Trip to Washington D.C. recommendations

[Kosher Ham]

You want s'mores ? Go to XandO (maybe called Cosi now though).

Loved Kramerbooks and Afterwords too. http://www.kramers.com/

Breakfast, there is a place across from Ford's theater, and a place (I think) on 17th street that has great breakfast, and cheap (the place on 17th is across from a grocery store, might be a Safeway).

So different when you have no idea what someone is looking for for dining and entertainment.

Good Luck and have fun.

[dockeryfan]

I would say skip the zoo. It is not the greatest zoo out there by far, and there are other things in the city that you should see first

[Kosher Ham]

I agree, best thing about the zoo is getting to see pandas which are rare. Other than that, it's not a can't miss type of thing. And I like the DC zoo.

[dockeryfan]

Stuff near your hotel...

Walk 5 blocks to see St. Matthew's Cathedral. I know some people that live in DC and have never been. Beautiful place. (kind of partial as I was married there)

Have Brunch at the Tabbard Inn. This is a 100% do not miss if you are staying near Dupont Circle. Not expensive. You need reservations normally.

Pizzeria Paridiso in Dupont Circle has some pretty good brick oven pizza, although this city is not known for Pizza. I enjoy it every few months. People seem to enjoy Kramerbooks, although I've never eaten there.

If you are an art freak you can walk to the Phillips. OK, not part of the Smithsonian, but they have Renoir Luncheon of the Boating Party as part of their permanent collection and that alone is worth it. They have a ton of Klee and Rothko...very nice

But if you are only going to one art museum go to the national gallery of art and if you see only one exhibit see the Chester Dale collection which leaves in Jan 2012.

[#98QBKiller]

Be sure to hit Camelot in Dupont.

[DM72]

That was my point. The Smithsonian museums are free

Oh snap. I didn't know that. But why is it free and how is it funded?

---------- Post added May-25th-2011 at 12:16 PM ----------

I agree, best thing about the zoo is getting to see pandas which are rare. Other than that, it's not a can't miss type of thing. And I like the DC zoo.

I love zoos. Panda's and walrus' are the only two animals I'm missing in my "must see before I die" list.

[ABQCOWBOY]

You could spend the entire week you have at the Smithsonian and still not see all that is well worth seeing. The Smithsonian is not a day trip. I would recommend really checking out the specific museums and selecting only those you want to see most. All are well worth the time but as I said, you can easily spend all of your time at the Smithsonian. One of the best things about the DC area, IMO, are the Cherry Blossoms. I think you are probably too late for those but they are nice. I enjoy driving down GW Parkway during off hours. It is a chore if you do it during rush hours but if you drive it when traffic is light, it really is a beautiful piece of Highway. There are tours you can take that will show you the sights but I would advise you take the Moonlight Tour. During the Day, it is OK but I believe that the Monuments are much more beautiful when they are lite up. It's also a less frantic pace.

If you like Crab Cakes, which I do, you might consider planning an evening and eating at Timbuktu. Hard not to get decent crab in and around Maryland but this is a place that I think is pretty darn good. Enjoy your visit.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Let me tell you about a little place called California Pizza Kitchen......

[mardi gras skin]

One of my favorite places to visit in the DC area is Brookside Gardens. Quiet, peaceful, beautiful. Free

http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/

[Dan T.]

If this is your first visit to DC, the Tourmobile is a good thing to do. It's the ultimate touristy thing, but it is a good, relatively low cost way of getting around.

It's a narrated ride that costs about 30 bucks a day. They have a circuit all through the Mall area, past the Lincoln Memorial, and into Arlington Cemetary. You can get on and off at any stop all day. It's a good way to get around to all the Smithsonian Museums and memorials.

Here's a route map:

Here's a link:

http://www.tourmobile.com/index.php

Again, it's the ultimate touristy way to go, but it's not a bad whirlwind way to see DC's tourist sights.

---------- Post added May-25th-2011 at 01:32 PM ----------

Oh snap. I didn't know that. But why is it free and how is it funded?

"The Smithsonian" is actually a series of museums:

Museum of American History

Museum of Natural History

Air and Space Museum

African American History and

Culture Museum

African Art Museum

Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center

American Art Museum

American Indian Museum

American Indian Museum Heye Center

Anacostia Community Museum

Arts and Industries Building

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

Freer Gallery of Art

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

National Zoo

Portrait Gallery

Postal Museum

Renwick Gallery

Sackler Gallery

Smithsonian Institution Building,

The Castle

They all have free admission. We pay for them every April 15.

[Sikbug]

I highly recommend midnight sex on the mall. If you aren't into that, a late night stroll through the war memorials on Memorial weekend is bound to provide some poignant moments and gives a better perspective than during the day. Walk through Arlington cemetery. Rolling thunder at the pentagon is a must.

I'll 2nd midnight sex on the mall. Going to the Mall at 3am with some girl I'd met at Nation or Five that night used to be a blast lol.

[Dan T.]

For a different view of the city, a try late night stroll along the Mall. The museums look beautiful lit up at night, and you can sometimes catch glimpses of horny couples boinking in the grass.

[dockeryfan]

One of my favorite places to visit in the DC area is Brookside Gardens. Quiet, peaceful, beautiful. Free

Brookside Gardens is a lovely park, but not convenient to their location. If you want to walk around a park you can go to Dumbarton Oaks and Montrose Park in Georgetown, which is much closer to your location. Montrose park has gas lights that really take you back in time.

