory course was a delightful blend of flavors. The Arroz a la Cubana featured rice with fried egg, Iberico pork belly and fried plantains.

Egg with Plantain

As if we weren’t already full enough, it was time for our sweet treats. Given that it was a romantic weekend — and calories don’t count — I nodded and smiled as the waiter sat the gorgeous plates between my husband and me. Why is there always room for dessert? We had these lovely little pancakes made with Spanish extra virgin olive oil and topped with honey and fresh raspberries. Those weren’t overly sweet. It was a good thing, because they were paired with “sweet-soaked” Spanish toast, carmelized bananas and rum whipped cream. They were beyond decadent.

Desserts

Exploring the National Gallery of Art

After that kind of a brunch, I was in the mood for a walk. In my opinion, there is nowhere more romantic to walk than along the National Mall. We headed down 7th Street toward the National Mall and spent a little time people watching before making our way to the National Gallery of Art. While it is not usually the way we spend our time in Washington, DC, it seemed the perfect way to stroll along on our romantic weekend. It turned out to be ideal romantic Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital. Not only is it filled with great artwork, there are gorgeous atriums with fountains and flowers. The gift shop is pretty awesome to boot.

Inside the National Gallery of Art by Susan Lanier-Graham

The National Gallery of Art has some of my favorite works of art. I’m a huge fan of Claude Monet and there are several of his pieces in the gallery. I’ve visited some of the places in France that inspired his art and it is an inspiration to me to see the paintings here in my capital city. Somehow it helps to feel these connections with the world. It’s why I travel.

I also loved walking through the hall of the Dutch masters with my husband. About a decade ago, I visited The European Fine Arts Festival in Maastricht, The Netherlands and was able to talk to collectors about some of these amazing paintings. To see the works on both sides of the Atlantic is an experience that not everyone can share, and I feel very lucky.

The best part about experiencing all of these great works of art is that the National Gallery of Art is free and open to the public every day except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. By the time we finished exploring the art, it was the perfect time to stroll about a half hour along the National Mall toward the Washington Monument. My heart always fills with pride as I look back along the mall and think of all the joys and struggles that have taken place through the centuries.

National Mall at Night. Photo courtesy Destination DC

A Monumental Experience

We spent our Sunday walking after all of that food we ate on Saturday. I can’t ever get enough of the Washington, DC monuments. We took the Metro back toward the National Mall and started at the end toward the Capitol building and slowly made our way past all of the sights. We stopped occasionally to people watch and grab a snack from one of the many food trucks that line the streets.

National Mall. Photo courtesy Destination DC

We stood for a while on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, gazing at the statue of the president and then looking back over the expanse of the National Mall. I could never have imagined, the first time I visited this place with my third grade school class back in the early 1970s, that I would someday travel the world and still stand on those very steps and know that this is one of those “wow moments” that can’t compare to anything else.

Lincoln Memorial. Photo courtesy Destination DC

We walk along the Potomac River for about a half hour toward the Jefferson Memorial. This may be one of the most beautiful spots in Washington, DC and it changes with the seasons. I once saw fireworks over the monument on Fourth of July. I’ve seen the cherry blossoms in spring. I’ve seen the leaves changing in fall. I’ve seen the branches covered with snow. There’s never a bad time to visit the monument.

 

Final Romantic Dinner

We couldn’t leave Washington, DC without one more romantic meal. This time we booked dinner for two at Marcel’s. I had heard a lot of great things about Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s Marcel’s. Chef Wiedmaier is an award-winning chef and the restaurant is consistently rated among the best for its service and wine program. I decided this would be a perfect way to end our romantic weekend.

The menu items change daily and you can choose from four, five, six or seven courses. Depending on the season, you can select caviar service, scallops, mussels, foie gras and other mouth-watering delicacies. I had duck breast that was cooked to perfection and my husband opted for a pasta course that featured handmade tortellini that were tender and perfectly al dente. I’m a huge cheese fan, so somewhere along the way, we selected  a lovely epoisses, a soft French cheese, with caramelized pears and toasted baguette.

The next morning, we took an early flight out of Washington, DC. As we headed home, I glanced out of the window and the breath caught in my throat as the sun glinted off the Potamac River below me. I reached over and took my husband’s hand and motioned toward the window as the Washington Monument came into view and the Capitol Building beyond that. It had been a lovely romantic weekend in our nation’s capital, and I was never more proud to gaze down at the beautiful scenery.

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