Road Trip 2024 – Part 3

Part III – South Carolina to Washington, DC

After two very relaxing and productive weeks staying in one place in South Carolina (thank you Carl) it was time to start the trip back up North. Since I had now completed my goal to stay overnight in all 50 states, I figured the journey would not be complete without a stay in the US Nation’s capital. 

I was grateful to have a travel partner for this leg of the trip as well as Alison met me in DC and drove back to Boston with me. Washington, D.C. was beautiful and vert hot 🥵 as we arrived just when the temperature hit 38º or just over 100 Fahrenheit but we managed to visit all the sites we had in mind, except being able to go up the Washington Monument as the tour was cancelled when the elevator broke down.

Beyond the standard D.C. sites – the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The National Mall and War Memorial, Capitol Hill, The White House (non-US citizens cannot tour inside), the National Archives and Mount Vernon – I was on the look out for old hotels with good cocktail bars. We found three within two blocks of each other.

Hotel Washington opened in 1918 across the street from the White House and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Willard at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue opened in 1901 and is a Historic Hotel of America. Both had historic cocktail bars with great drink lists. The Hamilton Hotel was constructed in 1851 as a private school but opened as a hotel in 1862. After many expansions and renovations the latest Italian restaurant and speakeasy-style cocktail bar opened in 2019. If all of those walls could talk!

Part III – Washington, DC back to Boston

The drive from Washington, D.C. to Boston included a stop in Stamford, Connecticut. The traffic out of D.C. was so bad on a Saturday morning it took us much too long to get there, so we did not see anything except the inside of the hotel (and lounge). 

I arrived back in Boston on June 30 after driving 3,379 kilometres from Boston back to Boston and spending $279.18 (CAN) on fuel. This, added to Part I of the road trip and Part II of the road trip makes 10,603 kilometres and $1,006.20 in gas costs.

I spent the 4th of July in Boston celebrating the way that many Americans do…with beer, food trucks, flags, music and fireworks.

Next up – the last 4 Canadian provinces – NB, NS, NFLD and PEI.

You don’t have to be location independent to see the world. It just helps. Sometimes it is complicated and sometimes it’s not…but it is ALWAYS worth it!