Washington, D.C.
Chantilly, VA
January 2023
Avery, my boyfriend, and I spent a weekend away in Washington, DC. We arrived in the afternoon on Friday, January 13th and stayed at Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center. This was a micro hotel with travel-sized rooms each averaging 150 square feet. This was a new experience for me, but it was more doable than I imagined, especially for a short stay. One of the key benefits of travel-sized rooms is a more efficient footprint. The hotel featured three different dining experiences as well as a fitness center. This location was only a couple of blocks away from the Capital One Arena and only about a mile from the White House and National Mall.
After settling in, we went to get food at Wiseguys Pizza. I had a slice of mushroom truffle pizza on a cauliflower gluten-free pizza crust (white mushroom, goat cheese, mozzarella, parmigiano, basil, truffle oil from Tuscany, Italy) and it was really good! I have never had mushrooms on my pizza before, but I wanted to try something new, and the wager paid off. After we ate, we walked around Chinatown and stopped in at Bulldog which is a funky sports bar for happy hour. I had a vodka lemonade and then we headed back out and walked around CityCenterDC which had high end shops and restaurants. When we finished our outing, we went to the Crimson Whiskey Bar at our hotel for happy hour. I had the house red wine which I really enjoyed. The environment of the bar was rich and inviting. We then headed across the street to eat at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. We had a bit of a wait before a table was available, so we went to get a drink at Jackpot, a nearby bar. Jackpot is an underground bar that features free popcorn and a daily happy hour. Avery and I shared a bowl of popcorn, and I had a vodka cranberry. Before we knew it, our table was ready for us at Kura, and we were on our way over. I loved Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, I had so much fun here and the food was delicious and fresh. I would say that all sushi lovers should visit this style of restaurant at least once in their lifetime. We ended our night after feasting on many delectable plates.
The next morning, Saturday January 14th, we went sightseeing around the National Mall. It was freezing outside so we did not see as much as I had hoped since survival was our top priority. We ate lunch at Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips. I had the fish combo (3 pieces of crispy cod, natural sea salt chips, and choice of two sauces) for $16.99. The sauces I tried were curry & mango and southwest ranch. I enjoyed both of my sauces, but I definitely preferred the southwest ranch. I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsay so dining at one of his restaurants really meant a lot to me. I had a very pleasant experience at this location while enjoying the beautiful views of The Wharf. Once we were full, we braved the cold again and walked to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. While this is a free museum, we had to get timed entrance passes to enter into the museum. We spent a few hours in the museum, but it wasn’t the best fit for us. This museum is reading heavy compared to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History which is more visual. We still enjoyed ourselves, but it is not a museum that I feel like I will need to visit again anytime soon. From the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, we went to Urban Roast for our outdoor reservations. We warmed up around our personal fire pit and placed two orders of the Classic S’mores (marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey’s milk chocolate) for $9. Each order came with two sets of s’more supplies. The marshmallows were massive, and we had a fun time making them! Afterwards, I made my own salad at Chopt Creative Salad Co. which was delicious and nutritious. Avery opted for food at the Capital One Arena which was our last stop of the day for the Flyers game against the Capitals. We both had an enjoyable experience at the game and the Flyers won which was just the icing on the cake. Overall, we had a great day filled with brisk walks, yummy foods, exploring, and our favorite, hockey.
On Sunday, January 15 we drove to Virginia to spend our day relaxing at King Spa, an authentic Korean spa. We utilized their multiple saunas; Amethyst Crystal Salt Room, Bul Ga Ma Sauna, Bul Han Jing Mak Dome, Charcoal Sauna, Dry Sauna, Gold Sauna, Hinoki + Ion Sauna, Ice Room, Rock Salt Sauna, and Yellow Mud Room. The Amethyst Crystal Salt Room calms the nervous system, detoxifies the body, and promotes inner peace. The Bul Ga Ma Sauna boosts metabolic rate, improves circulation, promotes healthier hair, organs, and skin, and reactivates aged cells. The Bul Han Jing Mak Dome detoxifies and purifies the body, promotes smoother skin, and relieves aches, arthritis, pains, and rheumatism. The Charcoal Sauna promotes healthy metabolism, purifies the blood, and relieves stress. The Dry Sauna aids in muscle recovery and boosts performance, promotes circulation, and reduces stress. The Gold Sauna enhances immunity, extracts harmful toxins from the body, and wards off ailments. The Hinoki + Ion Sauna improves immunity, purifies the air, and relieves stress. The Ice Room reduces inflammation, stimulates skin cells, and tightens pores. The Rock Salt Sauna detoxifies the body, promotes perspiration at a lower temperature, and purifies the air. The Yellow Mud Room is packed with antioxidants to prevent aging, promotes circulation, and purifies. We spent 10 minutes in each sauna, and I thoroughly enjoyed each one! We took plenty of water breaks and ordered bento boxes when we got hungry. The food was pricey but good. We finished off our day by enjoying the pools and hot tubs. The hot tubs were definitely a highlight for us. Overall, this was a new and unique experience for me, and I really valued being immersed in the Korean traditions.
Avery and I really enjoyed our weekend trip to Washington, D.C. and Virginia. It was a nice getaway filled with athletics, culture, education, food, fun, and relaxation. I look forward to my next getaway, hopefully it will be filled with just as much adventure or more!
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