Gridlock, corruption and partisan politics are just some of the negative adjectives Americans use when they want to talk about Washington DC. However, politics aside Washington DC can be a pretty trendy and unique vacation spot. Being the capitol of the United States the city embodies all the great characteristics a US city should have. Alongside all the government buildings, apartments and townhouses the streets of DC are filled with restaurants, museums and shops all of which show the history and diversity of the District.

1. Adams Morgan: Thursday 7:00 p.m.

Out of every neighborhood in the District of Columbia perhaps none is trendier than Adams Morgan. Located in the Northwest section of Washington DC the center of the neighborhood is where Columbia Road and 18^th street NW intersect. Adams Morgan is a residential section of the city and within its confines it contains a large number of restaurants, international boutique shops and bars. Known to be one of the most diverse sections of Washington the restaurants within Adams Morgan differ with cuisines from over 3 dozen countries. It’s hard not to find something to eat. Washington boasts a huge number of African immigrants and as a result there are many different African restaurants to choose from. Make sure to stop by at the Bukrom Café a restaurant in the heart of Adams Morgan that serves Western African food. The prices are moderate and the Chicken Yassa (chicken marinated in sautéed onions and spices) is quit a delight to eat.

2. Popsicles with a twist: Thursday 8:30 p.m.

Located within Adams Morgan is a great place to grab some desert. Pleasant Pops is a café style restaurant that serves coffee and salads but no trip to this restaurant would be complete without ordering one of their famous ice pops. There are two different types of pops one can get at Pleasant Pops. The first type is the pops containing milk of which the chongo pop is recommended. The chongo pop is an ice pop that contains Mexican sweet cream and cinnamon and tastes unlike any conventional ice pop. The second types of pops they have are fruit pops. The flavors range from cinnamon vanilla peach to pomegranate hibiscus.

3. A tribute to MLK: Thursday 9:30 p.m.

Washington’s newest monument is definitely worth a visit. The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was opened in 2011 and its inauguration was introduced by President Obama in honor of Martin Luther King’s memory and accomplishments. There is no better place to have his memorial than a few blocks away from the Lincoln Memorial, the monument King spoke from when giving his famous “I have a dream speech”. At night the memorial tends not to be crowded and gives its visitors the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice African Americans had to endure just to get their equal rights. The monument its self is built from two monoliths of granite with King carved into one of them. On the inside of one of the stones Kings Quote of “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope” is carved which allows visitors to symbolically walk through the “mountain of despair” onto the other side “the stone of hope”. After going to Kings Memorial it is defiantly worth walking around some of the other memorials on the Mall such as Lincolns, Korean War and the Vietnam War memorial. All of these memorials create a true sense of national identity while honoring the people they were built for.

4. The complete breakfast: Friday 10:00 a.m.

“Excuse me what is the fastest way of getting to the White House”, is a common question to hear while eating at Café Deluxe.  Located in Foggy Bottom a neighborhood between DuPont Circle, Georgetown and The White House, Café Deluxe is the perfect place for breakfast. From eggs benedict to blueberry pancakes Café Deluxe serves its customers typical American breakfast food. However the breakfast deluxe is definitely the item on the menu worth ordering. The breakfast deluxe is truly the complete breakfast and it consists of cornflake French toast, turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and potatoes. From café deluxe it is easy to get anywhere in Washington by using its reliable metro.

5. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Friday 11:15 a.m.

After breakfast catch one of three metro trains to the Smithsonian metro stop from there the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a short walk away. The museum is a touching and must see museum for anyone who comes to Washington. It was opened in 1993 with the function of a museum, memorial and education center. On the exterior of the museum is a quote by President Eisenhower describing the atrocities he witnessed when liberating the Nazi death camps. Inside the museum there are many exhibits that show the horrific crimes committed by the Nazis. There is also a cattle car used for the deportation of Jews on display along with a memorial room with the names of all the major death camps written in it. The takeaway message after seeing the museum should be “never again”.

6. Peruvian Cuisine: Friday 1:30 p.m.

After a touching experience at the Holocaust museum, head back to Foggy Bottom via the metro. Stop off for lunch at El Chalan a Peruvian restaurant that serves great food. The inside of the restaurant has simple plain white walls and on the walls are portraits of Marry. The dish to get is Lomo Saltado which is stripped beef sautéed with fried potato, onion and tomato served with rice. The steak its self is juicy and succulent while the onions and tomatoes add a flavorful kick. This restaurant is the perfect way to regain some energy before heading out again to sightsee.

7. African and Asian Art: Friday 2:45 p.m.

After lunch hop back on the metro to the L’Enfant Plaza station. From there it is a short walk to the National Museum of African Art. From the outside the museum doesn’t seem that big however the vast majority of the Museum is underground. Admission to the museum is free since it is part of the Smithsonian. The different exhibits include traditional African art from all around Africa. On top of the regular exhibits there is also an exhibit donated by Bill Cosby. This exhibit includes both Art from Africa and art made by African Americans. The exhibit also features a collection of quilts and art with political messages from apartheid to slavery. After seeing this museum head to the Shackler Gallery right across from the African Art museum this museum is the Asian Art museum. Inside the museum there is an extensive collection of art from the Middle East to the Far East. Both museums happen to be lesser known than other Smithsonian’s which also means there are fewer crowds.

8. Shopping and Walking in Georgetown: Friday 5:30 p.m.

One of the best areas to shop in all of Washington is Georgetown. Georgetown is known for its own unique look since originally it was its own town before the District of Columbia was established. Inside Georgetown is filled with upscale shops. However money is needed to shop at Georgetown because most of the things tend to be expensive.

9. Local Washington Ice Cream: Friday 7:00 p.m.

The best way to end 24 hours in the great city of Washington is with some Ice Cream. Larry’s Ice Cream located at DuPont Circle is a good local ice cream store. They have many flavors to offer from cookies n’ cream to pumpkin it can almost be overwhelming. After getting some delicious ice cream walk around the neighborhood of DuPont Circle, it has been compared to New York’s Greenwich Village. There are so many shops to look at, it is surely a great way to close a trip to Americas capital.