Spending your summer in our nation’s capital and not sure what to do with your time? Whether you’re working in politics or as a foreign spy, you’ll need some fun ideas. No, sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial staring at the reflecting pool doesn’t count. Fortunately, Street has you covered. Here are five cool things you should be doing this summer in Washington, D.C.
4th of July Festivities: If you’re going to be in this town for Independence Day, make sure to take advantage of it. If you’re looking for a spot to show off your stars and stripes, the National Independence Day Parade is always fun. There's also a free nighttime concert in front of the capital building, and the largest display of fireworks in the city takes place over the Washington Monument.
Smithsonian National Zoo: I know, most cities have a zoo, but the Smithsonian National Zoo has three pandas. Three pandas! Three giant pandas! If you’re lucky, you might even get to toss them sticks of bamboo. (Ed. Note: If you're not in D.C. but like, still really want to see the pandas, you can watch them live here. You're welcome.)
Boating on Tidal Basin: If you want to tour the monuments, you might as well do it in style. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboard from the Key Bridge boathouse or Capital SUP’s boathouse on the capital riverfront.
International Spy Museum: If you really are a foreign spy, you might want to avoid this spot, but for everyone else the International Spy Museum is a ton of fun. You can try on real spy gear, hear exciting stories, and manage your own spy simulation. And—pro tip—they sometimes have cars from Bond movies on exhibit.
MLB All–Star Week: This year the, Washington Nationals are hosting the 2018 MLB all–star week. You can catch the world’s best players on July 17th at Nationals Park. If tickets get expensive, you can still go to the homerun derby on the 16th, or the FanFest on the 15th.
