Request for DC Family Vacation Advice

[Prairie Pubbie]

Freeper Advice needed for DC family vacation

[Law]

Bump for later review.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

My husband and I were literally speechless after seeing the Vietnam Memorial. I noticed many people were in the same state at the end of the Memorial Wall.

God Bless all of our troops, always!

[SquirrelKing]

Okay. My wife and I love DC, her grandmother was from Springfield. One of our favorite things to do is to stay in Alexandria and ride bicycles into DC along the parkway. There is an excellent paved trail and an incredible view along the river. Bring a good lock and a pack to carry helmets, etc. One one trip we ended up ringside to Jackie Onassis' funeral procession into Arlington.

[xp38]

I found the USMC War Memorial worth a visit. Dedicated to all the fallen of all wars US Marines have been in. A long list of those wars is engraved around the base.

[Johnny Gage]

Self ping for future reference

[conserv13]

The DuPont Circle Area and 17th St. Are really great, especially after dark. Great nightlife.

Just kidding.

[Capriole]

1. Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, just across the Potomac from DC. Gorgeous, historic, and easy to walk around. You can eat dinner by candlelight at Gadsby's Tavern, where George Washington used to dine, and go to services at Christ Episcopal Church, where he bought a pew; you can walk along the Potomac, visit Lee's house, and pop into fascinating shops.

2. A short, scenic drive down the road from Old Town is Mount Vernon, which every American should visit.

3. Take a boat ride on the Potomac from Alexandria down to Mount Vernon or upriver past the great monuments.

4. Do Not Miss Arlington. (My father will be buried there the first weekend in May.) Arlington is very beautiful and moving. It's crowned on Arlington Heights by Robert E. Lee's house which is worth a visit.

5. Annapolis, Maryland, another short drive.

6. The battlefields of the Civil War--all of Northern Virginia is one big battlefield but there are strip malls on most of it except Manassas. If you can spare a day for it, every American should visit Gettysburg, which is 2 (scenic) hours away.

7. A self-tour starting on upper Connecticut Avenue at the Washington Cathedral, proceeding to the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks, in Kalorama, and then down to the shops and lovely houses of Georgetown.

8. The Library of Congress--gorgeous!

[John H K]

6. The battlefields of the Civil War--all of Northern Virginia is one big battlefield but there are strip malls on most of it except Manassas. If you can spare a day for it, every American should visit Gettysburg, which is 2 (scenic) hours away.

Gettysburg is sorta ruined for me by all the statues every few feet. Antietam (even closer than Gettysburg) looks 10 times better with 1/10th the crowds.

[Prairie Pubbie]

You Freepers are the best! We knew that we would get the most EXCELLENT information from all of you! Thanks for all the interesting ideas and input! Keep it coming!

[eyespysomething]

You're probably thinking of The Dubliner, which is owned by the IRA and is a fundraising source for them. Teddy Kennedy has been known to hang out there.

ARRGGHHH!!!!

[jackbill]

The Baltimore Harbor and Aquarium is just up the road a bit. That's a good choice for kids.

The Babe Ruth museum is another. And, it is expanding into Camden Station, adjacent to Camden Yards - home of the Orioles. The addition has sports memorabilia from all sports in Maryland - even the NCAA basketball championship trophy that Maryland recently won.

I don't know if the B&O Railroad museum has reopened, but if so, it's also nearby the previous. It was damaged last winter when a large part of the roof collapsed under heavy snow.

[the OlLine Rebel]

where to stay (economical but nice & safe area)-

I'm not much up on this, but Alexandria is just fine, and Arlington isn't too bad, either - but in the "good area", possibly way too expensive.


which airport to use-

Stay away from National Airport if you can. Nice to be rite there in the city but nasty, nasty, squeeze w/crowds and smallness tucked in there by Arlington and rite by the city - and like everything else in DC, you won't understand where it is you're supposed to go next, esp. if you got a car. Dulles is far out but easy to navigate, and you have time to get your wits about you before you hit the real city area. BWI WAS a great airport but it's not only far, you'd have to figure out how to get into DC. I work rite next to BWI and believe me, they have screwed it up some both since the "security above all" and they constant reconstruction they're doing.

hints about the public transit system (we don't plan to rent a car),

Use the Metro subway as much as possible, then walk. Great system. You can catch it in Arlington and Alexandria, too.

