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The nation's capital is a place that is nearly perfect for the business traveler with an eye on enjoying some downtime between meetings with clients.
Welcome back to another edition of Business Casual, where we prove that a business trip can indeed feature a sizable portion of fun and sightseeing.
For the uninitiated, please take a look at some of our other cities we have covered, such as London, San Diego and New York.
This week we examine just a portion of Washington D.C., a destination I actually had the pleasure of seeing. The unfortunate thing is that I have only been there once, and it was on a business trip about a decade ago.
Let me say that even back then I knew how to cram a wealth of pleasure into a few short hours.
Here, for example, are some things you can do if you are afforded a few hours to a day for yourself before you have to get back to work.
United States Capitol and National Mall:
If you are coming from 1st or 3rd St. as I had been so many years ago, the Capitol will be just to your left, a shining beacon of democracy and a great way to start the day.
The first thing you really should do is take it all in. After that's over with, you can spin around and take myriad selfies with some of the best background opportunities around.
Capitol Tour:
Your day will feature some history along with a modern-day tour of the U.S. Capitol, as long as you make sure to reserve a spot on the tour.
This will have you mesmerized but will hardly take a dramatic portion of your day, leaving you time to explore other important buildings.
Supreme Court:
Such as the remarkably small Supreme Court.
This is the kind of attraction built for travelers with a heavy itinerary, like the business minded folk in the audience.
Really, you can just poke your head in during visiting hours and see where some judicial magic happens.
Library of Congress:
The best part of the Library of Congress-aside from the size, scope and immense history-is that you can decide how much of it you want to see based on your available time.
Visitors can simply walk the Jefferson Building or, if you are so inclined, book a tour of the library.
Bullfeathers:
By now you have worked up quite the hunger. Time permitting, you can eat and drink at this local watering hole frequented by locals and tourists alike.
A B.L.T. and pint is exactly what you need to replenish the soul for a day of work or, we hope, a bit more sightseeing.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History:
Now there are plenty of choices to finish your day along the National Mall. And we hope to highlight many in the future.
For this hypothetical jaunt, you might consider stretching your legs and stopping by the place that boasts the Hope Diamond and so many other captivating exhibits.
And the best part is, it's free.
Now that's just one brief itinerary that illustrates how congested this part of town is with wonderful landmarks, making it ideal for the traveler with a strict time budget.
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