The summer days are fading away into fall and the throngs of tourists are receding along with them. With more manageable temperatures, fewer crowds, and nary a cherry blossom in sight, now is just about the perfect time to bask in the glories of our own city. Whether you can barely remember that vacation from just a few weeks ago, or didn’t get the chance to take one at all, take some time off (or the three-day weekend coming up) and put yourself in staycation mode. Sure, spend a day watching Netflix in your PJs. But then pull out a garish fanny pack and go exploring with all the gusto of a real tourist. As a bonus, it will give you some fresh ideas for where to take out-of-town visitors who have already done the big sites.

Photo by specimenlife.

DUMBARTON OAKS: Georgetown gets a bad rap for … well, you know the reasons. But once you flee the well-trodden sidewalks of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW, there are some architectural and historical gems to be discovered while wandering the cobblestoned side streets. One of them is Dumbarton Oaks, best known as the site of a conference that laid out the blueprint of the United Nations. The historic estate has since become a research library and museum specializing in Byzantine, garden and landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies. The real magic, though, is getting lost in the labyrinth of gardens. Romantics, (non-commercial) photographers, and anyone still pining after The Secret Garden won’t be disappointed by the idyllic grounds. Admission costs $10 March 15 through October 31, and there are free monthly and weekly tours. But one of my favorite trips was on a warmer November day when there was virtually no one there. We took in the dramatic trees, wound our way up elaborate staircases, and explored the deserted sunken gardens without having to pay a penny. — Rachel Sadon

Dumbarton Oaks is located at 1703 32nd Street NW

KOMI: Listen, you’ve saved a lot of money on airfare and accommodations. Now is the time to splurge on one of the city’s most imaginative restaurants. But waiting on a four-hour long line does not a staycation make. While reservations at Komi aren’t exactly easy to come by either (you have to call at noon, exactly one month in advance), you can also give them a ring on the day-of to see if there are any cancellations. With an unpretentious atmosphere and a fixed menu, diners can just sit back and wait to be dazzled by dish after dish. And the no photography rule means you’ll be on vacation from surprise flashes, too. — Rachel Sadon

Komi is located at 1509 17th Street NW.

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN: If you’re feeling like a staycation wouldn’t be properly complete without a visit to the Mall, have a wander through the lush greenhouses of the conservatory and the well-appointed gardens in the shadow of the Capitol. You can take in the diverse flora and fauna in an hour or so, or use your cellphone for a more in-depth, self-guided tour. — Rachel Sadon

The United States Botanic Garden Conservatory is located at 100 Maryland Avenue SW

Courtesy of NPS.

ANACOSTIA PARK: Skip your usual harried run and head over to this scenic park to take a leisurely jog along the Anacostia River, work out on free outdoor strength training and aerobic equipment, or bike on a continuous 20-mile trail on both sides of the River. Alternatively, just skip all that and roller skate to your heart’s content at the skating pavilion, the only one of its kind in any national park. Skate rentals are free and open seven days a week from June 10th through Labor Day (though there are a couple of upcoming days where rentals will be closed, so be sure to double check the schedule). — Rachel Sadon

The Anacostia Park skating pavilion is located at 1500 Anacostia Drive SE

BREWERY TOUR: If your staycation happens to include a Saturday, consider taking a tour of a brewery … or five. Whereas you once had to head for the hills Virginia or Maryland to take in the heady smell of hops, D.C. now has a variety of options—though free public tours are almost always a post-brunch Saturday affair. Try doing it on two-wheels with an already-mapped bike route. Or if you really want to go on a weekday, eat lunch, and have a DD to boot, DC Brew Tours offers weekday trips to several breweries in one trip for $85 a person ($60 if you aren’t drinking for some reason). — Rachel Sadon

You can get information about all of the D.C. area’s brewery tours here.

POSTE BRASSERIE: Enjoying a tasty beverage outdoors in the courtyard at this Penn Quarter restaurant is always a wonderfully surreal experience, especially when coming in through the Eighth Street entrance, which was once a carriageway passage for horse-drawn carriages. It feels as if I’ve been magically transported to Europe thanks to the surrounding architecture of the former General Post Office, built in 1839, which is patterned after the ancient Roman Temple of Jupiter. —James Calder, from a previous list

Poste Moderne Brasserie is located at 555 8th Street NW

Photo by Caroline Angelo.

UNION MARKET: You’re not truly on vacation until you head to a marketplace for a taste of the local flavors. When traveling to Istanbul, for instance, you’d be a fool to miss the Grand Bazaar, filled with teeming stalls of spices, ceramics, and textiles. While not even remotely at the same scale, D.C.’s Union Market, located right near Gallaudet University, boasts more than 40 local vendors hawking their wares in a space that was the city’s largest indoor market when it opened in 1871. The offerings include foodstuffs from a who’s who of the District’s foodie scene, like the artisinal cured meats of Red Apron Butchery or 2012’s DC StartUp Kitchen winners DC Dosa. Don’t buy until you’ve surveyed all of the stalls to avoid any remorse. You can take your foods to go or stick around the seating area and see if you’ve got room for dessert. Go on the weekends for Neopol Savory Smokery’s out-of-this-world bagel sandwiches. You can buy some souvenirs at the Salt & Sundry Outpost, but don’t expect to haggle over the pricey home goods. For the budget staycationer: avail yourself of the samples at the historic Union Market, but save your money for the delicious Korean restaurants in the surrounding warehouses, or go for a sandwich at nearby Italian grocery A. Litteri. After, grab freshly made gelato at Dolcezza’s cavernous factory and catch an indie flick at the Angelika Pop-Up. — Rachel Kurzius

Union Market is located at 1309 5th Street NE.

