GoldenEagle and I were planning on going on a week long trip this summer. We had looked at numerous places, DisneyLand, DisneyWorld, St. Louis (he's a huge cardinals fan) and Washington D.C.

We finally decided on going to Washington D.C. during the last week of July. None of our family has ever been there so we were hoping for any advice or touristy places we should visit. We are starting to do research ourselves but some of y'all helped us a lot with our NYC trip last summer and told us places we never would have found online.

Thanks for any help

Take a trip to Georgetown and check out the school(I kid) but Washington D.C. a lot of little places to eat.

I was there in October. A week is just about right to see all the main sites. Bring good shoes and buy a week long subway pass. I'll dig out some places we ate at and post them later.

I think I may have offered the same advice last year but you made a good decision not to go to St. Louis for a week. What could you possibly do as a tourist in this city for more than one day? Go up in the arch and watch a baseball game. And believe me the trip up the arch is not exciting at all. Similar outcomes could be made going to the tops of large buildings in major cities and looking out. Plus there is at least something to look at there, not rapid urban decay. There is also no local flavor at all so all of St Louis’ “hotspots” could be found in just about any metropolitan area in the country.

(This views of this message are not those of the St. Louis tourism board) :)

drink lots of water....hotter than hell.

Avoid Greyditch.

The fire ants there are death.

Stay away from Burke...nothing but right-wing wackos and DFHs.

Avoid Greyditch.The fire ants there are death.

+1

Don't worry about the Washington Monument. Go up the old Post Office tower instead. Roughly the same view with far less wait.

The Duck Tours are a little cheesy, but surprisingly fun. My Mom really wanted to take that tour against my objections, and I'm glad she won out.

If you have a car and go to a Metro lot know that you need a plastic fare card to get out of the parking lot.

If you want a close, but out of the city experience I loved Potomac Falls park. You'll have to have a car for that.

The new Air and Space is cool, but hard to get to. If you don't have a car I'd suggest a cab.

If you're on Capital Hill, there aren't very many places to eat. Tortilla Coast is close by if you like Tex/Mex.

Don't take the free personality test.

D.C. in July? Yikes. Buy a few Shamwows to deal with the copious amounts of perspiration.

Oh, and a definite +1 to getting a subway pass. Driving anywhere in D.C. is a horrible idea, especially in the summer.

The Duck Tours are a little cheesy, but surprisingly fun. My Mom really wanted to take that tour against my objections, and I'm glad she won out.

My wife & son also gave that high marks, was probably in his top three things from a couple of days in DC and I imagine my wife would put it in her top 3-5 too.

The new Air and Space is cool, but hard to get to. If you don't have a car I'd suggest a cab.

It's actually pretty easy to get to via the Metro. You just take it to Dulles International and then hop on a bus to go to the museum.

National Air and Space Museum - Transportation - Public Transportation (http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/transportation/public.cfm)

Take a trip to Georgetown and check out the school(I kid) but Washington D.C. a lot of little places to eat.

Georgetown is actually a pretty cool campus. If you go, look for the "Exorcist Stairs."

Georgetown is actually a pretty cool campus. If you go, look for the "Exorcist Stairs."

My wife refused to walk on that side of the street when we passed that location. I mentioned that the actual case didn't even happen in Georgetown, but it didn't matter. I think she watched that movie when she was very young and it scared her pretty badly.

For a for-profit museum, the Newseum was pretty cool if you're into history and journalism.

http://www.newseum.com/

Liked it much better than the Spy Museum (which is also for-profit). The National Gallery has a lot of nice pieces (including Dali's stunning "Last Supper").

D.C. in July? Yikes. Buy a few Shamwows to deal with the copious amounts of perspiration.

Oh, and a definite +1 to getting a subway pass. Driving anywhere in D.C. is a horrible idea, especially in the summer.

Here's the single best piece of advice you will get in this thread (except maybe from lordscarlet who might know some super ninja stuff that none of us can touch): stay at a hotel within walking distance or with a shuttle to a Metro stop. It doesn't have to be deep in the city or anything like that- just near a Metro stop.

Pretty much everything you want to see in DC is within walking distance from a Metro stop, which is to say about a half mile or less. For instance, there's a Metro stop right on the middle of the National Mall so any monuments or museums are close by. Heck, there are about 5 stations near the Mall. Want to go to a Nats game? Navy Yard Metro stop. The Zoo? Metro stop. Arlington Cemetary has its own Metro stop. It's one of the best mass transit systems of anywhere in the world and you won't have to fight traffic or find parking in the tourist-y areas.

Plus, the beauty of it is that you don't have to stay deep in the city, either in sketchy locations or really expensive ones. When we drive up from Richmond, we usually stay in Springfield. Last time we went, got a good deal on a 3.5 star hotel for $75 a night in Dunn Loring with a shuttle to the Metro. The only difference is that it takes about 45 minutes to get into the heart of the city instead of 30.

The Metro will be busy during rush hour but if you're anything like us when we visit, we're not looking to hit the ground running at 8am on vacation. You can do that, it will be busier, tho. But if you wait until after 9:30, fares are reduced and traffic is pretty much gone. They have two sets of rates: the "regular rates" runs until 9:30 in the morning and also 3-7 but the rest of the day, you typically save a buck (and that rate is from when you get on the Metro, so if you get on at 9:29, you're paying full rate even if you get off at 10:15).

