The first time Ben and I visited his parents in DC last Spring, they had our entire fantastic vacation planned out for us, eager to show off their favorite spots in their new city. This time, however, they had nothing on the agenda for our week-long stint out here.
Say what?
Instead of creating an itinerary themselves, my in-laws thought it’d be fun to get the whole family involved in deciding what to do this week.
Sweet!
The day we got here, they set out 6 tiny boxes (one for each of us) that each contained 5 different activities to do in-and-around DC. Activities ranged anywhere from an hour at the shooting range (…) to dining at specific restaurants, visiting the capital to see the Christmas lights, wild cards, and much more.
We all picked a box, then chose 3 out of the 5 activities inside that we for sure wanted to do. Yesterday was our first day of hand-picked activities and it started with a stop at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ben’s Dad had been before, but still chose it from his box, as he wanted to make sure the entire family experienced it firsthand.
(All pictures are from the USHMM website.)
The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is free to the public and has over 900 artifacts, 70 videos and four theaters over three floors, covering three parts of the Holocaust:
- Nazi Assault, covering Hitler’s rise to power
- Final Solution, covering the mass murders of the Holocaust
- Last Chapter, covering the aftermath of the Holocaust
As you can imagine, each floor was even more heartbreaking than the next and, although I felt somber and sickened by the end, I’m so, so, so glad we went. I learned so many things about the Holocaust that I never knew, and feel an even greater urge to be more kind and tolerant in my everyday life.
So, GO if you ever get the chance. It’s a must-see for everyone in this world!
It was pouring rain when we left the museum – kind of fitting for the mood – but we all cheered up when we realized what was next on our agenda…
Gut bombs at Ben’s Chili Bowl!
Hand-picked by yours truly… ;)
Ben’s Chili Bowl is a DC landmark. Established in 1958, it was one of the only business that remained open and helped restore the area after it was largely destroyed in the 1968 DC riots when Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated.
Besides being a cornerstone of the community, Ben’s Chili Bowl has played host to a ton of famous people, including Bill Cosby, Nat King Cole, and even President Obama, whose photos eating Ben’s delicious menu cover every open inch of wall space.
From the moment we walked in, we knew were in for a treat. The line snaked all the way to the back of the restaurant, and we listened to everything from hip hop to 80’s pop music bump from the speakers throughout the restaurant as we waited in line to order.
None of us had a clue what to get, but there were signs everywhere advertising Ben’s famous Chili Half-Smoke. Seeing as how we were at Ben’s Chili Bowl, we decided to go with it and ordered 6 straightaway!
15 agonizing minutes later (we were starving) we found out exactly what a Chili Half Smoke was! A hot, snap-cased sausage nestled in a steamed, almost garlic tasting bun, smothered in Ben’s famous chili.
It was insane!
Salty, smoky, soft and snappy. We could not have been more happy.
Plus, we actually didn’t feel as bad as we were anticipating after devouring chili smothered sausages. Win! ;)
Just as we walked out and hopped into the car to head home, the rain stopped, the sky started to lighten, and a rainbow even made an appearance!
We were driving through Georgetown home (my favorite DC neighborhood – seriously obsessed) when off to the right we spied it…
I was lucky enough to stop for a treat at DC-based Georgetown Cupcake the last time we were in DC, and had – honest to God – the best cupcake I’ve ever had in my life.
There was no way we were going to pass by without stopping.
I hopped out of the car, surveyed the menu, and got 1/2 a dozen for the family to take home and enjoy after we made some room in our stomachs from the chili half smokes.
I mean!!
The abundance of cupcake flavors really tempted me – salted caramel, white chocolate peppermint and eggnog, oh my! – but in the end, I had to go with the tried and true…Lava Fudge.
“Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a rich fudge core topped with a vanilla icing with a fudge star drizzle”
I know! It’s the same one I got last time, but it was TOO good to pass up!
No regrets. ;)
Back to time with the fam! Hope you’re having a great week!
~~~~~
What’s more important, the cake or the icing?
Kristin, have you ever had a Sprinkles cupcake? I’ve never had a Georgetown cupcake, but the one I ate from Sprinkles was the best I’d ever had! I’d like to know how they compare! :)
Oops and how could I forget Ray’s Hell Burger???
I’m glad you made it to the Holocaust museum, and I agree that it should be a must for everyone! I also love window shopping the Georgetown neighborhood!