(must do's,things to avoid, great places to eat, etc.)-

Hogate's on Maine, by the water south of the capitol/monument area. (Must-have is the rum-buns, but I think they've dumbed them down a bit the last few years!) There are also some other nice places on that waterfront; Phillip's is good for MD seafood as it IS a MD institution (DON'T *ever* get "MD crabcakes" OUTSIDE MARYLAND BORDERS!!!! YES, I MEAN DC TOO - UNLESS IT'S PHILLIP'S!). Also, there is Blackie's place closer to downtown; that's pretty famous and more on the steak side.

I'm sure you've heard all about the standard things to see, most are centered on the Mall. I'll mention some less-standard things (please forgive for bad recollection of official names) - the Navy museum at the Navy Yard, the National Shrine ("Episcopal", basically), the Catholic Shrine & Monestary (marvelous traditional Catholic cathedral w/replicated Holy Sites). Gee, I'm having a hard time thinking of everything - if I can I'll get back to it!

[freedom4ever]

We usually fly Southwest Airlines from Louisville to BWI. Cheapest airlines and a straight, non-stop flight. Take the Marc Train from BWI to Union Station in Va. Since you'll have baggage, take a cab. They line up outside the Union Station front door. Cost will be about $8.00 to Alexandria if that's where you're staying.

THen ask at the desk for a Metro Schedule and go to the nearest stop. I believe the one in ALexandria is above ground and outdoors. Ask one of the workers how to use it. It's really easy once you figure it out. Spend your first day, or afternoon at the Vietnam Memorial, then walk to the Lincoln Memorial, then don't forget the Korean War Memorial. These are all on the same end of the Mall and within a 10 minute walk of each other.

After you finish here, grab a cab to the White House and Pennsylvania Ave. Check out the White House Complex area. It's all an easy walk. Say hi to Consuela, the nuclear war protester, across from the White House in Lafayette Park.

A couple of suggestions for eating would be Old GLory BBQ in Georgetown. You'll have to take a cab to Georgetown. Another place in Georgetown to eat is Tony and Joe's. If it is warm you can sit outside on the Potomac.

There is also Arlington Cemetary. You must see the changing of the guard and the Tomb of The Unknowns. It is an awesome ceremony. YOu can also walk to JFK's gravesite. This could be day 2 morning agenda. After this, go to the Air and Space Museum. You can see this building in an afternoon.

On day 3, start with American History Museum, at the Smithsonian. If you finish here, go to the Natural History. I liked it, but wouldn't spend a lot of time here(personal opinion). You can visit the Capitol also, but you have to have a guide for an inside tour. There is a lot of construction and so forth going on. You can also visit the House Office Bldgs. and Senate Office Bldgs. It depends on security. Contact your Congress critter. This will get you started and by this time, you'll be ok with a lot of the city and will be able to get around fairly easily. I'll be happy to answer any other questions if you have any. Freep mail me.

[Capriole]

I guess it's a matter of personal taste. A student of the Civil War might make a fine day of Sharpsburg (Antietam) and Harper's Ferry. I've certainly spent a lot of enjoyable, moving time at Sharpsburg, both in the town and in the Dunker Church or at Burnside Bridge.

But Gettysburg is the anvil whereon this nation was forged. Crowds or not, tour buses or not, people who want to understand how we got to be America should go there to walk the line of Pickett's Charge, climb the rocks of Devil's Den, and look down from the heights of Little Round Top.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Re: transportation: The last time we went we drove -- it's a nice trip up from Alabama with lots to see along the way -- through the Smokey Mts., etc., and we took our own car into Washington. We had our son, his expectant wife and our grandson with us so the Metro was not a good option for us, although we used it on an earlier visit and it was great.