Many of the further out Metro stops have Park-and-Ride. During the week, it's $4, iirc. Weekends are free. If you don't have a hotel that has a shuttle to the Metro, that's your other option.

Pretty much everything can be found on the wmata.com website- just look at the rail stuff. When you're planning places to visit, just check out their website or Google map and see what's the closest Metro stop.

Oh, and a couple of notes for the stuff you have to reserve in advance:

Washington monument- If you go to the park service website for the monument, you can pay something like $2 and get advance tickets. But those sell out a month or two ahead of time so if you know what days you want to do that, get them now.

White House- You have to schedule 4-6 months in advance, otherwise, you're not getting in for the tour. We tried to get in 3 months in advance of late March/early April- no luck. You are probably out of luck this late in the ballgame.

Capitol building- Email your congressperson and you can get tickets a couple of weeks in advance most times of the year. Offpeak times, you can just walk up- but summer times are peak times so I wouldn't chance it. Again, might as well get those now if you know what days you want. This is going to depend on how well your congressperson responds.

Just my 2 cents...I took a tour of both the White House and Capitol last year...the Capitol was WAY more interesting.

It's actually pretty easy to get to via the Metro. You just take it to Dulles International and then hop on a bus to go to the museum.

National Air and Space Museum - Transportation - Public Transportation (http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/transportation/public.cfm)

There's no Metro out to Dulles- it's the one place that you can't get to. It's in the works but it's going to be a while. There's a line being built past Tyson's Corner, ETA 2013. And then that one will extend to Dulles but that won't be until late next decade.

SI

Avoid Greyditch.

The fire ants there are death.

It's that damn Dr Lesko's fault!

SI

Don't take the free personality test.

I haven't seen this yet, so I'll bite. What's the "free personality test". It sounds like some euphemism that will end up with you getting mugged.

SI

There's no Metro out to Dulles- it's the one place that you can't get to. It's in the works but it's going to be a while. There's a line being built past Tyson's Corner, ETA 2013. And then that one will extend to Dulles but that won't be until late next decade.

SI

I guess I should have clarified. The bus system is called MetroBus. That's technically part of the Metro system, although it's not a train line. I know that most locals don't consider the bus line part of the Metro. It's a good clarification.

I haven't seen this yet, so I'll bite. What's the "free personality test". It sounds like some euphemism that will end up with you getting mugged.

SI

Scientologists.

There's no Metro out to Dulles- it's the one place that you can't get to. It's in the works but it's going to be a while. There's a line being built past Tyson's Corner, ETA 2013. And then that one will extend to Dulles but that won't be until late next decade.

SI

There's a bus to Dulles that you take, then transfer at Dulles to a special shuttle. I did it in October. It takes about an hour or so, but the museum there is awesome. Cost was 3 bucks a person, I think.

Looking for some help as I don't know DC too well. We are going to visit some friends in Baltimore next weekend and are planning on spending a Monday day/night in DC. We are deciding b/w 2 Embassy Suites hotels in DC, one is near the convention center, the other is around Dupont Circle. Which is a better location in terms of seeing as much as possible? We will have an 18 month old with us so we'd prefer being able to walk to things more so then taking metro.

Thanks for any help.

Looking for some help as I don't know DC too well. We are going to visit some friends in Baltimore next weekend and are planning on spending a Monday day/night in DC. We are deciding b/w 2 Embassy Suites hotels in DC, one is near the convention center, the other is around Dupont Circle. Which is a better location in terms of seeing as much as possible? We will have an 18 month old with us so we'd prefer being able to walk to things more so then taking metro.

Thanks for any help.

TRUST ME. You want to take the Metro. You can roll the stroller right onto the train quickly and easily. We had a 18 month old in a stroller when we went out there for 3 days last year. We used the Metro for everything and got to see a ton of places.

I'd stay in Dupont. It's a better area and the Metro is very close.

And it's only a few blocks from my previous family doctor.

edit: What MBBF said. Neither hotel location is convenient to most of the site seeing.

MBBF is totally right, but betwen the convention center and dupont, the convention center is much closer to the main attractions downtown but (IIRC) is in a worse part of town.

You may still have a shot at White House tickets. It is best (and probably easiest) to go through your Senators or House Member. Their websites will have details about the process.

The Capitol Visitor Center just opened up this year. I wandered around there just a couple of weeks ago to check it out, and it is pretty cool. Of course, for $600+ million it should be. You can get a free tour of the Capitol from there. I imagine it will be busy that time of year, so earlier is always better. You should also check with your House member/Senator for passes to get into the galleries to watch the floor debates. Both Houses will be in for the entire month after returning from the July 4th recess. Your best chance at getting a modestly interesting bill on the floor, at least in the House, would be Wednesday, Thursday or Friday morning.

If you like planes and spacecraft, the Udvar-Hazy Center (aka the new Air and Space Museum) out by Dulles is incredible. But as others have noted, it is a major pain to get there. They have lots of parking. You can take a Metro train/bus combo to get there. The metro website has a decent trip planner to help you figure out how to do it.

I think Tasan is talking about the Washington Flyer.

