Posted on 03/25/2008 4:52:15 PM PDT by Mmogamer
Advice
Thanks!
Northern Virginia is the place to stay if you’re looking for a lower cost suburban hotel accessible from the metro. Maryland is a ghetto. If you’re going to rent a car, Suburban Extended Stay in Sterling (spitting distance from Dulles Airport) is very clean and VERY cheap on weekends, with a full kitchen in each room. Also in a safe neighborhood, but you have to drive to the Metro station.
Arlington VA (near Reagan International) is close to DC ans usually a good bet. Anything off rt 395. 5 miles from the Pentagon should be your max unless you want to stay out by Dulles airport, and that is at least twice as far.
Just so you know, Ford’s Theater is closed for renovations. The website doesn’t give any date for it’s reopening. And, the National Museum of American History on The Mall is closed until the Fall.
Like the other guy said, I usually stay in Sterling also. You feel safer in your surroundings. I recommend Country Inns, no pool but the rooms are great. I usually drive in to DC but its usually a weekend when towing times do not apply.
Beautiful city full of history!
I spent three days there last fall. I stayed in Roslynn and took the Metro everywhere. Easy system to use. We started our siteseeing at Arlington Cemetery and booked a tour bus there. You could jump on and off the bus at scheduled stopps and stay as long as you like and catch the next bus all for a single weekend price. I can’t remember what it was but it was certainly reasonable.
Tip. The tour of the Washington Monument is now first come first serve “with a ticket”. Get a ticket early and come back for your tour time. It used to be that you could just stand in line and wait your turn. Now you need a ticket for a “time”. Kiosks for tickets are all around the monument or, better yet, order them online.
I say that because it was a saturday in September and we bought our tickets at about 10 am. They were for the 3:30 tour. Had we waited much longer to walk over to get our tickets we might have missed the tour that day entirely.
The silent awe at the Vietnam memorial, I had expected from talking to people who had been there, but I got an unexpected thrill at the WWII memorial. My heart was stirred by it. Don’t miss it. I think it’s the quotes on the walls.
Do not leave Washington without going to the Tomb of the Unknown. I found it the most emotional part of my visit.
There are tons of stuff to do.
Spots to stay: in the District, as well as Crystal City, Pentagon City, etc., there are a lot of weekend hotel specials. If you’re there on a Sunday night through Thursday night, good luck. (The GSA max hotel rate is over $200 a night...just to give you an idea)
On a weeknight, I’d say to stay in Howard County, Maryland (e.g., Columbia). The rates are somewhat reasonable and a WHOLE lot cheaper than inside the beltway. Also, you can just cruise down 95 to the Greenbelt Metro station for access to the District. The trouble with staying in NOVA, Montgomery County, or Southern Maryland is that the traffic will make you homicidal if you’re not used to it. The traffic coming down from the Baltimore direction is not quite as bad (not good...but relatively speaking not as bad)
IF you have DOD access, though, you could check to see if you could get space available billeting on one of the many installations. Not that wonderful. Maybe not available. But definitely cheap.
Spots to visit (off the beaten trail):
1. Fort Myer. No, not all of it, but the Caisson is interesting. (Requires DOD ID). Also Andrews AFB (see where they park AF-1. They used to do tours, as well. Not sure if they still do)(Also requires DOD ID)
2. The Franciscan Monastery in NE DC. http://www.myfranciscan.org — they have beautiful gardens and catacombs underneath the monastery that have replicas of many of the Holy Land sites.
3. John Paul II Cultural Center (http://www.jp2cc.org/). They have a lot of interesting displays showing the history of Christianity (particularly, of course, Catholicism) in America.
4. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (http://www.nationalshrine.com). Largest Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere and 8th largest in the world. Even if you’re not Catholic, it is very, very impressive.
(The above three are all located within 1 mile of the others and could be “done” in a day)
5. National Arboretum. (http://www.usna.usda.gov/). Interesting Bonsai exhibit as well as beautiful gardens throughout.
6. National Zoo. Good to visit on the weekends during the school year and on the weekdays during the summer.
7. National Cryptologic Museum (http://www.nsa.gov/museum/). Just outside of Ft Meade. If you are into tech stuff and intelligence, it is interesting.
8. If you’re here on a Friday night, don’t forget to go to Walter Reed.
Hands down the most thrilling, wonderful sight to see in D.C. is at the Marine Corps Barracks at 8th and I SE on Friday evenings when they take down the flag and they have an evening parade. It is WONDERFUL. I think it is held only during the summer.
If you contact your congress person you can get tickets for the best seats but you can just show up and get to sit in less desirable seats. I have taken people there who were big liberals and not into military stuff. They have thanked me and have agreed that it was the best event they went to during their visit.
Wow cool thanks guys... so anyplace we should stay far far away from? wife has been there once years ago.. I never have hehe..
Well I forgot to post and tell about our trip.
The extended stay in Sterling was nice. One thing I didn’t like about Virgina.. lack of road signs. And next time we are taking a bus tour of Washington. You can’t readily walk to see anything with two tired kids heh. It looks close together on tv but boy it’s a loong walk between sites. Loved the Smithsonian we spent more time there than anywhere else. Train fare was to me anyway kinda pricey from the suburb we got on it at. Well it was fun.
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