I take some pretty major trips every once in a while. I’ve been to China. I’ve vacation in Turks & Caicos. And most recently, I traveled all the way to Saudi Arabia.
But more often than not, I’m taking the same kinds of trips you might take. A long (ish) road trip, a girlfriend getaway, or a simple weekend adventure that can be as close or as far away as you’d like.
I travel into Washington, DC fairly frequently but if you lived close to the city, you’d know it’s not a particularly pleasant task. The distance may not be far but traffic can almost double your driving time. That’s why I love doing a weekend getaway to Washington, DC. It’s so close that I could even call it a staycation. And this most recent hosted staycation was to a part of the city I didn’t even know – Georgetown.
Georgetown was founded in 1751, a good 40 years before Washington, DC officially became a thing. As such, you’ll see a lot of colonial architecture mixed in with plenty of modern retail, dining, entertainment, and activities. And I had a chance to explore it all!
Where to Stay in Georgetown
Any good trip starts with a home base and it really felt like a home away from home. Georgetown Suites are a small hotel operation with just two buildings – the Harbour Suites and the Courtyard Suites. I toured both and you’ll swear you’re actually staying in your own apartment.
Even if you don’t need the kitchen, it’s nice to have the extra space, even as a solo traveler. Sometimes we need to reminisce about life on our own!
In addition to being walkable to everything in Georgetown, the Georgetown Suites are situated in a residential area making for a quiet and comfortable stay.
Where to Eat in Georgetown
Can I just be frank and tell you to eat anywhere? I’m sure there are some not so great places to be found in Georgetown but I didn’t find them. In fact, I even ate at a Wawa when I was running late and loved their selection!
If you’re a little pickier than a Wawa, check out a few of these options that we sampled during our Georgetown weekend.
Tony and Joe’s is a seafood place and if you’re looking for fresh fish, this is the spot. Of course, I ended up with a crabcake but it was all delicious!
Need a quick lunch spot? Try Chaia. Don’t be scared of the idea of vegan and vegetarian tacos. You won’t miss a thing. And if you’re unsure about what to get, ask the super friendly staff for their recommendations.
Love Italian? No. You only think you love Italian. Once you have dinner at Il Canale, you’ll know what real Italian is like. Boasting fresh ingredients direct from Southern Italy, their margherita pizza is so good, you’ll quickly understand why it ranked #4 in a world pizza competition.
What to Do in Georgetown
If you’re the kind of person that needs something to do when traveling other than eating and sleeping, I don’t know if we can be friends. But I get it. I’m happy to just walk and take in the sights. But if you want a little more activity, there’s plenty to do in Georgetown.
Let’s start with my favorite group or solo activity – shopping! There are plenty of places to grab a snack, have a coffee, or find a bargain. While there are plenty of upscale options in Georgetown, I found some great deals at stores like lou lou, Gap, and Amazon Books.
If you were thinking of more formal activities, you’re in luck. Because this was an organized trip for me, I didn’t have to think much about what to do. I just showed up. And it pushed me to try things I wouldn’t have normally done!
For example. we got up early-ish on Sunday morning and went to barre3 for a class. Yes, it was difficult but it was cool getting my sweat on in the same building where George Washington once dried his tobacco.
We also headed to Via Umbria for a cooking class. I absolutely love cooking, when it’s not dinnertime, and jumped right in to learn the art of making pasta. Oh my gosh. It was so much easier than I thought!
And on our last day, I was pushed completely out of my comfort zone when I attended a Paper Source class to make Valentine’s Day cards. (Remember that time I wrote about Valentine’s Day crafts for non-crafty parents?)
Well, I did it. And now I understand the lingo and a little bit of the appeal. but I can’t say I’m a craft convert.
Nightlife in Georgetown
After the exercise, activities, and food, you might be ready to crawl back into your comfortable bed at the Georgetown Suites (and hit the awesome coffee/tea/latte/hot chocolate machine in the lobby). But if you’re looking for nightlife, you can find that too.
For one of our evening activities, we went to Pinstripes, known for its “bocce, bowling, and bistro.”
If you’re expecting bowling alley food, you’ll need to rethink those expectations. We sampled a large variety of craft cocktails and food and were pleasantly surprised by it all (I recommend the tenderloin sliders!).
But the main event is all the gaming that happens after the meal. Bocce and bowling are both available and we headed right to the lanes.
Once again, you need to reset your expectations. These lanes are actually shorter than regulation lanes and are strictly for fun. You still get bragging rights if you win though.
If you need a later activity, you can head over to Blues Alley, a jazz and supper club that takes its drinks and its music very seriously.
(No, seriously. Just put your phone away and enjoy the music!)
We covered all of this in just three nights. And we actually ran out of time to do everything we wanted to do. There’s an ice skating rink right by Tony and Joe’s!
Next time you’re planning a trip to Washington DC, try stay in the oldest part of the city and taking in a little extra flavor (pun intended) or extend you stay and check out this lovely historic port city.
Looking for a walking tour of Georgetown tour? Come join me on my video tour of my Weekend Adventure in Georgetown!