With all due respect to JPhillips, Tortilla Coast gets a big thumbs down from me. It aspires to one day reach "meh." La Lomita at 3rd and Penn SE -- next to one of the Library of Congress Buildings -- has much better food. I strongly recommend the fajitas.

If you are on the Senate side and want a pint and some decent Irish food, the Dubliner by Union Station is good. That is where my wife and I met.

MBBF is totally right, but betwen the convention center and dupont, the convention center is much closer to the main attractions downtown but (IIRC) is in a worse part of town.

There is nothing at all wrong with the part of town where that new Embassy Suites is, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. They're both pretty good locations and within a few blocks of the Metro. I'd go with whichever is cheaper.

BTW, most Metro stations have elevators. I have a toddler, and we use them a lot. It is very easy to get around with a stroller.

It's actually pretty easy to get to via the Metro. You just take it to Dulles International and then hop on a bus to go to the museum.

National Air and Space Museum - Transportation - Public Transportation (http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/transportation/public.cfm)
lol

GREAT ADVICE, CHAMP!

lol

GREAT ADVICE, CHAMP!

What? You going to suggest that they should run there instead?

If you can swing it, I would definitely stay in Dupont. It is a beautiful neighborhood, there is great food and there are several accessible metro entrances.

I would echo about not driving in downtown DC - it's a nightmare to find parking. However - if you want to venture out into some of the beautiful Northwest neighborhoods, Embassy Row, Georgetown (or to the outer suburbs to go to places like Udvar-Hazy or Great Falls Park) then it wouldn't be a terrible idea to rent a car for the day.

What? You going to suggest that they should run there instead?
Well it will get them there faster than taking the metro.

Well it will get them there faster than taking the metro.

You're a mighty fast runner. Downtown to Dulles in less than an hour? Impressive.

Maybe this is semantics, but when DC folks say metro, they mean rail. Metro does not extend to Dulles airport.

Maybe this is semantics, but when DC folks say metro, they mean rail. Metro does not extend to Dulles airport.

Yes, and I clarified that point earlier in the thread as I lived in the area for a couple of years and realize the discrepancy between the technical definition and the local definition after sterlingice pointed that out.

I'm the resident DC snob, so any specific questions let me know. As someone (too lazy to look back, I think SI) said, stay somewhere metro accessible. Being the DC snob I am, I would say stay inside the city, but you can certainly stay in MD or VA. Just check out how long it will take to get to the mall on wmata.com.

As for museums, there are actually a few great threads on FOFC about that. I will try to take a look around for you, but I think one of them is from when Tasan went.

The Holocaust museum is another place that you need to get tickets in advance but is worth it. I also hear (unfortunately I haven't been) that the Native American Museum is fantastic.

As someone alluded to above, I would definitely suggest you spend a day (if you're staying for a week) just visiting some of the DC neighborhoods. There is a large variety of architecture and neighborhoods inside the city. Many of them are metro accessible, all of them are metrobus accessible. Even the famed Georgetown (which, from a "I'm not a snobby DC person" snob, is overrated. :) It's where the snobby people live and have fancy clothing stores) is only metrobus accessible (wouldn't want to make it too easy for the poor people to get there).

Anyway, I'm rambling. You'll probably spend at least two days just doing smithsonian museums if you want to go to more than 2. Depending on your tastes you'll also want to hit Iwo Jima and Arlington Cemetary. Then it starts to depend on what you're looking for. There's the zoo, there are night spots, the neighborhoods I mentioned, civil war stuff out in Manassas (about a 30-45 min drive from downtown DC when it's not rush hour). There's a ton of stuff. I have also heard good things about the duck tours.

Oh, and "Last week of July"is not entirely specific, but the Nationals are on the road July 27 - August 3 :(.

Make sure you go to Ben's Chili Bowl. The lines are longer since Obama went a few times, but it is one of the only true places that locals love and tourists hear about.

I think I may have offered the same advice last year but you made a good decision not to go to St. Louis for a week. What could you possibly do as a tourist in this city for more than one day? Go up in the arch and watch a baseball game. And believe me the trip up the arch is not exciting at all. Similar outcomes could be made going to the tops of large buildings in major cities and looking out. Plus there is at least something to look at there, not rapid urban decay. There is also no local flavor at all so all of St Louis’ “hotspots” could be found in just about any metropolitan area in the country.

(This views of this message are not those of the St. Louis tourism board) :)

goldeneagle is a HUGE St. Louis fan because his family went on vacation there often when he was a child. In fact I think that is the only place his family ever went to on vacation and since I have never been he wants to show off some of his good memories to me. I just want to go to watch a Cards game!

D.C. in July? Yikes. Buy a few Shamwows to deal with the copious amounts of perspiration.

Oh, and a definite +1 to getting a subway pass. Driving anywhere in D.C. is a horrible idea, especially in the summer.

okay... really? What is this about perspiration. Is July/August a bad time for D.C.? It is still early in the trip planning stage for us to go somewhere else. But D.C. just seemed like a great place.

It's muggy.

okay... really? What is this about perspiration. Is July/August a bad time for D.C.? It is still early in the trip planning stage for us to go somewhere else. But D.C. just seemed like a great place.

