My husband and I took an impromptu weekend trip to Wahington, DC, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This trip was our first couples trip since we vacationed to Mexico for our tenth anniversary in 2018. Although this was a short trip, we planned it as a respite trip. We used google flights to search for cheap flights, and we were amazed by the selection of places we could visit. We ultimately chose DC for its familiarity and that it was only a two-hour flight, which was a plus since we were only away for the weekend!
Our Hotel – 
Staying in Hotel Zena was terrific. The hotel was located in the heart of downtown DC and prided itself on its vibrant social scene and art gallery focused on works that celebrate women. As my husband checked us in, I walked the lobby and was immediately drawn to a large mural of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The art collection around the hotel are pieces created by DC artists and are titled “Her.”
Our Suite – 
We stayed on the 9th floor overlooking Thomas Circle. Our suite featured modern furnishings with neutral colors complemented by artwork. Our kingsize bed was so comfortable that I took a nap our first day there. I do not often nap, and I was out cold for a few hours. Our room was just so relaxing that we did not want to leave! Staying downtown allowed us to explore and walk to many restaurants and tourist destinations such as the National Monument, the White House, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
The National Mall & White Flags –
On our first night in DC, we walked from our hotel to find food. The weather was just perfect, and when we found Haad Thai Restaurant, we sat out to eat dinner and enjoyed the light breeze and nightlife. After dinner, we walked towards the National Mall.
The white flags adorned on the National Mall grounds is an art exhibition, In America: How did this happen?. The exhibit placed over 684,428 white flags, showing the magnitude of lives lost to COVID-19 while remembering and honoring each person who died.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture –
The highlight of our trip was visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. We visited DC multiple times before this visit and have not had the opportunity to visit this Smithsonian. The Smithsonian just celebrated its fifth anniversary and was stoked to reserve admission to enter this historic place finally.
Cool fact! The three columns of the top of this sculpture, a work from Nigerian sculptor Olowe Of Ise, inspired the museum’s building design.
The Smithsonian is a large building, and we spent at least five hours there barely walking when we left. One of my favorite and most memorable exhibits was The Journey Toward Freedom 15th-21st Centuries. This exhibit divides into three galleries. I remember I spent a long time in Gallery One: Slavery and Freedom. I was astounded by the detailed information and artifacts regarding slavery. What allowed me to experience this exhibit deeper were the photographs, artifacts, and reading first-hand stories and quotes from slaves and slave traders.
On Slavery:
Here are few quotes that resonated with me from this section on early slavery.
The numbers in the two photos above speak to dates and the total number of slaves on a slave ship when it leaves and arrives. For example, on the vessels Meduce from France, on 08-03-1720, there were 417 slaves, and only 200 survived the brutal voyage.
On Art:
We also enjoyed the art exhibit. Here are a few art pieces that stood out to me.
On Quotes:
Quotes from different parts of the museum that I found myself contemplating
Admission to the Smithsonian is free for the public. If you are in DC and want to visit (totally should!!), reserve your timed entry pass HERE.
We had a great short trip to DC! On this trip, we discussed how life as special needs parents and the pandemic has made it hard to travel, but we decided to here on to plan short trips, two to three days couple’s “respite trip.” We enjoyed how short and sweet this was and would make short trips like this again to connect and enjoy our married life as busy parents.
Thanks to my husband for booking our hotel and taking care of all the fine details for this trip! 😉