*10. Washington D.C.

Maybe it’s weird for me to add Washington DC to this kind of list since way more people would consider it a city, even if it were a state. But despite constitutional issues, I still believe DC is the most likely future US state. And even with everything going on in our country, I absolutely love the place.

Theodore Roosevelt Island- A hidden gem in Washington DC

I’ll start off with the argument for it being a state because I do think it is critical to why I feature it on this list. Washington DC is the only part of the entire continental US that does not have any representatives or senators. Up until the 1970s, they couldn’t even elect their own mayor or city council or vote for president. And still, the city government’s power is incredibly limited. I understand that the city was created to be exclusively an administrative district, but it has grown to the point where now more people live there than in 2 states. Ultimately, this large population of voters has no representation despite still paying federal taxes. Curious. Didn’t we fight a War of Independence against the concept of taxation without representation.

But I digress. I understand in our current political climate, DC feels kinda gross. I admit that I feel a little bit this way myself especially when our administration is making the city worse by destroying the National Mall reflecting pool and putting an alive person’s name on the Kennedy Center. And it’s hard to appreciate the White House when you despise the person who lives in it. But, this is just a moment in time, and I don’t want to let that impact how incredible the city truly is.

When I got to go to Washington DC when I was 10 years old, I don’t know if I was ever more excited to visit a new place. This was in the height of my president's nerd era, and it did not disappoint me. This city has so much, all important to the history of our nation all within 60 square miles. There’s obviously our national monuments. The Capitol Building. The Smithsonian! At least our government was able to make its capital look cool! Going through the city is like you are walking through one big history museum. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you care about US history, but if you do care even just a little bit, it’s pretty amazing and for sure worth a visit.

The Smithsonian Institution

I do think the ultimate part of the city is the Smithsonian. The fact that we have such an excellent chronicle of our country’s history is so remarkable. You could spend a week there alone just going to all the exhibits. And it doesn’t matter what you’re into. Politics, pop culture, music, literature, history, media. It might just be the best museum in the world. It is also the setting of the worst Night at the Museum movie.

I don’t want to get into it too much since I’m planning on doing a deeper dive once I’m finished with my ranking, but I find myself struggling more and more with the patriotism that I’ve had for the US my entire life. I mean, it’s the whole reason I went on this 50 state journey in the first place. Some may say that I was stupid for ever caring about my country this much since it has so many problems. But to me, that was what made it compelling, because despite all the pains our country went through, we as a people would always come together to make it better. But I don’t feel confident in that sentiment anymore. 

Ultimately, this comes to a head for me when I think about how much I love, or at least loved, Washington DC. Why should I care so much about the capital of what many people think is just a shitty country. But regardless of my opinions of our country and how they’ve shifted as I’ve gotten older, I think DC is still a truly incredible place. When you’re there, you’re seeing history, you’re living history, and just maybe you’re making history. I’ll be back for sure, and hopefully it’ll be in a few years when I feel a renewed sense of national pride.