D.C. gets pretty humid. It partially depends on what you're used to -- the whole east coast gets pretty humid, really. The mid-atlantic at least.

weather.com seems to only graph temp and not humidity:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/events/weddings/wxclimatology/compare/20005?sfld1=Washington,%20DC%20(20005)&sfld2=Little%20Rock,%20AR,%20US&clocid1=USDC0001&clocid2=USAR0336 (http://www.weather.com/outlook/events/weddings/wxclimatology/compare/20005?sfld1=Washington,%20DC%20%2820005%29&sfld2=Little%20Rock,%20AR,%20US&clocid1=USDC0001&clocid2=USAR0336)

here we go:

Washington Relative Humidity - CityRating.com (http://www.cityrating.com/cityhumidity.asp?City=Washington)
Little Rock Relative Humidity - CityRating.com (http://www.cityrating.com/cityhumidity.asp?City=Little+Rock)

so according to those two sites, Little Rock and DC have the same humidity and DC is slightly hotter.

Guys, thank for all of the advice. We were looking at stayin at the Washington Plaza Hotel, and we moved the trip up to July 15th - 19th because not only are the Cubs in town but there is a DC United Game the 18th as well. I am afraid that the 15th-19th is not enough days to really enjoy DC though, especially if two days are spent watching sports!

Wow that is a great site lordscarlet....I am originally from Houston, TX so I know humidity, so since DC is comparable to Little Rock it shouldn't be a problem.

When we went to NYC in july last year we were shocked at how sweaty we got so quickly. I was very surprised to find such high humidity in the northeast.

That is a stone's throw from my house. :)

Both games are easily accessible via metro. I'm not sure what time United games are, but assuming the Nationals game is a 7:00 one, if you don't care about getting there for BP or anything, you don't have to leave the mall until 6:15 or so.

Wow that is a great site lordscarlet....I am originally from Houston, TX so I know humidity, so since DC is comparable to Little Rock it shouldn't be a problem.

When we went to NYC in july last year we were shocked at how sweaty we got so quickly. I was very surprised to find such high humidity in the northeast.

It's probably like NYC only hotter. And because it's a city, there's very little shade, particularly on the mall.

I forgot to mention the Korean War monument. It's a little hidden, but IMO it's one of the best sites in DC.

If you go to the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial the Korean one is basically between the two.

FDR is also very good, and off the beaten path.

Heck, I haven't been here over a summer yet but I can guarantee someone from Houston will be just fine with DC :)

Woo! Road trip! FOFC meeting to crash the Cubs-Nats game that week!

Btw, LS, I'll be up (actually down) for the Nats-Pads game on the 26th with my wife and a friend of mine as part of our summer baseball trip so I might bump into you there.

SI

There is nothing at all wrong with the part of town where that new Embassy Suites is, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. They're both pretty good locations and within a few blocks of the Metro. I'd go with whichever is cheaper.

Thanks for the info, the one in Dupont was slightly cheaper so I went with that one. Since we only have one day/night there, are there any things that you all would recommend more so then others. The last time I was in DC was 17 years ago, when I was 17 and my wife has never been so probably want to hit the main sites that we can do pretty quickly. Of course my wife and I did the Louvre in like 2 hours so we can be pretty quick.

Btw, LS, I'll be up (actually down) for the Nats-Pads game on the 26th with my wife and a friend of mine as part of our summer baseball trip so I might bump into you there.

SI

I actually don't think I'll be there that day. :( But enjoy! If you're into watching baseball and not whether the stadium looks line an art piece, it's a great place to go.

Oh, and if you don't care if the home team sucks. :)

If you go to the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial the Korean one is basically between the two.

FDR is also very good, and off the beaten path.

FDR is my favorite :)

Not sure it's such a great idea in July, but in fall or spring, I think people should just take a day to walk the monuments and take pictures. If I could just take people to DC for one day, that's what I'd do (heck, that's what I did when my parents were in town in November).

Go to Capitol south Metro, see the capitol and Supreme Court. Then just walk all the way down to Lincoln and then around to hit FDR and Jefferson before curving back onto the Mall. It's about 3 miles but it's one heck of a lot of cool stuff to see- close to 20 monuments in all. And, if you want to make sure you don't miss any, stop at the gift shop at the base of the Washington Monument on your way down to get the park service map and you'll see some of the "overlooked" ones like the World War I memorial, Signers of the Declaration, and George Mason.

SI

I actually don't think I'll be there that day. :( But enjoy! If you're into watching baseball and not whether the stadium looks line an art piece, it's a great place to go.

Oh, and if you don't care if the home team sucks. :)

<-- Royals fan. That should tell you all you need to know about the second part

It's part of a baseball trip we're talking this summer, heading up to Cooperstown, then taking in games in Philly, DC, and Baltimore on the way back. Should be a fun time


SI

Thanks for the info, the one in Dupont was slightly cheaper so I went with that one. Since we only have one day/night there, are there any things that you all would recommend more so then others. The last time I was in DC was 17 years ago, when I was 17 and my wife has never been so probably want to hit the main sites that we can do pretty quickly. Of course my wife and I did the Louvre in like 2 hours so we can be pretty quick.

