Vanity - Planning honeymoon trip to NE part of America.

what day is this? | Just l'il ole me

[West Texas Chuck]

I proposed to She Who Must Be Obeyed on Christmas Day, in front of all the usual suspects. So now the marriage machine is in full stroke and I am planning our honeymoon. I think we have settled on a roadtrip through the Appalachians up to Arlington. Probably come back through the FL panhandle, over to Nawlins and back home to Dallas.

I have a few thoughts and many questions ...

[tanknetter]

Assuming from your post and some of the responses that you have an interest in military history ...

Someone mentioned the National Museum of the USMC in Quantico. Definite thumbs up. They even have a pretty good restaurant, a reproduction of Tun Tavern.

Also, there's the National Museum of the US Navy at the old DC Navy Yard. It's a really neat place, more of an "attic" than a true museum and loaded with lots of historic nick-nacks. Plus 1/48 scale (so, iow, really frikkin' huge) ship models (including USS Missouri BB-63, USS Ranger CV-4, USS Randolph CV-15 and USS Forrestal CV-59).

Ft. Washington down Indian Head Highway in Maryland is neat. The main fort is pretty well restored to its "Second System" configuration), but is also surrounded by all the Taft-Endicott emplacements from the turn of the 20th Century. If you go there, take a quick stop halfway down from the Beltway at Ft. Foote. This is a Civil War-era earthen fort that's relatively well-preserved. Of interest is the fact that they have two restored 15" Rodman Guns emplaced. If your bride happens to be petite, you can stuff her down one of them (FEET FIRST!) and take her picture.

North of DC there's Baltimore's Inner Harbor (preserved warships including the Sloop of War Constellation) and Ft. McHenry.

Further South of DC there's all the stuff in the Hampton Roads area. Pretty good aviation museum (another, smaller one in the Richmond area), also the battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus and the USS Monitor's turret at the Maritime Center.

I think we could all go on and on with this. Eastern Seaboard is PACKED with all sorts of neat and good stuff to do. We're all just hitting the tip of the iceberg ...

[tanknetter]

Just curious... What has happened to the American History Museum? (Haven't been there in awhile)

Can't speak for him, but the American History Museum underwent a major multi-year facelift culminating a couple/few years back.

I like it. The main Mall-entrance was opened up and re-lit. Used to be pretty dark and dreary. Reason is that they no longer have the Star Spangled Banner hanging there (requiring protection from the light). Instead they have the flag in a really great new exhibit gallery that is pretty awe-inspiring and truly does it justice.

Many of the other exhibits have been reworked and substantially improved. The old military section has been revised into "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War", which is also great. Any museum exhibit these days that features the effigy of a tax collector being hung from a tree - let alone right at the exhibit entrance - really deserves props.

[tomkat]

[ExCTCitizen]

I will have to say visit New England. I would recommend Mystic Seaport if you are into marine history, also the Nautilus Museum. (At Mystic,try a pizza at Mystic Pizza). Also try your luck at either Foxwood or Mohegan Sun . I would visit Vermont to see the colors, Maine for alobster dinner and shopping at LL Bean. Eating...try a pizza at any of the pizza places on Wooster Street in New Haven, any ice cream from a road side place, a burger at Lois' Lunch or a cheeseburger at Shady Glen. (Lois Lunch is said to be the birthplace of the hamburger ).

Congratulations on your marriage.

[randita]

One more suggestion and I apologize if it is a duplicate. If you’re planning to stay outside D.C. and drive in, Sat. and Sun. are the best days to find parking very close to the Mall. During weekdays, it’s a zoo there, as you can imagine.

On Sat. or Sun., if you drive into the city by 8 AM, you will have no problem finding free parking close to the major attractions.

The tidal basin and FDR Memorial are nice spots for a stroll and of course, as others have suggested, the WWII one.

I have a son who lives near Capital Hill, so am pretty familiar with all the angles. They have a teeny place, so we often stay at the Courtyard Marriott/Naval Yard which is nearby and offers decent rates off season. There will be cheaper places out of D.C., but consider the cost, time, and aggravation of driving and possibly parking if you can’t find free parking.

[stonehouse01]

I think a history road trip would be lots more fun than sitting on a beach.

I recommend New York City. Go to lower Manhattan, the World Trade Center site, catch a Broadway show; you would absolutely have a great time. Go to Wicked - I think it’s still playing.

