When you tell people you're going to visit Washington DC for a few days, you often get the question of "Why?" And what I really want to ask them is, "Why not?" So many people have visited DC for a school day trip or with their family but I don't know many people that have actually picked Washington DC as their getaway spot for a few days. I decided to go visit DC just last week for three nights with my cousin, and I loved it.

When you go to visit Washington DC with your school, you tend to mainly hit the main touristy locations; the Washington Monument, Air & Space Museum, Museum of Natural History, and the Lincoln Memorial. When I went, I decided to go see some of the other exhibits and places that I have never been too. Don't get me wrong, the Washington Monument and the other main exhibits were still on my list, but they weren't a main priority for me.

I went and made sure to visit the United States Botanical Gardens and the Holocaust Museum. These two places aren't top tourist locations but I really think they should be. Granted, I'm sure some of you have seen one of these spots from past school visits, but did you get to really go and enjoy them and take your time through them? Or were you rushed by your classmates to go to the other main exhibits? I'm going to give you a little insight on these two and hopefully you'll plan to visit DC and see them for yourselves.

United States Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Garden is located just to the right of the Capital Building, right off of 3rd Street. It was established by Congress in 1820 and maintains approximately 65,000 plants. The Garden contains a beautiful outside walkway with the First Ladies Water Garden, a Rose Garden, Butterfly Garden, and so much more. Right next to the outside garden, is a Conservatory filled with ecosystems from around the globe. It highlights plants from Hawaii, World Deserts, Mediterranean, Rare & Endangered, etc. I have never seen such a beautiful exhibit to walk around and explore. The Conservatory even has a second floor in the Tropics area. The Botanical Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Holocaust Museum is located right off 15th Street, to the left of the Washington Monument. This museum contains memorabilia from people who were alive during the Holocaust as well as a timeline taking you from beginning to end of the Holocaust throughout four floors. There is a main exhibit that requires you to get free tickets for. However these tickets run out very quickly unless you are a firefighter, policeman, marine, or anyone else working for the government. If you can't get a ticket during your visit, there are still some exhibits you can walk through that don't require a ticket. Some of the exhibits in this museum aren't recommended for children to walk through. "Remember the Children: Daniel's Story" is a walk through of a child named Daniel and his life before and during the Holocaust. It shows us what it was like for a child during this time. The entire museum, including the main exhibit, will take you roughly three or more hours to walk through. The Holocaust Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Washington DC is a wonderful place to walk around and explore. If you are looking for a good, couple day getaway from home, I recommend visiting Washington DC. I have two quick tips to share. One, find a hotel somewhere near Washington DC to stay, it'll be a lot cheaper. I recommend staying in College Park, that's were we stayed and it was only a 30 minute drive to DC! Two, research parking garages before making your way into DC, it will make driving around a lot easier. I hope you go and enjoy these sights!