Depends on what you like. There are a ton of good art galleries, a lot of memorials to dead presents and wars gone by, and the Smithsonian has at least a handful of museums that are worthy of a trip. In addition, DC is a (fairly) old city with some history of it's own and hot spots to enjoy. Arlington and Alexandria (just over the river in Virginia) also have some stuff worth seeing and/or experiencing.

If you're a space guy, one or both of the Air & Space museums are worth seeing. If you're into history and art, perhaps the Portrait Gallery to at least see the presidents or the Hirshorn(sp?) if you're into modern art (or one of a ton of other art museums). If you're sentimental toward military history, perhaps the Korean and Vietnam memorials along with Iwo Jima and Arlington Cemetery. If you like the founding fathers, make the trip around the mall and the tidal basin to see the memorials (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson -- in addition FDR across the basin from Jefferson). If US History in general, the American History Museum. Natrual History Museum and the Zoo for people into that sort of thing. As I said earlier, the Holocaust Museum and Native American Museum are worth the trip. I have heard the same about the Newseum (one of the few pay museums in DC).

So, in short, I could answer the question better if I knew what you liked to see and do on vacation. :)

That's just off the top of my head for touristy areas.

And, if you want to make sure you don't miss any, stop at the gift shop at the base of the Washington Monument on your way down to get the park service map and you'll see some of the "overlooked" ones like the World War I memorial, Signers of the Declaration, and George Mason.

I've been around so long I always forget -- the World War II Memorial is pretty darn nice as well (and very new to me :). It, like the other stuff SI mentioned, is all along the path that goes around the mall and the tidal basin. Oh, and if you make a slight detour near lincoln you can at least see the White House and take pictures from a distance.

<-- Royals fan. That should tell you all you need to know about the second part


Touche. :)

I recommend the Curly W pretzels at Noah's (the plain salted ones); they are not your typical ballpark pretzels.

dola: It is amazing what I take for granted. I bike by the white house almost every day, I take runs at lunch that tke me by the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial and FDR Memorial. I don't necessarily think much of it (although I do realize how lucky I am to be able to do such). Yet I haven't been to a museum in years. I've been to a few art museums for specific exhibits (Jim Henson FTW!) over the years, but I haven't been to any of the others in quite some time. It's the idea that I can do it "any time" and then never do.

Wow a lot more people like DC than I'd ever have thought.

Let's be clear, I hate DC. I hate it a lot.

But if you really want to visit, I echo LS's recommendation of Ben's Chili Bowl. And I would recommend AGAINST trying to get to the Udvar-Hazy annex of the National Air and Space Museum. For the hassle it'd be to get to from downtown, it's not worth it.

Man, DC?
Ick.
/tk

Dola,
Ok that was negative even for me.
DC has its perks. Some of the museums can be really good, especially with the changing exhibits. And I haven't seen a Nats game at the new stadium yet, but that's on my agenda. DC United is good, and it's a damn shame that RFK is a POS stadium. A lot of the non-typical-tourist stuff can be really nice.

But, as a non-city person generally, I strongly prefer Chicago and my all-time favorite, Boston. As a local person, I prefer going to B'more than DC.

/tk

Here's a map with pretty much all you need for the mall and capitol-area DC:
http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/upload/NACCmap1.pdf
This and a Metro Map will be a pair of good first steps. And the Mid-Atlantic AAA guide, if you're with AAA.

It's got all the metro stops and all of the monuments, even the small ones (John Paul Jones FTW!). The capitol to Lincoln area dominates the center of the map while it also has Arlington, the areas north of the Mall like Gallery Place (no zoo, tho), and Navy Yard.

BTW, do not try to get to Nationals Park from anywhere except Navy Yard or maybe Waterfront (haven't tried). 295 is a giant dividing line and you want no part of crossing under that. It's not a nice neighborhood. Just go to L'Enfant or another of your favorite Green line stops and take that to Navy Yard. I don't think anything else is worth the headache.

BTW, if you have the National Parks passport, you can get something like 17 stamps at the base of the Washington Monument. That's not hyperbole. They have 3 or 4 rows of stamps sitting there for you to get all of the monuments as pretty much all of them have a stamp.

SI

I forgot to mention the Korean War monument. It's a little hidden, but IMO it's one of the best sites in DC.

Korean is by FAR my favorite. And like others have said, if you're going to Lincoln/Vietnam it's right there.

D.C. in July? Yikes. Buy a few Shamwows to deal with the copious amounts of perspiration.

Oh, and a definite +1 to getting a subway pass. Driving anywhere in D.C. is a horrible idea, especially in the summer.

Yeah, July = really muggy and hot. DC is a swamp and it acts like it.

Dola,
Ok that was negative even for me.
DC has its perks. Some of the museums can be really good, especially with the changing exhibits. And I haven't seen a Nats game at the new stadium yet, but that's on my agenda. DC United is good, and it's a damn shame that RFK is a POS stadium. A lot of the non-typical-tourist stuff can be really nice.

But, as a non-city person generally, I strongly prefer Chicago and my all-time favorite, Boston. As a local person, I prefer going to B'more than DC.

/tk

Why is Boston better than DC Mrs. Negative? As far as flights and hotels go, the prices are similar.... and the Sox are in town a lot in July, I would love to see the Green Monster.

