Wing to Wing & Oar to Oar
While you're in town...
This page lists a few favorite spots we've discovered during our years in DC. If you have any questions, please ask--we'd love to make recommendations specifically for you!
Metro accessible destinations:
Although it's a tight race, this is probably our favorite museum in the city. We love the medieval art, but there are all sorts of delights to be found here (including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on public display in the United States).
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6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Closest metro station: Archives (yellow and green lines).
The Folger is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare first folios, and their exhibit about this collection is one of our favorite exhibits at any DC museum. A bonus: there's an excellent cafe one floor above the exhibits!
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201 East Capitol Street SE. Closest metro stop: Capitol South (blue, orange, and silver lines). Also walking distance from Union Station (red line).
Sally first moved to DC thanks to an internship at this museum. The Japanese screens are a perennial favorite.
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1050 Independence Ave. SW. Closest metro stop: Smithsonian (blue, orange, and silver lines).
The orchid room is particularly spectacular!
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100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20001. Closest metro stop: Federal Center SW (blue, orange, and silver lines).
The downtown-DC location of the bookstore we both worked for when we met!
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2000 P St NW. Closest metro stop: DuPont Circle (red line).
6 | Bread Furst
A wonderful neighborhood bakery that feels more like a locals' favorite than a tourist stop.
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4434 Connecticut Avenue NW. Closest metro stop: Van Ness (red line).
7 | Maman
Our favorite post-church brunch spot, with multiple locations around DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For Greenville, SC folks: if you can't bear to be separated from Methodical coffee for an entire weekend, you'll find it here!
8 | Chercher
The best Ethiopian food we've found in the DC area (and DC has plenty of fantastic Ethiopian food).
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Two locations in DC:
1334 9th Street NW. Closest metro station: Mt. Vernon Square (green and yellow lines).
3608 14th Street NW. Closest metro station: Columbia Heights (green line).​
9 | Ruta
This restaurant serves fantastic Ukrainian food.
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327 7th Street SE. Closest metro station: Eastern Market (blue, orange, and silver lines).
If you prefer to drive:
1 | Hillwood Museum
This museum was formerly the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the wealthiest woman in America. It's a wild aesthetic experience, with beautiful grounds, a remarkable collection of Russian imperial art, and much, much more besides.
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4155 Linnean Avenue
Washington, DC 20008
2 | Glenstone Museum
A contemplative museum dedicated to post-World War II art. A note on planning: this museum is free, but they do ask that you reserve tickets in advance.
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12100 Glen Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854
3 | Great Falls Park
This area offers stunning views of a particularly dramatic section of the Potomac River. Many of the most scenic portions can be accessed via short paved paths, but there are also longer unpaved trails on both the Virginia and Maryland sides of the river.
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9200 Old Dominion Dr.
McLean, VA 22102
4 | Lake Needwood
This lake, located at the northernmost end of Rock Creek Park, has been a source of sanity and a convenient escape from city life for us. If you park near the boat houses, a trail will take you all the way around the lake.
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15700 Needwood Lake Circle
Rockville, MD 20855
5 | Second Story Books (Rockville)
The used and antiquarian bookstore we worked at when we met!
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12160 Parklawn Dr.
Rockville, MD 20852
An outrageously good Chinese restaurant serving Szechuan cuisine. A word of warning: when they say something is spicy, they're not kidding--but there are plenty of milder options on the menu too.
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​5700 Fishers Lane Suite A
Rockville, MD 20852
6 | Chercher
We mentioned the DC locations of this fantastic Ethiopian restaurant above. It also has a presence in Bethesda, Maryland, where parking is usually much easier to find.
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4921 Bethesda Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
7 | Ruta
A fabulous Ukrainian restaurant. Like Chercher, Ruta has a Bethesda location as well as a DC presence.
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4862 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814