Sights and Vegan Tastes In Washington, DC

Posted on by VeganWorldTrekker

What a whirlwind of a fantastic trip to Washington, DC! This was not my first visit to our nation’s capital. I had previously taken a motorcoach journey there over a dozen years ago. Alas I was a mere vegetarian back then. I just had to return to sample the fine vegan fare at the newer restaurants in town. As quite a history and geography buff also, the array of national landmarks and museums were a “must-see” on my itinerary! The goals for my fifteen hour stay were to visit six landmarks and museums, four vegan-friendly restaurants and a vegan bakery.

The Megabus company provides inexpensive bus service to routes along the eastern United States. The Boston to DC route was fairly new, so travelers could experience massive savings. My roundtrip ticket was only $13! The service was reliable and comfortable. Two thumbs up!

After my nine hour ride, we arrived. First stop for me..The White House! As I made my way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I felt a deep appreciation for all the American history and culture I was about to experience during my fifteen hours in this city. Visitors could stand in front of the main gate and snap a photo so I did likewise. For those who purchased tickets online, in advance, a tour of the White House chambers was in store. The line proceeded quite a distance down the street. I’d rather spend that extra time seeing a variety of sites.

My mind and body were in excited tourist, fast-paced walking mode! The energizer bunny had nothing on me this day! I scurried down the street and around the corner, and walked a couple of miles to the Lincoln Memorial. The grandeur of this massive statue of our past president was quite awe-striking! I read the Gettysburg address and other famous quotes from our great leader on the monument walls. As I exited the building and walked down the stairs, I noticed that this area provided a magnificent view of the Washington Monument. I took photos of this landmark from this location and also as I walked closer by at a later point in time.

The walk back to downtown gave me the opportunity to glance upon several other landmarks such as the Kennedy Center and a few governmental offices.

My next stop was the US Capitol building. The huge structure was quite impressive. Gazing to the right, left, and center in front of the building were statues representing historical, political figures. Located right behind it was the Supreme Court building.

My final stop was the Smithsonian. Years ago, I had paid a visit to the Air and Space Museum which is indeed fantastic! This time, I wanted to experience the Museum of American History. The museum will not disappoint! You can view exhibits regarding our nation’s birth and political figures to American pop culture phenomenons. Some of the influential moments in American history included each period of the presidency and its leaders, the industrial revolution, the development of our railway and transportation systems, and pop culture. My absolute favorite exhibits were Abe Lincoln’s hat, Martha Washington’s inaugural ball gown, Carol Burnett’s drapery dress, Archie Bunker’s chair, the original Kermit The Frog, and Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from Wizard Of Oz!

The vegan food scene in DC is impressive itself! My only complaint is that a couple of places are not open for business on Saturdays and others close early at 2pm. The Inspire Cafe is not open on Saturdays(Natures-Delite). Java Green (Java Green) is also not open on Saturdays.

Several vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants offered a vegan breakfast or brunch. For breakfast, I decided to eat at Busboys and Poets(Busboys And Poets). This funky place offered a sprawling “living room” environment where patrons could read the newspaper or novels or just surf the web. A small bookstore inside sold books ranging across many genres. Although not all-vegetarian, they serve many vegan options and promote healthy living. Glancing at their menu online prior to my trip, I just knew that this was the best choice for my morning meal. I opted for the vegan “egg” wrap with veggies, vegan bacon, and vegan cheese and a side of home fries. Wow! I was really happy with my selection. This was delicious comfort food at its finest! I selected a raw fruit and vegetable juice to accompany my meal. It consisted of fourteen or so fruits and veggies including mango, banana and greens. I was very pleased with the tasty concoction! I give this cafe a two thumbs up also! My breakfast was incredibly good!


At one point during the day, I craved a snack. After all, all that walking made me hungry and thirsty.

The Brookland Cafe(Brookland Cafe) satisfied my hunger. I opted for the vegan “shrimp” basket with lemon-pepper fries and a spicy dip. Another fine choice! My beverage selection was an herbal, citrusy tea. DC has an organic, vegan-friendly market called “Yes!Organic Market“. It is located across the street from Brookland. They sell organic vegetables, packaged vegan foods such as Tofurky, and various vegan pre-made sandwiches such as veggie-chicken or veggie-blt. All the vegan food brands you know and love can be found there.


I ate lunch at a vegan, soul food restaurant called “Everlasting Life Cafe“(Everlasting Life Cafe). Patrons can choose among quite a variety of items in their cold bar or hot bar. I opted for the hot bar items including lima beans in a sauce, collard greens, and vegan, fried “chicken”. I really enjoyed my meal. Nothing was overdone or uncooked. Again, this was tasty comfort food at its finest.



The part of my trip that I was anxiously awaiting had arrived!
I was on my way to the vegan bakery “Sticky Fingers”
(Stickyfingers)!
Oh..Excitement filled the air in anticipation of what sweet treasures I would find! It is outside of downtown so a taxi or metro is needed. At last. I arrived! My eyes popped out of my head when I noticed the huge variety of vegan treats in the display case! I opted for the chocolate cupcake with cookies and cream frosting and cookie on top, the chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting, a cinnamon roll, and a gingerbread man. These decadent sweets were perfectly sugary, delicious beyond words, and just melted in my mouth with their goodness! I was ecstatic with my selections!





Finally dinner time arrived. Again, this meal was carefully planned in advance. As I was preparing my trip’s itinerary back home, I decided to choose Cafe Green(1513 17th St NW, Metro Dupont Circle) for my dinner meal. The restaurant offers vegan, organic, or raw options for its diners. I chose the vegan gnocchi with mushrooms, broccoli, and sprouts. First of all, the sauce was incredibly tasty. The pasta was absolutely delicious and just melted in your mouth. The food here ranged from some simple fare such as nachos or veggie burgers to to more gourmet fare such as my meal. This restaurant, as the others I visited also gets my “Two thumbs up” approval rating!

9pm came upon us soon enough and it became time to hop back on the bus for my nine hour journey back to Boston. I came. I conquered! I accomplished every goal on my itinerary of landmarks, museums, and eateries.

I was very, very pleased with each and every one of my meal selections and restaurant choices! DC is wonderfully, vegan-friendly. The sightseeing and historical landmarks are also well worth the trip!

Please be sure to plan a visit to DC for amazing vegan meals and desserts, as well as incredible sightseeing!!