Is there public transportation from Baltimore to DC and back? The only thing I could find is the MARC but I didn't know if there were other options out there. GE and I figured if we extended our vacation to the 11th-18th then we could see an Orioles game too

Is there public transportation from Baltimore to DC and back? The only thing I could find is the MARC but I didn't know if there were other options out there. GE and I figured if we extended our vacation to the 11th-18th then we could see an Orioles game too

MARC commuter trains are a great way to get from DC to Baltimore, and Baltimore is a great place to visit for one day. Catch an Orioles game, check out Fort McHenry, wander around the Inner Harbor area, maybe visit Little Italy or Fells Point...

and, whatever you do, do not wander very far off the beaten path. Take taxis everywhere. Do not drive or, even worse, park a car; do not attempt to take a bus; do not ...well, you get the picture :)

Why is Boston better than DC Mrs. Negative? As far as flights and hotels go, the prices are similar.... and the Sox are in town a lot in July, I would love to see the Green Monster.

I have always found it easier to travel around Boston than DC--Boston is actually quite a compact city, whereas DC is more spread out and chopped up. July in Boston is warm, but it is rarely that humid. In Washington, you will sweat up a storm between mid June and mid September.

That having been said, Washington is a great city to visit, and one can easily spend a week there without getting bored.

Yeah, July = really muggy and hot. DC is a swamp and it acts like it.

Urban Legend.

Built On A Swamp and Other Myths of D.C. - Raw Fisher (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2006/04/built_on_a_swamp_and_other_myt.html)

Why is Boston better than DC Mrs. Negative? As far as flights and hotels go, the prices are similar.... and the Sox are in town a lot in July, I would love to see the Green Monster.

There's nothing wrong with it, she's jsut negative. :) And, admittedly, not a city person.

Boston is in DC in late June.

I have always found it easier to travel around Boston than DC--Boston is actually quite a compact city, whereas DC is more spread out and chopped up. July in Boston is warm, but it is rarely that humid. In Washington, you will sweat up a storm between mid June and mid September.

That having been said, Washington is a great city to visit, and one can easily spend a week there without getting bored.

I find it very easy to travel around DC [shrug]. I have heard Boston is horrible in a car, just as some think DC is. On foot and via mass transit you can get anywhere in DC that you want.


* Please not my earlier comment about being a DC snob :)

Boston is much improved in a car. It's not that bad. Parking can be a bit of a bitch though. Or at least non-expensive parking

Depends on what you like. There are a ton of good art galleries, a lot of memorials to dead presents and wars gone by, and the Smithsonian has at least a handful of museums that are worthy of a trip. In addition, DC is a (fairly) old city with some history of it's own and hot spots to enjoy. Arlington and Alexandria (just over the river in Virginia) also have some stuff worth seeing and/or experiencing.

If you're a space guy, one or both of the Air & Space museums are worth seeing. If you're into history and art, perhaps the Portrait Gallery to at least see the presidents or the Hirshorn(sp?) if you're into modern art (or one of a ton of other art museums). If you're sentimental toward military history, perhaps the Korean and Vietnam memorials along with Iwo Jima and Arlington Cemetery. If you like the founding fathers, make the trip around the mall and the tidal basin to see the memorials (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson -- in addition FDR across the basin from Jefferson). If US History in general, the American History Museum. Natrual History Museum and the Zoo for people into that sort of thing. As I said earlier, the Holocaust Museum and Native American Museum are worth the trip. I have heard the same about the Newseum (one of the few pay museums in DC).

So, in short, I could answer the question better if I knew what you liked to see and do on vacation. :)

That's just off the top of my head for touristy areas.


Thanks for your recomendations. I definetly want to go to the Holocaust Museum and since that is near the Memorials and Smithsonian is right over there as well it seems easy to do/see a lot of things in that area pretty quickly. I like US History and wouldn't mind hitting the American History & National History Museums. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a quantity over quality type of trip (see as much as we can in as little of time).

Thanks for your recomendations. I definetly want to go to the Holocaust Museum and since that is near the Memorials and Smithsonian is right over there as well it seems easy to do/see a lot of things in that area pretty quickly. I like US History and wouldn't mind hitting the American History & National History Museums. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a quantity over quality type of trip (see as much as we can in as little of time).

That is probably best done with the "walk aroudn the mall" idea. See the monuments and possibly pop in for some specific exhibits at the smithsonian. You could also do one of those segway tours, but watch your back, I'm always tempted to push one of them over and see if the tourists re-enact Centipede. :)

Thanks for your recomendations. I definetly want to go to the Holocaust Museum and since that is near the Memorials and Smithsonian is right over there as well it seems easy to do/see a lot of things in that area pretty quickly. I like US History and wouldn't mind hitting the American History & National History Museums. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a quantity over quality type of trip (see as much as we can in as little of time).

My own personal preference is to visit the monuments in the evening or at night. No crowds, tolerable heat and they look cooler. The Korean War memorial in the dark is eerie.

American History Museum, Natural History and the National Archives are all close to one another, and are probably the best troika of repositories for American historical artifacts you'll ever find. Everything in DC is air conditioned, so I'd try to do those in the afternoon to beat the heat and/or thunderstorms.

BTW, the Holocaust Museum requires you to get a ticket for entry to the permanent exhibits during the summer months. They are free. Most folks make that ticket office the first stop of the day so they can be assured of entry at some point.

