| |  | | |  | Hello, friends! In DC, we’re lucky to have opportunities to celebrate women’s contributions all year long. For Women’s History Month, our Wanderlist includes plenty of events, festivals, exhibits and other programming that highlight the accomplishments, art and stories of women. A few additional options: | | 🗓 Awesome Things To Do This Month. |  | Spring has gotten off to an early start this year temperature-wise, but springtime blossoms and events are in full bloom this month 🌸🌸🌸
You won't want to miss: Cherry Blossom Festival celebrations Sound of music as plays at locations across the city National Women's History Month events Exciting and inspiring environmental film festivals An unique, immersive theatre experience A daring high wire act Transport yourself to the land of fire and Ice
. . . and so much more!
We've curated 100+ (our biggest list yet!) awesome and unexpected things to do this month that will make you see why spring in DC is simply the best! | | | 👸🏽Discover “Herstories” in DC For Women’s History Month. |  | Pop quiz: How many female stories and landmarks in Washington, DC can you name off the top of your head? 3, 2, 1 ... Go!
How did you do?
The history of DC is filled with the names of male patriots, and their stories are easy to find. But women have always been busy making their own history in tandem, too. There might not be a towering obelisk to mark their contribution, but you can find monuments, murals and historic markers to female activists, educators, artists if you look a little closer.
Kaitlin Calogera founded "A Tour of Her Own' in 2018 to help find and amplify those female stories, The first tourism company in DC to focus exclusively on women's history or "herstories" as Katilin calls them, the mission of A Tour Of Her Own is to elevate women’s stories into a more prominent place in American history and culture. As Calogera notes, “This city is more than statues of men on horses and white marble monuments honoring presidents. Our tours prove that women built America’s past, even though they are less represented in public spaces and their stories are often overlooked.” TOHO offers scheduled walking tours ranging from the downtown call boxes to portraits at the National Gallery and sites relating to notable women on the National Mall and Capitol Hill. Virtual tours provide in-depth looks at some intriguing-sounding topics: “Hookers, Healers and Heroines,” “Women and Art in the Gilded Age,” “Hidden History of the First Ladies,” and “Department Stores: A Feminine Oasis.” Calogera is also co-author of “111 Places in Women’s History That You Must Not Miss,” the ultimate insider's guide to women's history in Washington, DC for locals and experienced travelers that highlights interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides. | | | 📝 REVIEW: Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen is Red Hot. |  | As a Chef Gordon Ramsay fan since we first started watching his shows in the UK, we were super excited about the opening of his new Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at the Wharf.
We were lucky enough to score a reservation during the soft opening. It's a massive space spanning two floors, a waterfront patio, and second-story terrace. Given the show's bombastic style and over-the-top host, it's a surprisingly warm and elegant space with huge wrap around windows offering stunning views of the Washington Channel and the city in the distance. 👀 Click image above to view video highlights or click this link
The skinny: Of course, there are nods to the show everywhere. You're welcomed by a video wall with an avatar of Ramsay, and there is hell-themed decor throughout, but it's all done in a tasteful way. On the first floor, there's a photo wall of past winners of the hit cooking competition show, and upstairs you might catch a glimpse of Christina Wilson, the season 10 winner, in the open kitchen which has a "Blue" side and a "Red" side.
They offer a prix fixe menu that showcases all the most famous (or infamous) classics from the show, including scallops and risotto, two things that have continually stumped contestants over the years. Here, both were cooked perfectly. The beef wellington -- which takes a whooping 41 hours to prepare -- is sumptuous, and the sticky toffee pudding, made from Gordon's mom's recipe, is delightfully decadent and comforting. And the cocktail and wine menus are impressive and fittingly upscale.
Hell’s Kitchen is a red-hot ticket in DC's dining scene. Whether you're a fan of the FOX franchise or not, the restaurant delivers amazing food, extraordinary cocktails, and a world-class dining ambiance. And a bit of razzle dazzle to go with it.
