Capital of the United States. Named for the first President, George Washington.

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Cherry Blossom Festival: The annual festival has taken place for over 100 years. Story goes Eliza Skidmore, and adventuresome woman, went to Japan in the 1880s. She fell in love with the cherry blossom trees so much that she petitioned the park superintendent to plant them in her hometown of Washington, DC. Her petition was denied. She continued the fight for several years until she found an ally in the Department of Agriculture.
Over 20 years later, she found another ally, First Lady Helen Taft. After two days of discussion, trees were to be purchased and planted. An additional 2,000 trees were sent from Japan as a gift of friendship. The first lot was riddled with pests and had to be burned. Japan sent more than 3,000 trees in a following shipment. The trees were planted along the tidal basin. If a tree dies, an new one is planted with grafts from one of the original trees.
Pro Tip: Peak bloom is hard to predict and often happens with little time to put a trip together. If you don't live local, check websites for predictions and enjoy the view, even if you're a little early/late.

Strong winds can strip the trees of petals, which end up in the basin.

Monument Row: Between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Building are the majority of the attractions. There are monuments, memorials, museums, and more!

U.S. Capitol building
Washington Monument, Smithsonian Castle, Library of Congress
Jefferson Memorial
Inside the Lincoln Memorial
WWII Monument
The White House
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The Hope Diamond is here.
Iwo Jima Memorial
Vietnam Memorial

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: When I'm asked for recommendations on things to see during a trip to D.C., this always makes the list. The Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space annex is at Dulles Airport (in Herndon, Virginia), so you'll need a car if you don't have one in the city. There are some public transport options (metro to bus) if you're willing to take the extra time.

SR-71 Blackbird. Super cool. Made from titanium. Capable of Mach 3 (~2,100 MPH)!
The Enola Gay dropped Little Boy, a 9,000 lbs atomic bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. It was the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare.
Space Shuttle Discovery!
A Concord, Boeing 707, the helicopter Ross Perot flew around the world in, and sooooo much more...go, NOW!

Nosh:

Old Ebbitt Grill: The oldest continuously operated restaurant in DC. It wasn't always in it's current location, across 15th St NW from the White House, but the current location is a great building. I've eat there multiple times and never had anything that wasn't delicious. If you enjoy oysters, the selection and freshness is top notch.

The calamari is a personal fav.
Mom, meatloaf!

Nip:

Round Robin Bar - Willard Intercontinental Hotel: No photo, unfortunately. However, I've had their mint julep (bourbon, sugar, mint). The story goes a guy from Kentucky was in town and asked for the classic derby day drink but the barkeep didn't know how to make it. The gentleman walked behind the bar and made one...the first mint julep in the city was made and enjoyed by the same man. It's been on the cocktail menu at the circular shaped bar ever since.