I have always found it easier to travel around Boston than DC--Boston is actually quite a compact city, whereas DC is more spread out and chopped up. July in Boston is warm, but it is rarely that humid. In Washington, you will sweat up a storm between mid June and mid September.

That having been said, Washington is a great city to visit, and one can easily spend a week there without getting bored.

+1

Also, friends don't let tourists drive in Boston. Walk & take the T.

Why is Boston better than DC Mrs. Negative? As far as flights and hotels go, the prices are similar.... and the Sox are in town a lot in July, I would love to see the Green Monster.

1 because as lordscarlet pointed out, I'm negative. ;) And I'm not a city girl.

But when I read this question (and couldn't post a response while at work), I started thinking about it, and I think that at least some of it is that Boston is different to me. I've lived in the DC area for a very long time now. I've been to all of the museums. Many, many times. And many of the exhibits don't change. And for at least one I like to visit, where the exhibits do change, it costs money because it's not part of the Smithsonian (Corcoran Gallery of Art (http://www.corcoran.org/)). Even as a space nerd, the National Air and Space Museum doesn't hold as much thrill for me, it feels very dated.

To boot, I adore the Boston science museum. I'm a Red Sox fan and I love Fenway. There is a lot of history in Boston, maybe not quite as much as in DC, but a ton. And, as someone else in this thread mentioned, to me it feels like it's a lot easier to get around in. I prefer the T to the Metro. The fact that the area feels "more compact" probably helps. And even though the Charles River is disgusting (so is the Potomac), I like feeling "close to the water" and I somehow feel closer to it in Boston.

Having been in Boston in the throngs of summer and in DC in the summer, I can attest that there is virtually no difference between the two cities in terms of humidity and perceived heat.

/tk

You should just visit Miami and avoid any part of the city that has NW as a street address.

Washington D.C. is beautiful. I just got off the plane and got to do about an hour of site seeing. Hopefully I will be able to take a tour of Georgetown's Law School tomorrow but the schedule leaves me very little room. I might have to come back next month if I can't make it. D.C. has my vote...also the weather is not bad at all.

What are you doing while you're here?

What are you doing while you're here?

Attending some(boring) business functions that hopefully will get my small business idea off the ground. I can't go into much details but its something I hope will be very successful. I am trying to get a tour of Georgetown but since I am calling so late I might have to walk around their myself.

Seriously D.C. is a beautiful and has jumped to #1 on my list for list school next fall. I might have to come back next month with another friend of mine who is also going to Law School to check out Georgetown. Definitely after our west coast trip at least.

Alright I have to get dressed if I am not too tired I will report on how the day has went.

Are you sure you're in the right DC? It rained here all weekend and is drizzling today.

Are you sure you're in the right DC? It rained here all weekend and is drizzling today.

Hey may well be. DC in the spring isn't bad, even if it's rainy or drizzling. I love how he said the weather isn't bad at all....just wait til July and August. :) ;)

/tk

Attending some(boring) business functions that hopefully will get my small business idea off the ground. I can't go into much details but its something I hope will be very successful. I am trying to get a tour of Georgetown but since I am calling so late I might have to walk around their myself.

Seriously D.C. is a beautiful and has jumped to #1 on my list for list school next fall. I might have to come back next month with another friend of mine who is also going to Law School to check out Georgetown. Definitely after our west coast trip at least.

Alright I have to get dressed if I am not too tired I will report on how the day has went.

Are you sure you're in the right DC? It rained here all weekend and is drizzling today.

Hey may well be. DC in the spring isn't bad, even if it's rainy or drizzling. I love how he said the weather isn't bad at all....just wait til July and August. :) ;)

/tk


+1

I mean, I love DC, but it rained all weekend! Imagine if he was here last weekend when it was 80 degrees and beautiful.

If you're trying to get last minute drinks or anything, let me know. Tomorrow I have tickets ti the 12:30 ball game :)

then again he's in Miami

then again he's in Miami

LOL.

Too true. I haven't been to too many places on the east coast that aren't disgusting in July/August. Even in Vermont and New Hampshire, it can be icky-muggy-gross...unless you're on the water (and sometimes even then).

/tk

then again he's in Miami

Yeah, I'm trying to think of any other cities that wouldn't be an improvement over Miami. I enjoyed visiting D.C. when I had to live in Baltimore for a year, but I certainly wouldn't consider it beautiful or a place I'd want to live. Perhaps I'm in the same boat with Justice Souter in that regard.

I lived in DC for about 3 years in total. I think it is a beautiful city. The Capitol Hill area where I lived was as nice a neighborhood in a city as one could hope for. Plenty of trees, parks, beautiful old row houses. It was quiet for the most part with plenty of places to walk to for a drink or food.

It was perfect for visitors. We were a few blocks from the Capitol and from there on you could just wander down the Mall popping in to whatever museums you want ending up at the Lincoln right next to the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials and then wandering up to Foggy Bottom, grabbing some food or a beverage and take the Metro back home.

I loved living there.

The weather is fine to me. Back home is hot and over here is cool compared to the sunna in Miami. It has rained a lot but I don't mind it all to be honest. It is truly a beautiful city and I'm really considering Georgetown over Chapel Hill (which if you haven't been you should go) once I go home and think it over I might change my mind.

