 At the time of recording there are nearly 200 Trip Hacks DC YouTube videos and dozens of podcast episodes with travel tips galore! But how do you tie all of those tips together into a tip itinerary? This episode's guest walks you through how he took the tips he learned from Trip Hacks DC and designed an itinerary around them. Rob welcomes Doug McKnight to the podcast. Doug is a fellow podcaster and co-host of Rope Drop Radio, a podcast by two dads who love Disney. He is an expert on Disney parks and Disney cruises but is also a great travel planner no matter the destination. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Rope Drop Radio. Listen on all the podcast apps and follow along with them on Twitter and Facebook. And by travel agent Michelle McKnight, a Destination Specialist with TouringPlans. Whether you want to travel to Disney World or Washington, DC or anywhere in between, Michelle has you covered. 

Trip Hacks DC

How to Plan the Best Washington DC Trip

 Washington, DC visitors all know about the major sites - the monuments, memorials, museums and historic places. But there is so much more out there! There is an entire "secret" side of Washington, DC that many visitors, and even some locals, never truly discover. A new book tells the stories of some of the places. In this episode Rob welcomes Washington, DC based author JoAnn Hill to the podcast. JoAnn is the author of the new book Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. She is an avid traveler and foodie who writes about her global travel adventures on the blog dcglobejotters. She is also an educator, former DC public school teacher and founder of the tutoring company Capitol Teachers. You can follow JoAnn on Instagram. Full show notes are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Secret Washington DC

 Travelers have a plethora of restaurant choices when they visit Washington, DC. Everyone wants to eat well but many travelers also want to know how to support the businesses that are rooted in the local community. The reality is, if you want to sample some of the quintessential DC foods you need to check out some Black owned businesses while you're here. In this episode Rob welcomes Washington, DC based food blogger Anela Malik to the podcast. Anela is a Black food blogger, former diplomat, and avid traveler. She is the founder of Feed the Malik, a project where she highlights marginalized perspectives in food and showcases some of DC’s tastiest treats as well as her own recipes. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok and keep an eye out for her upcoming book! Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Eating Well & Supporting Black Owned Restaurants in DC

 There are so many fun things to do when you visit Washington, DC that the options can feel overwhelming. You might wonder: are free tours any good? Is it worth it to splurge on a private tour experience? Is the best mode of transportation to see the monuments by foot, bike, Segway, or bus? In this episode we tackle all of these questions so you can pick out the best Washington DC tours when you visit. Travel industry veteran and world traveler Shane Whaley joins Rob for this conversation. Shane hosts Tourpreneur, a podcast that deep dives into the journey of the tour business owner. He also hosts Spybrary, a Spy Podcast for fans of spy books and movies; as well as Radio GDR, a podcast in English all about the life and times of East Germany. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

The Best Washington DC Tours & Activities

  In this podcast episode you'll learn about a great areas to stay (and avoid) on your Washington DC trip. Plus what amenities to look for in a hotel, how to do your research, and a few tips for finding the best deals.   Chris Raney from Yellow Productions joins Rob for this conversation. On Chris's YouTube channel, he produces travel videos that are fun, informative and entertaining. You can also keep up with Yellow Productions on Instagram and Facebook.   Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Washington DC Hotel Tips

 Covid-19 has significantly disrupted the 2021 inauguration. Unfortunately that means the excited crowds, the parade and parties from past inaugurations won't really happen this year. Instead, we rounded up some of our favorite stories from past presidential inaugurations to give you a sense of what a more typical inauguration is like. Some of these stories are pretty wild! In this episode Rob is joined by Aaron Killian from Historic America. Check out the Historic America website and see the multi-sensory DC tours that they offer. Aaron also hosts Dead, White and Blue, a YouTube show about the final resting places of prominent Americans. And he is the host of A Place in Time, a podcast which places you in a historic American location at a remarkable moment in time and brings it all together with a compelling true story. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Stories from Presidential Inaugurations in DC

 After months of closures and travel restrictions, some are starting to get back out and explore. Washington, DC is slowly but surely reopening tourist sites and attractions. However, it's extremely important to set realistic expectations and research every detail of your trip. You don't want to be disappointed or caught of guard once you arrive the nation's capital. In this episode Rob is joined by Mark and Jocelyn Wolters. They are half of the Wolters World traveling family. Keep up with their travels on YouTube, Facebook and their website. Or follow Jocelyn and Mark on Instagram. Pick up some cool merch (including face masks) at the Wolters World store. 

