Planning Trip to DC
- Thread starter Janis
- Start date
LauraMax
Cathlete
OMG I looooove DC! I'm so jealous. The Smithsonian is a must, but I don't know how long you'll be there so you might have to pick & choose which museum. The National Portrait Gallery is awesome. A little off the beaten path, Woodrow Wilson's house is a really cool place to visit, it's about a block from Dupont Circle. Oh, & the Freemason's national HQ is right near Dupont Circle also, a veeeeeeeery interesting place. Union Station has great shopping. The Holocaust Museum & Vietnam Memorial, if they're not too heavy for you.
And there's always the Capital Building. If you call your congressman and/or senator you can probably get seats to watch our government at work.
Enough to get you started?
And there's always the Capital Building. If you call your congressman and/or senator you can probably get seats to watch our government at work.
Enough to get you started?
Washingtonian has a searchable database of the area's 100 best restaurants, with reviews - I have found this helpful. Check that out here.
They also have more suggestions, "cheap eats" and "dirt cheap eats", "best outdoor dining" and - perhaps most importantly for you, "dining around the museums", here.
All that said, my favorites are the Lebanese Taverna and Zed's Ethiopian in Georgetown.
Sounds like fun! Hope you all have a lovely visit!
They also have more suggestions, "cheap eats" and "dirt cheap eats", "best outdoor dining" and - perhaps most importantly for you, "dining around the museums", here.
All that said, my favorites are the Lebanese Taverna and Zed's Ethiopian in Georgetown.
Sounds like fun! Hope you all have a lovely visit!
OMG I looooove DC! I'm so jealous. The Smithsonian is a must, but I don't know how long you'll be there so you might have to pick & choose which museum. The National Portrait Gallery is awesome. A little off the beaten path, Woodrow Wilson's house is a really cool place to visit, it's about a block from Dupont Circle. Oh, & the Freemason's national HQ is right near Dupont Circle also, a veeeeeeeery interesting place. Union Station has great shopping. The Holocaust Museum & Vietnam Memorial, if they're not too heavy for you.
And there's always the Capital Building. If you call your congressman and/or senator you can probably get seats to watch our government at work.
Enough to get you started?
We'll be there a week, Smithsonian is definitely on the list, as is National Portrait Gallery and The Holocaust Museum. We're going to the Mint too.
thanks for the tips.
Excellent! Thanks so much.
[/QUOTE] DC Coast. I actually dreamed about my meal after eating there the first time!!![/QUOTE]
Now that's a review!
Perfect!!! I can't thank you enough. This is just what I need!
I'd like to keep the choices healthy and fresh - but I am a realist too.
Traveling out of California is always a bit of a shock on the food/restaurant front.
buffettgirl
Cathlete
For heaven's sake, don't forget to visit the zoo! Arlington Cemetery is special too - especially the changing of the guard.
Janis, where will you be staying? We usually stay outside of the city (Tyson's Corner) and take the Metro into town. It's so much easier than finding your way around and trying to park. You can get a shuttle to the metro station from the hotel. I think we stayed at an Embassy Suites that has an awesome free cooked breakfast and complimentary happy hour. I don't remember the names of the restuarants we ate at, but we had some nice bistro type meals and some good seafood. I think I found the restaurants online, or in an AAA guide.
Janis, where will you be staying? We usually stay outside of the city (Tyson's Corner) and take the Metro into town. It's so much easier than finding your way around and trying to park. You can get a shuttle to the metro station from the hotel. I think we stayed at an Embassy Suites that has an awesome free cooked breakfast and complimentary happy hour. I don't remember the names of the restuarants we ate at, but we had some nice bistro type meals and some good seafood. I think I found the restaurants online, or in an AAA guide.
Oh the zoo {smacks forehead with palm} yes, of course. And Arlington Cemetery - just thinking of Arlington Cemetery brings tears to my eyes. (I know, I am such a sap. Fireworks make me choke up too!)
I haven't booked the hotel yet (gulp!) I was going to do that today. (gasp - hope I didn't screw myself.) The two criteria for hotels are a great swimming pool and a gym, sauna would be a nice bonus. Breakfast buffet is a good idea. I've always liked Embassy Suites, so I'll check the one out you mentioned.
Thanks for the tips, especially about the metro.
buffettgirl
Cathlete
We were in DC a couple years ago with friends who had a 12 year old boy. I think the metro was his favorite part of the trip! Have fun.
LOL!
I read a travel planning book for Disneyland a (long) while back, the author polled different age children about what their favorite/must do thing about Disneyland was - in the 5-6year old category it was the hotel swimming pool!
Aquajock
Cathlete
Serious, serious personal jealousy issues here.
Restaurant recommendation:
Old Ebbett's (sp?) Grille right next door to the White House. Huge restaurant with casual olde-world charm, where you can see gomers like DH and me AND high-toned personages like Colin Powell and whichever First Lady might happen to be there. And, it makes, hands-down, the best salmon in the country. (i love salmon)
The Lincoln Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial
The FDR Memorial
(aside - DH and I got good advice that we didn't take and should have: try to see the Jefferson and FDR Memorials at night. as magnificent as they were during daylight hours, they would have been awe-inspiring at night)
The Washington Monument - the tickets are free but you have to schedule your ride right there at its little box office
The WWII Memorial (one of the newer memorials) - an amazing 360-degree memorial, one half of which is dedicated to the European Theatre and the other half of which is dedicated to the Pacific Theatre.
In fact, you have to go to the Lincoln Memorial and look out FROM the memorial to the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial to the Washington Monument and then, backgrounding that, is the Capitol.
The Smithsonian American History Museum and the Museum of Natural History.
AARRGGHHH!!! I WANNA GO!
A-Jock
ETA: If you go the the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, don't be surprised if you don't have much heart for entertainment or activity afterward. It was one of the three most profound visits DH and I have made to DC, but we were absolutely blown out afterward; just spent the rest of the afternoon and evening thinking. a-j
Restaurant recommendation:
Old Ebbett's (sp?) Grille right next door to the White House. Huge restaurant with casual olde-world charm, where you can see gomers like DH and me AND high-toned personages like Colin Powell and whichever First Lady might happen to be there. And, it makes, hands-down, the best salmon in the country. (i love salmon)
The Lincoln Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial
The FDR Memorial
(aside - DH and I got good advice that we didn't take and should have: try to see the Jefferson and FDR Memorials at night. as magnificent as they were during daylight hours, they would have been awe-inspiring at night)
The Washington Monument - the tickets are free but you have to schedule your ride right there at its little box office
The WWII Memorial (one of the newer memorials) - an amazing 360-degree memorial, one half of which is dedicated to the European Theatre and the other half of which is dedicated to the Pacific Theatre.
In fact, you have to go to the Lincoln Memorial and look out FROM the memorial to the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial to the Washington Monument and then, backgrounding that, is the Capitol.
The Smithsonian American History Museum and the Museum of Natural History.
AARRGGHHH!!! I WANNA GO!
A-Jock
ETA: If you go the the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, don't be surprised if you don't have much heart for entertainment or activity afterward. It was one of the three most profound visits DH and I have made to DC, but we were absolutely blown out afterward; just spent the rest of the afternoon and evening thinking. a-j
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Thank you so so so much for your tips and recommendations...this helped me solidify some itinerary plans.
My DS17 went to the Holocaust museuem, and he too insists it is a must see.
Which day of the week might the monument areas be less congested?
Thanks