One thing though the people here are very rude and I got into a little tiff with a secruity over his attitude at the VA. He was over board because a member of our group is a bit absent minded at times and was walking aimlessly about the lobby. I under the secruity issue but he didn't have to talk to him like he was a dumb ass. The guy he was speaking too is one of the smartest and well accomplished people I know.

That is my one minor gripe so far...

Defensive quip: If you want to see rude, go to NYC. :)

C'mon, ls- do you really want that to be your standard? ;)

That's one thing I really do miss about the midwest. What are those called again? Oh, yeah, friendly people

SI

I think people are friendly in DC and Virginia, so I don't know what to tell you. :)

The problem is there are too many people that are transplanted here from the northeast!

It's not so much unfriendly as everyone really "minds their own business". To me, it's shorthand for doesn't care about the rest of the world around them, for good and for ill. People seem a lot more paranoid about their fellow human beings

SI

One thing though the people here are very rude and I got into a little tiff with a secruity over his attitude at the VA. He was over board because a member of our group is a bit absent minded at times and was walking aimlessly about the lobby. I under the secruity issue but he didn't have to talk to him like he was a dumb ass. The guy he was speaking too is one of the smartest and well accomplished people I know.

Since 9/11, security in DC has tightened up a lot for obvious reasons. You learn to deal with it. Living in the most powerful city in the world has its drawbacks.

Go to hell, Carolina.

Washington D.C. without a doubt is a great place to visit, despite the bad weather. I stayed at the Hilton Gardens and a lot of places were within walking distance. The restaurants were great (we ate at McCormicks or something like that... they had mostly seafood) the people were mostly great as well although the security has some very low IQ people working for them.

We had another run in with security earlier today at the bank and this time it was almost our ass. Long story short one of the members of our party didn't like the tone and disrespect of this guy and let it be known. The SBA presentation was my favorite one and was very eye opening as far as my potential business goes.

Georgetown one word....amazing. I felt at home there more so then I have felt at other law schools even though I was only there for about 45 minutes. The people I spoke too told me to email them when I submit my application. (That's a good sign right?)

We saw Obama that was neat but confusing at first. When we broke for lunch the streets were blocked by police and it looked like something happened. I was confused and wet; until his limo passed with Secret Service out in full force.

Hopefully I will be back next month before my west coast trip and would love to get a drink with the D.C. locals. I will likely be with three guys and one girl so nothing to offend the lady of the group.

Great trip. Now I have to read a bunch of emails and catch up with the shows I have missed.

Well now that its been announced that D.C. United is playing Real Madrid August 9th our vacation is definitely on again. We are looking at leaving Little Rock in the late afternoon August 4th and coming back August 10th (my first day to report to school, so i'll have to take my first day off)

We are lookin at the Liason Capital Hill hotel, because it looks like its in a great location. We just want to make sure we are near the public transportation to avoid taxis and walking 15 blocks in the August heat. Has anybody heard anything positive or negative about the Liason, or is there a better, closer hotel that I dont know about??

I just found the website visitthecapital.gov and was able to reserve two tour passes for the capital for August 7th. Very excited

I know nothing about the Liason- can't help there.

Congrats on the capital passes. They're pretty easy to get as long as you know to get them in advance, which you did. If you try to drop in and get tickets during the busy season, I've heard you'll be out of luck.

We're going up to visit my wife's sister in late June and have a new hotel to try out. It's the Courtyard by Marriot at Dunn Loring/Fairfax. If I remember right, it's walking distance from the Metro and has no parking fee. I don't know if I could do any better than that. $67 per night for 2 nights, but also had an Expedia coupon for $50 off for a 2 night stay so with tax and everything, it's going to cost us under $100 for 2 nights :)

SI

Well now that its been announced that D.C. United is playing Real Madrid August 9th our vacation is definitely on again. We are looking at leaving Little Rock in the late afternoon August 4th and coming back August 10th (my first day to report to school, so i'll have to take my first day off)

We are lookin at the Liason Capital Hill hotel, because it looks like its in a great location. We just want to make sure we are near the public transportation to avoid taxis and walking 15 blocks in the August heat. Has anybody heard anything positive or negative about the Liason, or is there a better, closer hotel that I dont know about??

I don't know anything about the Liason specifically, but tripadvisor.com is normally a good place to check (The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel (Washington DC, DC) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g28970-d1026016-Reviews-The_Liaison_Capitol_Hill_An_Affinia_Hotel-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html)).

As far as a "closer hotel" that really depends on what you're looking at. Witht he sole criteria of being "near public transportation" that covers probably a couple hundred hotels. :) If you narrow it down to hotels near buses or metro stops that go directly to the National Mall, that narrows it down a bit more. But, anyway. It looks like the Liason is near the Capitol Building. It is near two Red Line stops, which don't really go to the heart of the National Mall. That means if you want to take the train, you have to transfer. I better bet it to walk down to Constitution and take the DC Circulator or a metro bus if you want to go to any of the museums/monuments farther along the National Mall.

I've never been to the Liaison, but I like the location -- very close to Union Station and a number of places to eat and drink. The walk to the Mall and the National Gallery of Art isn't more than 10 minutes.

Bring water.