[renaissance]

The Newseum is definitely worth paying for.

I also recommend walking around Eastern Market Saturday or Sunday morning. Depending on where exactly you are staying, you could likely walk there and there are tons of food options plus lots of local vendors with cool stuff. You can then also walk around Capital Hill for a while - there are some really nice houses around and it's a nice walking area.

[Skins Fan in NM]

You guys are awesome, thanks for the great tips. We will probably skip the zoo, figure we can see other zoos but can't see great museums like Washington has. Is it safe around the mall late at night? Hear stories about D.C. not being the safest place, but that's just what i hear.

Thanks again all, will take all your advice in and hopefully get the best trip out of it, hope to see a redskin somewhere as well.

[Sticksboi05]

I still haven't been to the new Newseum. Went to the old one in Rosslyn several times.

[Kosher Ham]

Downtown DC is actually safer than most cities. However, don't be oblivious to your surroundings, crime can happen anywhere.

I lived downtown for many years, the mall is especially safe though.

[Renegade7]

1. "The Diner" in downtown, I wanna say right on columbia ave (get the burger with english muffin, french fries on one side and scrambled eggs with cheese on the other)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-diner-washington

2. FDR memorial @ night, warm enough so waterfalls should be on, come out at the end right on the water with crystal city and arlington right on the other side (very romantic, epic otherwise)

3. if you ain't driving, you better carry your arse to the blue line to largo town center and go see Fedex Field. :logo: nuf said

[Sticksboi05]

1. "The Diner" in downtown, I wanna say right on columbia ave (get the burger with english muffin, french fries on one side and scrambled eggs with cheese on the other)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-diner-washington

2. FDR memorial @ night, warm enough so waterfalls should be on, come out at the end right on the water with crystal city and arlington right on the other side (very romantic, epic otherwise)

3. if you ain't driving, you better carry your arse to the blue line to largo town center and go see Fedex Field. :logo: nuf said

Why? FedEx Field blows.

[dockeryfan]

3. if you ain't driving, you better carry your arse to the blue line to largo town center and go see Fedex Field. :logo: nuf said

Wow, I hope you are kidding. Go see an empty stadium? From the parking lot? Good times.

If you go to the national portrait gallery, the atrium is very peaceful and can be a respite on a hot day.

http://flic.kr/p/4npkzN

[Sticksboi05]

Wow, I hope you are kidding. Go see an empty stadium? From the parking lot? Good times.

If you go to the national portrait gallery, the atrium is very peaceful and can be a respite on a hot day.

http://flic.kr/p/4npkzN

Right? Go see a crappy stadium in the middle of nowhere.

The Corcoran is another nice art gallery.

[EersSkins05]

I can't believe this thread is on its fourth page and no one has told him to go to the National Archives or Library of Congress.

National Archives is worth the trip alone to see the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution/Bill of Rights, but they also have a cool public vault exhibit with things like letters from Abraham Lincoln to his generals, White House audio tapes, etc. (I believe they also have a copy of the magna carta.)

The Library of Congress is a beautiful building with a tour running daily that gives you some insight into what they do as well as the rare pieces they have on display like the Guttenburg Bible. They usually have exhibit rooms set up where you can view any number of interesting and rare artifacts including Thomas Jefferson's vast personal library that he donated.

If you want an aerial view of the city, I recommend going to the Old Post Office building rather than the Washington Monument. You can go up in the tower for free, there's rarely a line, and you get a great view of the city from just about every direction. (It's also near Ford's Theater and only a few blocks from the White House.)

As for eating, my favorite place to eat in DC is a Mexican restaurant called Lauriol, but if you're coming from New Mexico, I doubt you care to hit a Mexican Food place. lol

[ABQCOWBOY]

I can't believe this thread is on its fourth page and no one has told him to go to the National Archives or Library of Congress.

National Archives is worth the trip alone to see the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution/Bill of Rights, but they also have a cool public vault exhibit with things like letters from Abraham Lincoln to his generals, White House audio tapes, etc. (I believe they also have a copy of the magna carta.)

The Library of Congress is a beautiful building with a tour running daily that gives you some insight into what they do as well as the rare pieces they have on display like the Guttenburg Bible. They usually have exhibit rooms set up where you can view any number of interesting and rare artifacts including Thomas Jefferson's vast personal library that he donated.

If you want an aerial view of the city, I recommend going to the Old Post Office building rather than the Washington Monument. You can go up in the tower for free, there's rarely a line, and you get a great view of the city from just about every direction. (It's also near Ford's Theater and only a few blocks from the White House.)

As for eating, my favorite place to eat in DC is a Mexican restaurant called Lauriol, but if you're coming from New Mexico, I doubt you care to hit a Mexican Food place. lol

He's only got a week. Might be tough to fit both Smithsonian and the National Archives or Library of Congress.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

I still haven't been to the new Newseum. Went to the old one in Rosslyn several times.

Newseum is awesome. Sure you pay, but the exhibits are some of hte best in the whole city, and you could literally spend two days in there. (Ticket is good for two back to back days).

[renaissance]

I still haven't been to the new Newseum. Went to the old one in Rosslyn several times.

Aren't you studying journalism?? You need to check it out asap. Definitely worth the $20 or whatever it is, and they might have student discounts.

As for the Mall at night - a couple years ago they were having some crime issues around there. I'd be careful/alert if you are walking around the area at night, especially now that it's warm out. It is cool to see the monuments at night though.