Then make your way up the Hudson River Valley - catch West Point and then the Lake George area - stay at the Sacandaga on Lake George for a night or two - it is gorgeous. Being from Texas, you would love the scenery there as a contrast to what you are used to.

There are LOTS of revolutionary war sites to visit in upstate New York if you like history.

Congratulations!! I love that you are not planning the typical let’s conform and do what everyone else is doing type honeymoon.

[nutmeg]

they have the flag in a really great new exhibit gallery that is pretty awe-inspiring and truly does it justice.

Many of the other exhibits have been reworked and substantially improved. The old military section has been revised into "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War", which is also great. Any museum exhibit these days that features the effigy of a tax collector being hung from a tree - let alone right at the exhibit entrance - really deserves props.

Wow... sounds fantastic! Hope we can visit soon. Thanks for your advice on the American History Museum. :-)

[nutmeg]

a burger at Lois' Lunch or a cheeseburger at Shady Glen

I know (and LOVE) Shady Glen - both locations! What and where is Lois' Lunch? Thanks...

nutmeg (still stuck in Connecticut)

[the OlLine Rebel]

“I think a history road trip would be lots more fun than sitting on a beach.

“Congratulations!! I love that you are not planning the typical let’s conform and do what everyone else is doing type honeymoon.”

Completely agree. Truth is beaches/Carribean ARE extremely “typical” honeymoons, never mind vacations. Heck, most people within 3 hrs of a beach will just go to that same place every single year. People are shocked when we recite all the things we saw on our honeymoon (never mind our subsequent vacations - curtailed while we get the child up to speed), never mind the sort of snobby reaction like “oohhh....huh....that’s all you did?” As if sitting on beaches of a very constrictive (3rd-world) island is the ultimate in fun. And not all us women are “beach” people or shopping people (as if you don’t already do all that at the mall all the time). My husband and I had much more fun traipsing around seeing different sites and talking about them then having nothing to talk about but sand and casinos and bars. A week of that is dull.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Do they still have all the great restaurants in that CT area that they did 15 years ago? (Frankly, I always say the every-day “cheap” restaurants were really poor there, but the better 1 were excellent and many.)

[the OlLine Rebel]

“One more suggestion and I apologize if it is a duplicate. If you’re planning to stay outside D.C. and drive in, Sat. and Sun. are the best days to find parking very close to the Mall. During weekdays, it’s a zoo there, as you can imagine.

“On Sat. or Sun., if you drive into the city by 8 AM, you will have no problem finding free parking close to the major attractions.”

My recommendation - don’t drive in. Go the Metro. Although likewise it is very busy at rush hours (2 hours), but better than driving. God forbid an accident happens.

[Daffynition]

It's *Louis Lunch* and is on 263 Crown St., in New Haven.

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Overview/402/louis-lunch

It *used* to be great and now... there are bettter places to go for an excellent burger, unless you want to *say* you were there .... *the birthplace of the hamburger*. Frankly, New Haven is such a dangerous place, I wouldn't bother.

IMHO, Plan B is much better. http://www.planbburger.com/locations.html

[randita]

+1 for the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. Of course, I have several Marines in my family, so I’m biased, but it is pretty cool for a few hours. It’s south of D.C. about 30 miles or so.

[ExCTCitizen]

It *used* to be great and now... there are bettter places to go for an excellent burger, unless you want to *say* you were there .... *the birthplace of the hamburger*. Frankly, New Haven is such a dangerous place, I wouldn't bother

True...New Haven is dangerous... One reason why I tried to avoid New Haven at all cost...my car was stolen from the parking garage at the Amtrak station.

[ExCTCitizen]

Do they still have all the great restaurants in that CT area that they did 15 years ago? (Frankly, I always say the every-day “cheap” restaurants were really poor there, but the better 1 were excellent and many.)

Yes... one of the best ice Cream is Dr. Mikes...Shady Glen (Manchester, CT) for their CHEESEBURGERS...Ted's for a STEAMED HAMBURGER...Abbots for Lobster..

[rabidralph]

Be sure to catch Skyline Drive, in Virginia, for the fall colors. You won't be disappointed. Skyline Drive carries you through the Shenandoah Valley.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Actually, I was talking high-end restaurants. “Good” expensive restaurants were really good. “Family”/every-day restaurants were really bad there. Really bad food.

[nutmeg]

Thanks for the info on Louis Lunch and Plan B!