THE COUPE: One of the best things about staycations is that you can wake up whenever you want. The Coupe in Columbia Heights serves breakfast until 6 p.m. so you can roll out of bed, grab a newspaper or book, and enjoy some breakfast foods on the sidewalk tables whenever you feel like. You can never go wrong with two eggs any style and a bunch of sides, and their cheese grits are pretty solid. Less conventional fare like the Moroccan breakfast bowl is tasty too, and they make a good espresso drink (though I’d recommend avoiding the Whirling Dervish blended coffee drink with honey and lemon). — Andrew Wiseman

The Coupe is located at 3415 11th Street NW

ROCK CREEK PARK:Rock Creek is a great place to get lost in and explore when you don’t have anywhere to be—there are all kinds of trails, hidden picnic areas, and even little historical tidbits like Peirce Mill from the 1820s and Fort DeRussy, part of the Civil War defenses of the city. The Valley Trail is pretty easy while the Western Ridge Trail has more changes in relief, and the Nature Center and Planetarium up near Military Road is a small but interesting little museum. Another option is to grab your bike and roam around, but in any case make sure to bring a picnic or some snacks. — Andrew Wiseman

Rock Creek Park is big and accessible from various places in NW, but the address listed is 3545 Williamsburg Lane NW.

The conservatory inside the Heurich House Museum (Photo by Pat Padua)

HEURICH HOUSE MUSEUM: You‘ve walked past it dozens, if not hundreds of times, but most Washingtonians have never set foot in the distinguished Victorian mansion that stands like an elegant appendage on New Hampshire Avenue, just southwest of Dupont Circle. Also known as the Brewmaster’s Castle, the house was built near the end of the 19th century by a German emigrant who had $200 to his name when he came to America. It grew to be Washington’s largest private employer with the Christian Heurich Brewing Company. Heurich’s brewery supplied Washington beer lovers from what is now the site of the Kennedy Center. The factory shut down in 1955 and was demolished seven years later, but local beer drinkers may recall a brew by the name of Old Heurich. Grandson Gary F. Heurich tried to revive the brand, but this venture went flat in 2006. Christian Heurich died in 1945, and his widow deeded the house to the Washington Historical Society. Many of the original late-Victorian furnishings and decorations are intact, including a Tiffany chandelier; massive, intricately hand-carved furniture and mantles; a room modeled after a German bierstube (though Heurich’s temperance-minded third wife converted to a breakfast room); and the lasting results of enthusiastic fireproofing. — Pat Padua, from a previous article about the Heurich House Museum

The Heurich House Museum is located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL: You’ve undoubtedly seen the African American Civil War Memorial situated right outside the 10th Street NW exit of the U Street Metro stop, but have you been to the museum? Did you even know there was a museum right across the street? Didn’t think so. Easily one of D.C.’s most hidden treasures, the African American Civil War Museum is small, but contains fascinating artifacts, pictures, clothing, and other tidbits about the role African Americans played in the Civil War. It’s a small museum, but nonetheless important. — Matt Cohen, from a previous list

The African American Civil War Museum and Memorial is located at 1925 Vermont Avenue NW

KAYAKING: Skip the garbled sightseeing cruises, but don’t shy away from the water. Rent a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard from the Key Bridge Boathouse or the Ballpark Boathouse and serenely propel yourself along. See the monuments from the Potomac River, check out Nats Park from the Anacostia, or head up the historic C&O Canal for $15-$25 an hour. Both boathouses also offer classes for newbies. — Rachel Sadon

The Key Bridge Boathouse is located at 3500 Water Street NW and the Ballpark Boathouse is located at 1600 1st Street SE

Photo by Lorie Shaull.

TRAPEZE SCHOOL: I’ve long filed trapezing? trapezery? trapezedom? under the category of sounds-fun-but-they-want-how-much (answer: between $49 and $59 a class.) But I also grew up in a household where “vacation mode” meant bending the rules of everyday life in service of having an enjoyable trip (within reason, of course). So high on my list of staycation plans is flying high at the well-regarded Trapeze School New York—which is, in fact, around the corner from Yards Park. Other options for acquiring circus skills include classes on silks, trampoline, and juggling. — Rachel Sadon

Trapeze School New York is located at 4th and Tingey Streets SE.

WALKING TOUR: They may be the same old streets you walk on day-after-day, but a knowledgeable tour guide will show them to you in a new, or rather old, light. Free Tours By Foot and the one-man operation Walk of the Town are both tip-based, so you can essentially name your own price. If you’re into that sort of the thing, the region also has several different ghost tour options, which will soon ramp up. — Rachel Sadon

DRAWING SALON:Who has time to sit around and consider the masters before sketching the afternoon away? You do, because you’re on a staycation. The National Gallery of Art offers free workshops on a series of topics—British landscapes, Degas’ sculptures, and Raphael’s naturalism will all be discussed in the upcoming year—that integrate art history with sketching time. Each will be offered five times, and registration begins several days before the session opens. You can also just visit one of the city’s many art museums and have your own DIY salon.— Rachel Sadon

The National Gallery of Art is located at 6th and Constitution Avenue NW.