Z Burger

Rather than risking being hidden in a post with other things to do, we are giving Z Burger in Washington, D.C. its own post.  Its hamburgers, fries, and shakes are the best!  Add a visit to Z Burger to any day trip within 20-30 minutes of the restaurant.  Don't have a day trip planned in the area?  Make up any reason to eat at Z Burger.  It is worth it!

Z Burger (Point B)

THINGS TO DO:

1.  Z Burger

• Order a hamburger, cheeseburger, or bacon cheeseburger
• Order fries or onion rings
• Order a shake
• Enjoy!  (You're welcome!)

THINGS TO KNOW:

There are places in our great country where you can find a really good milkshake every five blocks or so.  Unfortunately, Washington D.C. and the surrounding area doesn’t fit into that category.  Around here, it’s a little more difficult to find a place that offers a great selection of well-made milkshakes, which is a sad thing for our family.  We’re constantly on the look-out for a great place to buy shakes and that is why we love Z-Burger.  We’ve chosen to highlight this restaurant because on more than one occasion we’ve planned our outings around eating at this place.  Even if we’re not in the mood for a shake, the hamburgers, hot dogs and fries are worth a jaunt out of your way.

Z-Burger is a fast food restaurant, but don’t expect McDonald’s quality or prices.  The food is delicious and well-made; plan to pay a little more for the quality.  You won’t find entire meals on the menu and you’ll need to be prepared to design your burger yourself – choose all your toppings and sauces.  (Don’t worry, every time we’ve gone we’ve been helped by patient employees who give us time to process the menu and think through what toppings would taste good together).  When it comes to ordering the fries, plan to share… with a lot of people.  Forget about the typical Wendy’s size servings of fries and ask to see how big a serving is before you decide how much to order.  One large serving was enough for our entire family.

We’ve always found it best to plan to order twice every time we visit Z-burger: We order our meal and then take a milkshake menu with us to our seat and muse over the incredibly long list (over 75 options) while we eat.  This way, we’re not in everyone’s way as we stand at the counter mulling over what we want for dessert and we don’t have to drink melted milkshakes because we ordered them with our dinner.  

A Day with Abe

Spend a day with the 16th President of the United States and gain a greater appreciation for Abraham Lincoln, the man and the legacy.

Locations:  President Lincoln's Cottage (Point A); Ford Theatre (Point B);
Lincoln Restaurant (Point C); Lincoln Memorial (Point D)

THINGS TO DO:

1.  President Lincoln's Cottage

• Explore the Visitor Education Center galleries and exhibits to learn about the Lincoln's life at the cottage
• Walk around the cottage and view the life size sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and his horse
• If interested, pay in advance for a one hour tour inside the cottage (while not furnished, it is an amazing thing to realize that you are standing in the place where President Lincoln lived with his family, entertained guests, met with Cabinet members, wrote the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, and spent his last full day before being assassinated)

Statue of Abraham Lincoln Outside of Cottage

President Lincoln's Cottage

2.  Ford's Theatre

• Visit the location where President Lincoln was assassinated
• In advance, pay to reserve tickets for the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site (entrance is free; however, a reserved ticket guarantees admission, which is especially important during busy seasons)
• Walk through a museum highlighting President Lincoln's time in office (you can pay extra for an audio tour which will give additional information regarding various sections of the museum; however, I only recommend this if the Ranger Talk in the Theatre is being not offered)
• Sit in the Theatre and listen to a presentation by a National Park Service Ranger (if not offered, listen to the audio tour presentation which will explain the events leading up to the evening's performance, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the aftermath)
• Stop and look inside the Presidential Box
• Walk across the street to the Peterson House to see where President Lincoln died
• As you exit, take a moment in the Center for Education and Leadership to discover and appreciate the impact of President Lincoln's life 

Ford's Theatre (Original Theatre on the Right)

Presidential Box

  3.  Lincoln Restaurant

• Eat at a nice D.C. restaurant, whose decor honors President Lincoln

Lincoln Restaurant

4.  Lincoln Memorial

• End your day at the Lincoln Memorial, an enduring symbol of freedom 

Lincoln Memorial

THINGS TO KNOW:

This is a day-trip that is easily altered to fit the travelers.  Those who are on a tighter budget can enjoy these historical sites while spending very little money; while those who don’t stress about pinching pennies can spend a little more for more information.  Those who are interested in history can revel in the places Lincoln walked and in the displays honoring his accomplishments for hours, or you can take the fast-track by skimming through the details and focusing on the main events. 

Parking is free at Lincoln’s Cottage.  Start your day at the Visitor Education Center.  In addition to the important information the center provides, you’ll also find restrooms, water fountains, and a small but very nicely stocked gift shop.  If you choose to take the tour of the house, you may find it a little stuffy as some of those on the tour with us.  Don’t let this distract you from enjoying the engaging tour; utilize the fans that are provided near the entryway. 

Ford’s Theater has been open to the public since 1968, but in 2009 the expansion and re-designed museum was introduced.  If you visited the theater prior to 2009, the changes make it worth another visit.  A park ranger told us that the average person spends approximately 40 minutes in the museum.  We paid for the audio tour and spent over an hour and a half in the museum.  Before you spend the money for the audio tour, make sure you are able and want to be there for that length of time.  You can save a little money by not reserving your admission tickets in advance, but you’ll have to early to the theater (8:30 am) to get them that day and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get the tickets for the time you want.  Your tickets also allow you into the Peterson House and the Center for Education, but you cannot go to those buildings until after the time your ticket states.  There is plenty of shopping nearby if you find yourself with a little time to kill before your admission time.  There is paid parking right next to the theater.  The visitor center of the museum also has restrooms and a gift shop.

Lincoln Restaurant is a really fun environment.  The small plate serving style allows you to enjoy a variety of dishes, rather than a huge portion of only one dish. Our server recommended that our party of two order 3 – 5 plates to begin with and order more later on if we were still hungry.  We ordered 3 and were completely satisfied.  There is paid parking right next to the restaurant, but if you prefer to walk from the Ford Theater, it’ll take you about 20 minutes. 

If you go to the Lincoln Memorial, plan to walk quite a bit as there is not parking very close to the monument.  A round trip walk from either the Ford Theater or Lincoln Restaurant is only 2.5 miles.  Or if you prefer to drive closer, the National Park Service recommends parking along Ohio Drive.  There’s more to the monument than the famous steps and statue of Lincoln: you’ll find information and exhibits inside as well.  Enter that exhibit from the ground level using the door to the left of the stairs.  If you get there around the time of the sunset, you’ll enjoy a beautiful view.