Posted on 03/03/2017 5:19:27 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
Will be taking a 4-day trip to DC this summer. Any recommendations on what to see and where to eat? We lucked up on a good hotel (normally $600 a night for $100 two blocks from the Whitehouse.) Have already contacted our Senator about getting approval to tour.
I'll sit back and enjoy (while writing things down.) Also tell me what to avoid.
Thanks!
Maybe you’ll get to see a perp walk by Schumer and Pelosi...
?
Also on Capitol Hill is the Hawk 'n' Dove restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave. SE, an upscale burger joint where you might run into politicians, lobbyists and staffers from Congressional offices and government bureaus. The eatery was established during the Vietnam War, when on Capitol Hill, "hawks" who supported the war clashed with "doves" who opposed it.
DC isn't exactly a mecca for Mexican food, but if you want to make a trek out to Virginia, Anita's is the best Mexican eatery in the area. There's an Anita's in Vienna, just off the Metro, and another in Burke, near Alexandria. They are owned by a New Mexican family.
Two eateries that I want to visit on my next trip to DC are Ben's Chile Bowl on U Street NW, near 14th Street, and the Florida Avenue Grill, located nearby. Both have endured there for decades.
Neighborhoods start getting iffy behind the Capitol.
And you need to define and prioritize your interests before you go.
This is simply so much to see. For example, to do one of the mall museums decently takes a minimum of 1/2 day, more is even better.
Look up all the museums on line, and their offerings, pick the two or three you want in advance.
Check Ford's theater or the Ken. center.
Use the mall shuttle and tour early for orientation. You can get on and off and will save time.
Off the Mall there are alot of other museums and interesting sights. Look them up on line.
Metro works great but familiarize yourself beforehand. There special deals on fare cards. Trying to walk everywhere will eat up your time, the distances are greater than you think.
Pick you specific restaurants beforehand, based on type of food. There are many.
You need to plan ahead to be efficient with travel and time in order to have the time to enjoy what you've picked.
Finally, take a moment just to sit on a bench in the middle of the mall, with Abe sitting to the west, the Capitol to the east, the The White House to the north just over the hill at the Washington monument, and the original Smithsonian to the south, and breathe in the grandeur. It will really bring home to you the realization that there some things we must never take for granted and many more that we must always fight for.
Arriving by car or plane?
That’s true, but the things that I mentioned are directly behind the Capitol and are only accessible during the day anyway. They get more iffy after the sun goes down. In the summer that is well after 8 P.M. 8>)
I don’t want to give them any of our money, TY.
Yep.
When I lived there years back, I took the subway a lot, and it was cheap, clean, and efficient for getting around. If that's changed recently someone can correct me on that.
A trip to Ft Marcy Park is always pleasant.
I can think of one guy who didn’t find it so.
http://www.1789restaurant.com/
In general, Georgetown is a pleasant, safe, interesting place to wander around after you finish museum hopping. Georgetown University is there, so it is something of a college town.
If you want a White House tour, you have to jump through some hoops, but it might be possible:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate/tours-and-events
Avoid northeast and southeast. Please.
You won't be going there if you travel by Metro because it's a long way from the nearest Metro stop. Across Connecticut Ave. is the Politics and Prose bookstore which has a huge collection of books that includes some of interest to conservatives although its clientele appears to be largely left of center.
Also, please don't stand on the left side of the Metro escalators.
Avoid the Green Line. That's all I'll say.
I would go to ft Marcy park for sure...and while in my car I would go to comet ping pong to see why the guy was listed in the top 50 Influential people of dc...
Why not jump, what’s the worst that can happen? Paging John Wilkes Boothe. :)
Ask you Congressman/Senator to get you a State Department tour in addition to the White House and Capitol. They also get tour clearances for the Mint.
Next door to the Mint is the Holocaust Museum. During the summer it has long lines, so you want to get a timed entry, but it is a full three hours to experience. From there you can walk in one direction to the Jefferson Memorial and in another direction to the Washington Monument (that is currently closed and probably will be at least thru this summer). From there you can walk to the Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. Across from there is the State Department. Maybe this is best done in reverse order. It’s a long day but worth it.
Summer in DC can be brutally hot and muggy. Get one of those neck coolers for everyone in your party, wear brimmed hats and cool clothing. Plan to walk slowly. Also, there are frequent afternoon thunderstorms (good time to be indoors at the Mint/State Dept or Holocaust Museum tours)
Red line’s no picnic either. Thank you for your patience...whenever I hear that I think they’re presuming an awful lot about my patience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.