So back in July, I was trying to figure out what to do for my birthday and spoke to my aunt about it. She suggested that I should go to Washington DC. I took her up on it and turned it into a solo birthday trip for myself.
I’ve always spent my birthday with family, and I have a little number of friends to spend it with. So, going on this trip was a way for me to start a new chapter in my life as I was entering my 34th year in this world.
I booked round trip bus tickets and reserved my hotel room, created an itinerary for myself, and trying to figure out what to pack.
Below is what I did and where I stayed, as well as some pointers in case you may want to go there as well next summer.
July 31, 2025
I requested a Lyft to Newark Penn Station so I can get in the Greyhound bus to Union Station in Washington DC. I left around 9:10am ET and arrived at Union Station around 2:30 ET.
I recommend taking an Amtrak train to DC. It may cost a little more than a bus trip, but you’ll have extra leg room and space to move around in your seating area.
Once I got to Union Station, I had requested a Lyft to get to the hotel and arrived at my hotel around little after 3pm.
I checked into The Quincy Hotel (DuPont Circle area, 10-15 minutes away from the monuments) and proceeded to go to my room. I took my time settling in, and went outside to see what was in the area.
I had gotten a salad from Chopt that was around the corner from the hotel, then went back to my room to eat and relax due the weather.
From 5-6pm, I went to the hotel lobby for a wine tasting that was ghosted by the hotel’s VP of Sales and Marketing. I tried a Buttery Chardonnay from Frontera, and it was so good. I ended up having three small cups of it. I was having a conversation with the VP and told him why I was visiting DC (my birthday was the next day). A few minutes later, he showed up in front of me with a bag with the wine bottle in it with the tag saying “Happy Birthday” and his business card attached.
After the wine tasting was over, I went down to the lower level of the hotel and entered a karaoke bar called Recessions, and ordered some hot wings and fries along with their version of a rum punch for dinner.
August 1, 2025 (My Birthday)
Around 12pm, I arrived at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To get there, I used their public transportation, which was affordable.
The bus and train lines only costs $2.25 per ride. They’re clean and easy to navigate.
Once I was in, I went to get something to eat (macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried chicken, and a package apple crumb cake with a bottle of sprite. I started from their lowest level (slavery) and worked my way up present day).
The tickets for the museum are free, but you need one to enter. If you want to visit this museum, I firmly recommend going to the Emmet Till exhibit (no photography allowed).
After I was done, I visited the monuments in the following order: Washington Monument, World War II, Lincoln Memorial, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Wear something comfortable because you’ll be doing a lot of walking between each monument. Also, spray bug repellent before leaving the room.
I met up with two cousins who lived in the area, and had a birthday dinner with them at King St Oyster Bar. We were able to sit outside and listen to a live band along with some salsa dancing.
Ended the evening of my birthday drinking the wine the hotel VP gifted me and watched Avengers Endgame.
August 2, 2025
Since this was my last day to do something fun, I made the most of it.
First, I went across the street to have some breakfast at Mikey & Mel’s Deli. I had French Toast and a bacon/egg/cheese omelette with some orange juice. When you enter the establishment, there are kiosks you use to put in your order and pay with your physical/virtual card. After you order your food, you can sit and wait for them to bring it to you.
Next, I went to the Smithsonian Zoo using one of there bus routes and it dropped me off in front of the zoo entrance. (I had gotten a ticket on their website a day before)
Just like the African American museum, the day pass for the museum are free and you need one to enter.
After I was done at the zoo, I took one of their train routes down to the area of the monuments and walked to the Smithsonian Museum of American Indian. For this one, you can walk in through metal detectors. (You don’t need a ticket for this one) The first thing I did was get some lunch before their dining area closed. I had a taco bowl with a soda. Once I was done, I went and saw all of the exhibits on each floor (3-4 floors total). When I was done, I took the bus the brought me close to my hotel.
For dinner, I went back to Recessions. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries and their rum punch. After I finished eating, I started packing up all of my stuff so I can leave out on time for my bus ride back home.
This solo trip has taught me to start doing things by myself to do discover what I enjoy and to keep doing it. Life is short, and I should start doing new things that are memorable (whether alone or with other people).