Last October I spent a few days in Washington D.C. to visit my uncle (who lived there for a spell) and explore the city. I hadn’t been to D.C. since I was around ten years old, so it was high time to return. And while I haven’t visited in other seasons, fall was a delightful time of year to stroll the streets of Georgetown and poke our heads into fun shops, admire grand brownstone homes, and soak up the college town vibe.

On the banks of the Potomac River, my uncle pointed out the Watergate Building (the round structure) and the Kennedy Center (on the right, where we had tickets to see a show that very evening).

My visit happened to coincide with the Georgetown Street Food Festival. We pushed through crowds chowing down on cupcakes and crab cakes, the alluring aroma of sweet treats and smoked meats wafting around us. It took will power to abstain, but we looked forward to a lunchtime meet-up with friends from the midwest who happened to also be in town that weekend.

After lunch we veered off the main drag to explore homes in the Georgetown neighborhood. The brick exteriors and bay windows remind me of Boston’s Beacon Hill, an area I lived in while attending Emerson College. The vivid colors of the homes and the fall leaves captured my eye and I snapped many photos.

Here’s my dapper uncle! He was very patient with me as I played shutterbug all afternoon.

We grabbed some espresso for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. We had that performance at the Kennedy Center later in the evening and wanted to stay awake!

D.C. has so much to offer — museums galore, extensive theater, endlessly fascinating walking tours — and I was lucky to experience many of those things over the next several days. More to come on my D.C. adventures soon! What is your favorite activity in the D.C. area?