Curious Tip: They're fully booked through May, but you can try for a seat in the lounge area and receive full service without a reservation (first come, first served). You can also check out Ramsay's other new addition to the Wharf. His more modest UK-style fish and chip restaurant is right across the street.
📍: 652 Wharf St SW | | 👀 Must See Exhibit: Life-Size Abraham Lincoln Portrait. |  |  | Abraham Lincoln is a towering historic figure--literally. The 16th president was 6’4." With the top hat that he often wore, he would have been over 7 feet tall. In time for President's Day, a new life-size painting of Lincoln on display at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery gives you a sense of his towering presence.
The skinny: Painted by Dutch artist W.F.K. Travers in 1865, the 9-foot-tall oil on canvas is one of just three known, life-size paintings of Lincoln. A longtime friend of Lincoln's said Travers’ work was the most realistic portrait he had ever seen of the president, who had been killed 11 years earlier.
It made its debut at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, where it stunned viewers.10 million visitors to the nation’s first official World’s Fair had a chance to see it. Widow Mary Todd Lincoln allegedly fainted at its sight and had to be helped away.
Secret symbols: The painting features symbols that speak to Lincoln’s history and accomplishments. Next to the Constitution, is the artist’s nod to the Thirteenth Amendment, which Lincoln supported, and the globe in the background is positioned on Haiti; Lincoln was the first to recognize it as an independent nation in 1862. Behind the scroll is a small statue of a Black man rising as he pulls the chains from his body as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The painting is on display in the Portrait Gallery’s “America’s Presidents” exhibit and will remain on loan to the museum for 5 years.
Curious Tip: The National Portrait Gallery is the only site outside the White House that holds portraits of all the U.S. presidents.
📍: Eighth and G streets NW
🎟: Free | | 🎧 Hey, We’re On a Podcast! |  | |  |  | We're so excited to share that our episode on the Travel Experiences Reimagined podcast is out now!!
We had a great time chatting with Mariel about our favorite topic: DC and all the cool, hidden, and unusual things there are here, and our passion for creating custom experiences and itineraries for locals and tourists that take their trip from ordinary to off-the-beaten path. And whether you live here or are just visiting, you'll want to check out some of our favorite places for yourself!
We hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more about us and our company, and that the conversation sparks your curiosity to explore the art, music, history, culture, and the people beyond the monuments and memorials. Follow @travelexperiencesreimagined for insider travel tips and recommendations on everything from tours, places to eat, things to do, and where to stay from travel experts around the 🌏 . It's a real trip! | | | | | | | | |  | While DC’s blossoming cherry trees draw in crowds by the millions, the good news is that cherry blossom viewing doesn’t just mean a shoulder-to-shoulder shuffle with strangers around the Tidal Basin. There are pockets of cherry trees in places that are off the beaten path as well. So if you want to discover a new spot to view the trees, here are the best places to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom this spring. | | | 🔗 ICYMI: DC Link Roundup. | Arts + Entertainment Washington Will Get a New Museum Under the Lincoln Memorial (Washingtonian) The National Museum of Women in the Arts Will Reopen This Fall After a Blockbuster Renovation—Here’s What to Expect (Washingtonian) LGBTQ+ nightclub Bunker opens in D.C. (Axios) Swing Beat: Takoma Station Returns as a Major Jazz Venue (CityPaper) Hirshhorn to Debut Reality Show Aimed at Minting Art Star on MTV (ArtForum)
Food + Bev Around Town The difference between cherry and plum trees (Axios) How to watch D.C.'s new Major League Pickleball team (Axios) District Postcard Views Invites You to Send Some of D.C.’s Black History (CityPaper) 10 Etiquette Tips For D.C. Locals Not Trying To Get Ahead In Washington (DCist) Inside Washington’s Latest Luxury Addition, Pendry Washington DC (District Fray) DC United unveil 2023 The Cherry Blossom Kit (MLSSoccer)
| | Whether you’re local or just visiting, your DC adventure awaits. Allons-y! | | | | | |
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