In honor of our 44th President, here are 44 essential experiences in the Washington area, democratically ranging from eats to art, parks to pandas. In no particular order.
Food and Drink
1. Grab a signature Chili Half-Smoke (a half pork and half beef smoked sausage topped with homemade chili) at Ben's Chili Bowl, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary on U Street. 1213 U St. NW; +1 202 667 0909.
2. Sip organic/fair trade coffee, try out your latest poem at open-mic nights, or hear a talk on a topic of social justice at one of the three outposts of Busboys and Poets, an artsy community lounge, restaurant, and café. The original Busboys is located at 2021 14th St. NW.
3. Eat like a president at Cleveland Park's Palena, where former White House chef Frank Ruta offers Italian-leaning fixed price menus in the dining room and stellar hamburgers in the front-of-house café. (No reservations taken in the dining room.) 3529 Connecticut Ave. NW; +1 202 537 9250.
4. Step into the brownstone Dupont Circle town house occupied by Obelisk for an Italophile's five-course, fixed-price dream dinner, courtesy of chef Peter Pastan, who travels to Italy yearly for inspiration. 2029 P St. NW; +1 202 872 1180.
5. Get a taste of the Chesapeake on Capitol Hill with Johnny's Half Shell's lump crab cakes and fried oysters, considered by many to be the best in town. 400 N. Capitol St. NW; +1 202 737 0400.
6. Sip an assortment of tea from herbals to oolongs at one of the three Asian-minimalist locations of Teaism, D.C.'s best tea house. +1 877 883 2476.
7. Browse the brainy selection of books, then chow down on a $18 trio of "sharezies" (appetizers) at Kramerbooks and Afterwords Café and Grill, still Dupont Circle's late-night go-to spot. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW; +1 202 387 1400.
8. Have a hard time choosing from over 50 varieties of chef José Andrés's spicy, garlicky, and succulent Spanish tapas at Jaleo in Penn Quarter. Don't forget a refreshing pitcher of fruit-filled sangria to complement the meal. 480 7th St. NW; +1 202 628 7949.
9. Pair traditional sushi with fine Burgundy at Sushi-Ko in Glover Park, Washington's first sushi restaurant. 2309 Wisconsin Ave. NW; +1 202 333 4187.
10. Experience world-class French cuisine at playful Citronelle in Georgetown, where chef Michel Richard's innovative menu has earned him a long list of accolades including a James Beard Award. 3000 M St. NW; +1 202 625 2150.
11. Enjoy neighborhood warmth and comfort food like butternut squash soup at Cashion's Eat Place in Adams Morgan. 1819 Columbia Rd. NW; +1 202 797 1819.
12. Splurge at a place that knows wine like no other in D.C., Proof. The tuna tartare on fried seaweed is addictive. 775 G St. NW; +1 202 737 7663.
Outdoors
13. Stroll through the historic, 10-acre formal gardens of Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, where a 1944 international conference met to lay the framework for the United Nations. Now the mansion contains galleries of Byzantine and pre-Columbian art. Entrance to the gardens is at R and 31st Sts. NW; +1 202 339 6410.
14. Go green at the U.S. Botanic Garden where 4,000 plants are on display, including several rare and endangered varieties of orchid. 100 Maryland Ave. SW; +1 202 225 8333.
15. Enjoy a quiet walk along the C&O Canal towpath. It runs 184.5 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD, along the Potomac River. For trailhead locations and general information, visit bikewashington.org.
16. Picnic in woodsy Rock Creek Park, which spreads across 3,000 acres of the greater Washington area. You can also hike, jog, or rent a kayak at the Thompson Boat Center.
17. Meander through the lovely Bishop's Garden alongside the soaring Gothic edifice of the National Cathedral, the sixth largest cathedral in the world. Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW; +1 202 537 6200.
18. Be on the lookout for bald eagles on little-known Theodore Roosevelt Island, a woodland sanctuary in the Potomac created in honor of President Roosevelt. Accessible by the northbound lanes of George Washington Memorial Parkway.
19. Find a favorite plant at the 446-acre National Arboretum, with its collections of boxwoods, holly, magnolia, and Asian plants, among others. 3501 New York Ave. NE; +1 202 245 2726.
20. Pay a visit to the giant panda Tai Shan and his equally adorable parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, at the National Zoological Park. Also trek the zoo's Asia Trail for a glimpse of sloth bears and red pandas. 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW; +1 202 633 4800.
21. Jog or bike along the popular Crescent City Trail, which runs 11 miles from Georgetown to Silver Spring, Maryland. Formerly a disused, single-track rail line, the current hiker/biker trail passes over four historic bridges, through two historic tunnels, and alongside parks, wooded areas, and scenic views of the Potomac.
22. Combine fresh air and art at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, where sculptures, such as the immense looming Spider, are sprawled throughout the gardens. The warm-weather fountain becomes a popular outdoor skating rink in winter. 7th St. and Constitution Ave. NW; +1 202 737 4215.
Museums/Galleries/Monuments
23. Take in the grandeur of the National Mall, a two-mile ribbon of green space that stretches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, with 13 museums flanking it. This is the nation's playground and meeting place, where history is made and preserved.