Washington DC Travel Tips During & Post Covid-19

2020 is a rough year for the Washington, DC travel industry. Halfway through the year, it's clear that tourism is not going to be the same because of Covid-19. As a result, it's time to discuss the future of Trip Hacks DC. In this episode Rob takes the mic for a solo podcast. He takes a behind-the-scenes look at what the decline in tour revenue has meant for the company. And what the future holds for the Trip Hacks DC podcast, YouTube channel, and tour company. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

The Future of Trip Hacks DC

 Whether you're looking for something to watch during the 2020 quarantine or trying to get inspired for an upcoming trip, these Washington, DC movies will provide hours of entertainment. Washington, DC doesn't have nearly as many movies set here as New York or Los Angeles, but there are still plenty of gems. In this episode Rob is joined by Ronald Young Jr. He is the owner of OhitsBigRon Studios and the host of the Leaving the Theater and Time Well Spent podcasts. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Washington DC Movies to Watch Before Your Trip

What is Washington, DC tourism going to look like post COVID-19? We don’t know! No one does. Rather than guess wildly about the future we thought it would be more useful to look back for lessons from how things changed over the past few decades. How did 9/11, government shutdowns, new sports venues and Uber change the way that visitors experience Washington, DC? In this episode Rob is joined by Tim Krepp. He is the author of Capitol Hill Haunts and Ghosts of Georgetown as well as a veteran DC tour guide. Pick up one of Tim’s books online today or visit East City Bookshop to support a local business when you visit. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

How Washington DC Tourism Evolved over the Years

The Washington, DC tourism industry is upended because of Coronavirus. In fact, that's true every where in the world as there is currently nowhere that safe for travel. There were many hints that a crisis was coming, but the damage happened quickly and painfully. In this episode Rob takes the mic for a solo podcast. He describes the first three months of 2020 from the perspective of a small tour company owner. He also talks about what happens next and what COVID-19 means for your own trip to Washington, DC. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Coronavirus & the State of DC Tourism

Accommodations is one of the most important decisions that travelers make. Airbnb and other home rental websites like Vrbo offer an alternative to standard hotel stays. Are they better? What do travelers need to know before they book one? We've got a few Airbnb tips to share. In this episode Rob is joined by Jocelyn Wolters. She is a member of the Wolters World traveling family. Keep up with their travels on YouTube, Facebook and their website. Or follow Jocelyn and husband Mark on Instagram. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

Airbnb: the Good, Bad and Ugly

Washington, DC visitors spend a lot of time on the National Mall, a National Park Service unit that gets more yearly visitors than Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, combined! Park enthusiasts won't have to spend all of their time on the Mall. There are plenty of other great National Parks near DC. In this episode Rob is joined by Danielle Jacobs-Erwin. She is the host of Everybody’s National Parks, a podcast dedicated to family adventure in our national parks. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website.

National Parks near Washington DC

Washington is the capital of the United States and the seat of federal government. But it’s also DC, a city where lots of regular people live and work. In this episode Rob is joined by Alex Baca to breakdown what it's like to live in “DC” and how visitors can experience it when they come to visit “Washington”.  Alex is the Housing Program Organizer at GGWash. She previously worked in journalism, bike advocacy, architecture, construction, and transportation. After growing up in Maryland she lived in San Francisco and Cleveland before returning home to DC. Check out her article It's Not Cool to Argue About Whether D.C. Is Cool which inspired the topic for this episode. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Washington vs. DC

If you're an Abe Lincoln history buff, this is the episode for you! Rob is joined by Rebecca Grawl, a local tour guide, and history to talk all about Abe Lincoln Historic Sites in Washington, DC. Rebecca is a veteran tour guide with Free Tours by Foot and A Tour of Her Own. One of her favorite tours to lead is the Abraham Lincoln Assassination Tour in the neighborhood around Ford's Theater. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Trip Hacks DC website. 

Abe Lincoln Historic Sites in DC

Washington, DC travel tips and hacks hosted by tour guide Rob. In-depth interviews with local experts will help you plan your visit to the nation's capital.

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Trip Hacks DC

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