Trip Hacks DC

One of the best things about Washington, DC is that there are so many amazing and iconic sites. But there are also a lot of incredible gems! Visitors to the Nation's Capital spend a lot of their time downtown and on the National Mall, but there is also a desire to explore behind Federal Washington. A new book helps locals and visitors participate in quests to discover new areas.

In this episode Rob welcomes Washington, DC based author JoAnn Hill back to the podcast. JoAnn is the author of the new book Washington, DC Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Washington, DC's Hidden Treasures. She previously appeared on the podcast to discus her first book Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. You can follow JoAnn on Instagram.

Full show notes are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Washington, DC tourism is different compared to pre-pandemic. But how different? What changed exactly? In this episode Rob walks through many of the ways that Washington, DC tourism has changed – from the best areas to stay, federal government site status, and restaurants closings. Then we’ll look ahead together to what’s to come in 2023. There are some exciting developments on the horizon but also an important political change that may disrupt travel plans and that you definitely want to know about.

View the full show notes from this episode on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Washington DC is a city of neighborhoods. There are actually over 100 neighborhoods in the nation's capital. The best itinerary for visitors is a mix of downtown federal government sites and local neighborhood experiences. In this episode you'll hear from Paige Muller, Chief Experience Officer of Curious Caravan, a custom trip planning service that curates one-of-a-kind adventures and itineraries for curious explorers seeking the unexpected in Washington, DC.

Full show notes are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Washington DC is a museum city. People who visit often have ambitions of visiting many of our museums, but the reality is there are far too many to check out on a single trip. In this episode you'll hear from Noelle Harada, a TikTok creator who set a goal in 2022 to visit every museum in Washington DC. She is documenting each museum visit with a video and review.

Full show notes are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

A vast majority of historic sites in Washington DC are dedicated to men in history. When you visit you'll find huge monuments to presidents and military leaders and other men who made an impact on our country. Sites to American women exist but there are fewer of them and you need to know where to look.

In this episode you'll hear from Kaitlin Calogera & Rebecca Grawl, authors of the book 111 Places in Woman's History in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss. Kaitlin and Rebecca are professional tour guides and entrepreneurs. The mission of their company A Tour of Her Own is to elevate women’s stories into a more prominent place in American history and culture.

Sometimes it's useful to get a new or different perspective. A fresh set of eyes can highlight things that locals don't notice because we live here and see the city every day. In this episode you'll hear from Megan Marod, a licensed New York City tour guide who has visited Washington, DC several times over the past year. She shares some of the things she learned from those trips and offers tips to help you prepare for an upcoming trip.

Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Washington, DC is a fantastic destination for the Fourth of July. There are major events like the National Independence Day Parade, a Capitol Fourth concert and the fireworks - plus a handful of smaller events. It's a fun day but important to know what to expect so you can navigate the crowds, road closures and summer heat. In this episode Rob consolidates all of his Fourth of July advice in one place. 

Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

When you’re planning a trip, where to stay, which hotel, and what area, is a big decision. It’s why one of the first things I did after I started Trip Hacks DC was create a where to stay guide. In this episode you'll learn about all eleven recommend areas. What are the pros of each area? What are the cons of each area? And what are some solid hotel choices in each? Plus, what are the areas where you don't want to stay? The don'ts are podcast exclusive content so stick around until the end of the episode to hear!

Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

When you visit Washington, DC you will almost certainly check out the major monuments and memorials on the National Mall. Over the past few years, several new monuments have opened around the city. These are monuments both to former presidents and to major wars. Because they opened during the pandemic, their ceremonies didn't have much fanfare. In this episode Rob is joined by guest Carolyn Muraskin to discuss these new sites, as well as a few other lesser-known memorials they think you should know about.

Carolyn is the owner of DC Design Tours, a tour company that runs historic walking tours with a focus on architecture, design and urban planning, including a few tours that cover sites discussed with Rob.

For the first time in three years National Cherry Blossom Festival events are back in person. This is an exciting development after years of missing out on one of the most anticipated events in Washington, DC. However, it's important to know what's changed and how. In this episode Rob is joined by Diana Mayhew. She is the President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the nonprofit organization that organizes and implements festival events each spring. Diana has some important tips if you're planning to visit for the cherry blossoms in 2022 and beyond.

Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.