24. Salute the nearly 200-year-old Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the U.S. national anthem, in the newly renovated National Museum of American History. National Mall, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW; +1 202 633 1000.
25. Have lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian's Mitsitam Café, the best food you can get on the Mall. The cafeteria serves cuisine indigenous to a region of the Americas, from Northern Woodlands elk to Mesoamerican tacos. 4th St. and Independence Ave. SW; +1 202 633 1000.
26. Remember the six million Jews and millions of others who were victims of Nazi fanaticism at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. From its wrenching exhibits to its purposely disorienting layout, this unique museum is both disturbing and deeply moving. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW; 202-488-0400.
27. Create your own newscast and download it offline at the Interactive Newsroom at the Newseum, dedicated to the role of journalism through history. Recent artifacts, including the Unabomber's cabin and the radio antennae from the Twin Towers, bring it all home. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; +1 888 639 7386.
28. In one of the world's espionage capitals, learn secrets of spycraft at the International Spy Museum. Its quirky gift shop carries such items as fingerprint kits and peanut butter jar safes. 800 F St. NW; +1 866 779 6873.
29. Touch a moon rock and walk through the Skylab space station at the National Air and Space Museum, one of the world's most visited museums. Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW; +1 202 633 1000.
30. Remember the more than 200,000 Civil War African American soldiers and their white officers whose names are etched on a Wall of Honor, at the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum. 1200 U St. NW.; +1 202 667 2667.
31. Tour the neoclassical Tudor Place, built in 1816 for Thomas Peter and his wife Martha Custis Peter, granddaughter of Martha Washington. The architecture has remained the same, and the portraits, furniture, glassware, and textiles on the inside reveal how six generations of the Peter family lived. 1644 31st St. NW; +1 202 965 0400.
32. Discover the gem of an art museum called the Phillips Collection. Hushed, gracious, and filled with canvases that reflect, primarily, one man's art passions, the Phillips is a grand home now to Sargents, Klees, Bonnards, Vuillards, and more. And it won't leave you overwhelmed, the way the National Gallery will. 1600 21st St. NW; +1 202 387 2151.
33. View historic presidential portraits—as well as contemporary portraits of important Americans—at the recently renovated National Portrait Gallery. The covered Kogod Courtyard is a popular public gathering space with a fun water feature that fascinates kids. 8th and F Sts. NW; +1 202 633 8300.
Shopping
34. Peruse fresh vegetables and fruits, meats and cheeses, and pies and cookies at Capitol Hill's Eastern Market, which is in the midst of revival after a fire. On weekends, local artists sell jewelry, artwork, clothing, and pottery. 7th St. and North Caroline Ave. SE.
35. Head across the Potomac River to Old Town Alexandria where you'll find both of-the-moment boutiques (Hysteria, The Shoe Hive) and high-end antiques stores (Spurgeon-Lewis, Potomac West Interiors and Antique Gallery). While there, explore the neighborhood's historic landmarks like Carlyle House Historic Park.
36. Get goods to go throughout Georgetown. You'll find upscale chains like Anthropologie and Lululemon here, but also local boutiques scattered throughout the neighborhood such as Fresh (1205 Potomac St. NW.), a trendy clothing store next to Georgetown Cupcake, winner of the "Washington Post Cupcake Wars" for their Chocolate Ganache cupcake.
37. Exercise your credit card along 14th Street NW, a formerly down-and-out strip recently transformed into a shopping and dining hub. Find contemporary housewares and furniture at Vastu, Asian-themed Muléh, and Home Rule; eclectic gifts at Go Mama Go; and funky greeting cards at Pulp.
Entertainment/Nightlife
38. Attend free one-hour performances daily at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. You might hear a world-class jazz trio, or see a local dance group. After the show, take the elevator to the roof to admire the city's monuments and buildings. 2700 F St. NW; +1 202 467 4600.
39. Watch stage classics become startlingly contemporary and relevant at the Shakespeare Theater Company (450 7th St. NW; +1 202 547 3230), which opened a second performance space last year, the gleaming Sidney Harman Hall, at 610 F St. NW.
40. Spot a famous author at Politics & Prose, a small neighborhood bookstore that presents a powerhouse roster of writers for its nearly nightly readings and talks. We're talking Toni Morrison, Annie Leibovitz, and Christopher Plummer. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW; +1 202 364 1919.
41. Chill at the 18th Street Lounge, an in-the-know hideaway once owned by electronica duo Thievery Corporation. DJs spin some of the coolest downtempo music in town, and a great jazz band plays on Friday and Saturday nights. 1212 18th St. NW; +1 202 466 3922)(Enter through the door to the left of the mattress store).
42. Catch both up-and-coming and white-hot indie bands at the 9:30 Club, the live music venue that continues to be the city's—and one of the nation's—best. 815 V St. NW; +1 202 265 0930.
43. Escape the Friday night bar scene, and go to the Folger Shakespeare Library's PEN/Faulkner Readings. Great authors from Calvin Trillin to Elizabeth Gilbert read their own work in an elegant setting. 201 E. Capitol St. SE; +1 202 544 4600.
44. Salsa late into the night at Rumba Café, Habana Village, and Bossa, a trio of Adams Morgan clubs that get packed on weekends but are less crowded on weeknights. Cool off with a refreshing mojito.