Glad you liked Ben’s! I still like Detroit coneys more but the DC half-smoke is a close second! :) Other favorite DC/NoVa spots: Zaytinya, El Pollo Rico, Pho 75, Marvin’s, Honey Pig. I actually don’t think food is all that great in DC but those places are solid. Also agree with you on the Holocaust Museum. A must see. Have you been to the Newseum? Another must. Seeing the tree and menorah at the White House is also special. Have fun in DC!
We went to the Newseum last time – TOP NOTCH!
That sounds like a great way to plan the itinerary for the week, there’s so much to see/do in the DC area, we want to plan a week/10-day trip sometime in the future to go back and really explore.
Those cupcakes look divine, I definitely think that it’s equal importance cake vs. frosting. If you have awesome frosting and dry cake it’s bad, and if you have awesome cake and sickly sweet frosting it’s bad!
Your in-laws method for agenda setting is fantastic! And, I love any day that includes cupcakes :) This looks like such fun!
mmmm…you’re making me hungry! i HEART ben’s chili bowl. SOOOOOOO good! And how lucky are you to not have to wait in the 2-block line that normally snakes around G-town Cupcake?!? Jealous!
I know – we got right in – we were shocked!
Wow, lots of rec’s for Baked & Wired! I’ll have to be on the hunt for that next time I’m in DC. I go there about once a month for work.
The Holocaust Museum is a must see. I went in high school, but I’d love to go back. If you haven’t read Sarah’s Key, you should definitely pick it up. Sobering, but a GREAT story.
I read that earlier this year and was really glad. It gave me an even better perspective on what happened.
The cake! The cake!
I visited a Holocaust museum in Israel many years ago and felt the same way as you – heartbroken and sad but also very appreciative for the opportunity to go.
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Love how you picked which activities to do! I’ve only been to DC on a class trip (YEARS ago), but it looks like I should consider going back!
I think you need a balance of both! The cupcake has to be moist and I like icing but I don’t really care for the SUPER sweet stuff on some cakes (think giant sugary flowers). I like whipped icing! Now I want a cupcake!!!!
Kristin! Ah! The purse – is that the one you featured in one of your Friday Favorites?! I love it!!
It looks really similar to one I’ve featured in the past! I got it at Banana Republic!
i love both equally, but if the icing is bad, i’m very disappointed….so maybe it’s the icing for me?
Your in-laws sound fun and thoughtful! I like all of your choices but I definitely would have added the shooting range in the mix of places to visit! I love shooting :)
Ben’s chili sounds delish. And those cupcakes are gorgeous!!
The whole trip looks amazing! My boyfriend has been begging me to go on a trip to Washington DC with him, and to be honest, I’ve been very resistant to the idea. I pictures us wandering around just staring at monuments every day. Looks like I might have to reevaluate :-)
There is seriously soooo, so, so much to do here. I had absolutely no idea until I came last Spring (I hadn’t been here since grade school.)
It needs to be the right marriage of the right amounts of both cake and frosting. For me, there’s nothing more disappointing than a cupcake with good flavor, but ends up being crumbly and dry. Also, and I don’t mean to sound this tightly wound, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing and it’s called buttercream frosting. The right amount is delightful, but I’ve seen places really pack the stuff on there so that it overwelms the idea in itself of a little dessert. A moist cake complemented with just enough frosting to actually quite literally top it off is the way to go.
Have a great time in DC! I’ve only been there once and it’s one of my favorite cities! The holocaust museum was so sad, but I agree – I would recommend people see it. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
When I lived in DC, I went to Ben’s Chili Bowl a couple of times a week! My boyfriend at the time was the house bassist for HR-57, probably still is, and we used to get their veggie chili cheese fries because we didn’t eat meat and they were SO GOOD.
Back then, I was just about the only white person who used to go in that place. My how times have changed!
Oh, and you should try to go to Baked and Wired in Georgetown. Their cupcakes are 1000 times better than Georgetown Cupcake. Baked and Wired is FANTASTIC!
It’s so neat that you’re here in DC. It makes me grateful for where I live, that I’m able to experience these things all the time. DC really is a wonderful place to live.
It’s also funny that you come here to visit your hubby’s family and I go to Iowa to visit my future-hubby’s family. Small world.
Enjoy the rest of your time here in DC! You should go to Shirlington, Del Ray, or Old Town Alexandria if you’re looking for something non touristy to do.
Holy cats those cupcakes look so good! Looks like you are having a great time! What are you doing on New Years?!?! Can I live through you – as my hubby has to work so I’ll be home watching Lion King with my girls for the 30th time. :)