We had no problem parking, etc., although we were there in Oct. 2001, just a month after 911, and there were NO crowds anywhere. In fact, we were there the Sunday we began bombing in Afghanistan.

We went to Mount Vernon -- which is a little drive from D.C., but to me, it's a must see. Also Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA.

We walked by the White House, and I was 3 feet from the President's little scotty. The Capitol Building, the Smithsonian, the Wall, and also the Korean War Memorial, Arlington -- there is so much to see that shouldn't be missed.

I wasn't in great physical shape when we went, and I got winded going up through Arlington to the Lee House, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. So, double up on the treadmill!

[Born Conservative]

bttt

[sphinx]

Check when the Commandant Drum and Bugle Corps/Silent Drill Team performs at the Iwo Jima Monument--I believe it's Tuesday evening in the summer. That is a must see - it's free.

Ditto the Drum and Bugle Corps show. The Evening Parade at the Marine Barracks (8th&I Streets S.E., on Capitol Hill) is even better, as it has the Marine Band in addition to the Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Team. It's every Friday night during the summer months. It is free and no one is turned away at the gate, but unless you call ahead for a reservation you will be shuffled into the end zone seating. Call ahead.

You will want a break from the museums after a couple of days. Rent a car and go out to Antietam, which is the best preserved of the local battlefields. Harper's Ferry is worth seeing too. Back in D.C. we have two showplace churches, the National Cathedral and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The National Cathedral tower has the best panoramic views of the city -- if you're looking for a view, go there rather than the Washington Monument. No line, and a better view.

The Franciscan Monastery is a short jog east of the Shrine -- the Catholic U. neighborhood -- and is also a fascinating place. The guidebooks will talk about the catacombs, but the church itself is also interesting, as it is modeled on a Byzantine basilica destroyed by the Turks. Mount Vernon is a good break from the museums, and you should not miss the Custis-Lee mansion and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington.

The Masonic Temple in Alexandria also has a great view. I neglected this site for years because I had the notion you had to be a Mason to go in, but not so. It's an open building. Incidentally, it sits on the site of the Civil War's Fort Ellsworth, and the traces of the old entrenchments can still be seen from the tower due to the different color of grass in the filled-in sections.

The original Library of Congress building -- the Jefferson building, across First Street from the Capitol -- should not be missed. One of a kind. Last but not least, give your congressperson a call and see if he/she will take you to the top of the Capitol Dome. This may not be available as access was shut down after 9/11, but if it has been reopened, it's a terrific spot. Relatively few people have ever had the opportunity to do this because under the traditional rules you had to be personally escorted by a Member of Congress. I don't know about post 9/11 availability and rules, but it's worth checking on.

[eyespysomething]

Want to know the exciting stories from our trip?

A homeless man took us under his wing during our stay. Yes, we gave him a few dollars. He was a vet, showed us his papers, he carried all his papers around in his wallet, ssn, discharge, family photos. His life story.

We stayed on the edge of the, for lack of a better word, ghetto. He shooed people away from us, gave us advice on DC, and generally acted as a goodwill ambassador for the city. Ironic, huh?

There was a shooting a block from our hotel one afternoon, he waited for us to get back to fill us in on the details LOL.

For those who think we were being played as country bumpkins, trust me, we weren't. My husband sat and talked to him for about an hour one day, and then wrote a column on him when we got back. Michael. He was a Vietnam veteran, and we were proud to make his acquaintance, and our son learned a little about life outside our small town.

We were in DC when the Capital policemen got shot. We had left the Capital about, oh, 10 minutes before. Had only walked a few blocks when all hell broke loose. Got back to the hotel later and found out what had happened. Needless to say, we had many messages from family members wanting to know if we were ok.

All in all, a fun exciting time for some southern folks in our Nation's Capital.

Have fun!

[jwalsh07]

My advice, postpone the trip until Bush's inaugaral. It will be a site to behold.

[Arrowhead1952]

WTGPA, care to add any advice here? You probably know some great places to visit.