Austin Graff

Today, local bookstores are starting to stock 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That Your Must Not Miss, a year-long writing journey. Based on exploring every D.C. neighborhood with my nine-year-old daughter, the book highlights her favorite spots in every part of the city. Each place is kid approved. (Shoutout to @schiavetto_photography , who took all the photos and became a friend in the process.) #dcwithkids #thingstodoindc #111places #washingtondc #girldad

I present to you the first-ever guide to all 131 D.C. neighborhoods. The goal of this two-year project is simple- to help make a big city smaller for locals, transplants, and tourists. The link to the guides and a blog post about the project and why it will live online for free at the link in my profile. #washingtondc #dcneighborhoods #igdc #thingstodoindc #dc

To fall in love with D.C., go to the observation deck of the Old Post Office Tower. Open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the least crowded time to visit is Monday mornings. The entrance to this 1899 building is behind the @WaldorfAstoriaDC . Walk in, stroll down a hallway with an exhibit about the building, and take two elevators to the 270-foot observation deck with 360-views of D.C. . . . . . . . . . #igdc #igdcfamily #igersdc #theotherdc #bytheway #dc #dclife #dcliving #visitdc #washingtondc #mydccool #popville #dctography #dcchasers #seemycity #mytinyatlas #letsguide #yelpdc #googlelocalguides #thingstodoindc #washmagphoto #tourthe202 #oldpostoffice #dcviews #thatviewtho #washingtonmonument #202creates #viewsfordays

Always look up when on Capitol Hill. Animal sculptures are hidden on light posts to match some lettered streets. There’s a grasshopper along G Street SE and a cat along C Street SE. Inspired by a local dad who used D.C.’s lettered streets to teach his daughter the alphabet, @CHAWinDC ’s Capitol Hill Alphabet Animal Art Project first went up in 2014. Today, there are around 20 different animals to find by local artists. Additionally, there are ten sculptures of 10 sculptures of local endangered or formerly native species along Connecticut Avenue NW between Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. (This is a chapter in my book 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss.) #dcwithkids #thehillishome #atlasobscura #only1dc #dcart

On May 15, 1918, during World War I, the world’s first scheduled regular airmail service took off from Hains Point in Washington, D.C. Although ceremonial, the flight represented a major shift in connecting the country and world. The route went from D.C. to Philadelphia to New York. On the same day, a flight left New York carrying mail toward D.C. An overlooked memorial honors the moment erected in 1958 by the Areo Club of Washington. #onthisdayinhistory #onthisday #dchistory #aviationhistory #ushistory

One of D.C.’s newest tasting menus is a celebration of Black culinary traditions from Washington, D.C. to Ethiopia. Inside NoMa’s @TheMorrowHotel is @DineMarcusDC with a kitchen led by award-winning Maryland @ChefAnthonyJ , a contestant on @BravoTopChef . The five-course menu starts with BBQ Maitake with black garlic and sweet onion and ends with your choice of between Soursop Chocolate Crémeux and Carrot Pavé. Surprises along the way compliment the courses. Marcus DC is open for dinner starting at 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. (Note: Our meal was comped. I met Chef Anthony Jones at a private dinner and was impressed with his passion, expertise, and friendliness.) #dceats #dcrestaurants #thingstodoindc #nomadc #blackownedbusinesses

There are many Lincoln-connected places throughout Washington, D.C., but one many miss is President Abraham Lincoln’s pew inside @NYAPCDC , a congregation started by Scottish stonemasons on the grounds of The White House in 1793. During Lincoln’s presidency, he rented a pew to use during services. Although the current church building went up in 1951, Lincoln’s pew remains inside. Pop into the church on a weekday to see the pew and Lincoln signed document that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Outside the church is a hitching post that Lincoln allegedly tied his horse to during church services. (Note: This church is a chapter in my book 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss.) #downtowndc #thingstodoindc #lincoln #igdc #dchistory

Almost hidden by the green is a sign in a Capitol Hill garden along 11th Street NE in between C Street NE and Constitution Avenue NE. “Above all, love each other deeply” is the first part of 1 Peter 4:8. Walking every street in D.C. in every neighborhood, a constant is how many neighbors love each other deeply, forming true community. Love is the heartbeat of Washington, D.C. (Note: This garden sign caught my eye having lost two friends within a month. It’s a reminder to love deeply those in your life) #thehillishome #washingtondc #lovedeeply #thisismycommunity

One of Washington, D.C.’s mysteries is the identity behind Logan Circle’s @barbie_pond_ave_q , a Barbie-themed art installation in the front yard of an 1874 rowhouse that changes seasonally. Since 2014, the Barbie and Ken dolls match whatever holiday, event, or theme is going on nationally. Whoville in December, voting during the presidential elections, Stars Wars on May 4th, and, most recently, Mother’s Day. Although the display changes often, what remains is the question, “Who’s its curator?” (Note: For the Mother’s Day installation, crafting credit goes to @cfaught .) #logancircle #dcwithkids #thingstodoindc #atlasobscura washingtondc

One of the world’s most sought after coffees is served for $12 at @CafeUnidoUSA ’s original location inside Latin American market @LaCosechaDC . The popular coffee shop’s first location outside of Panama is now in an expanded space with a full bar that serves all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner starting at 8 a.m. every day of the week. The menu includes Tequeños and Panasia Fried Rice with pulled pork belly with cáscara glaze. (Note: Our food was comped, but I’ve been regularly going to Cafe UNIDO since they first opened in 2020.) #dcrestaurants #dceats #unionmarketdc #thingstodoindc #panama

Hill East’s @TrustysDC may be 14 blocks from the U.S. Capitol, but there’s no pretense in the 21-year-old D.C. institution with a school bus-themed bar on its second floor. Come as you are. Trivia is every Tuesday. On Wednesdays, there’s bingo and costume karaoke. Come on a weekend for their $6 Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar. Every corner is filled with surprises from board games on shelves to a giant Yoda figurine. It’s a place that proves the city isn’t all suits. #hilleastdc #thehillishome #dcbars #dceats #thingstodoindc

A little over a two-hour drive from Washington, D.C. is Central Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley, a major stop on the Underground Railroad and the midpoint for the Appalachian Trail. Cumberland Valley’s farms serve local ice cream, its restaurants take over Revolutionary War and Civil War-era buildings, and its artists paint gourds, street boxes, and walls. Here’s how to spend a getaway in Cumberland Valley. 1) Eat local ice cream at @DestinyDairyBar.Farmstead , a woman-owned farm that sells fresh ice cream, chocolate milk, and veggie trays to feed pigs, cows, goats, and other farm animals, 2) Shop handcrafted gourd decorations at @MBGourds , the world’s largest handcrafted gourd maker, 3) Visit sites connected to the Underground Railroad in Boiling Springs on your own or through a tour led by @CCHSCarlislePA , 4) Go on the Coffee & Chocolate Trail and visit @DenimCoffee , a local roastery started by a husband-wife team, and Mummert Chocolates, a family-owned chocolate shop in downtown Carlisle, 5) Hike parts of the Appalachian Trail with its midpoint weaving through Cumberland Valley, 6) Enjoy craft beer at @MollyPitcherBrewingCompany , a local brewery with 20+ beers on tap, and good food like @One13Social ’s mushroom soup and Hamilton Restaurant’s “Hotchee Dog,” 7) Relax at @AllenberryResortandSpa , a historic creekside resort with a saltwater pool, spa, and famous sticky buns. #founditincv #carlislepa #visitpa #pagetaway #pennsylvania