Washington DC help needed

[kcbmarek]

We just booked our free tickets to DC via Delta and now it is planning time.  Any recommendations on where to stay?  Metro advise?  Must see and do's?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

I really like the Hotel Palomar on Dupont Circle -- I've stayed there twice.

Have you been before?  Must-dos kind of depend on that.

[somdcrab]

Adults only or are you bringing kids along?

[kcbmarek]

It will be just hubby and I. He was there YEARS ago and I have never been.

[Deleted]

We stayed at the Fairmont and really liked it

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g28970-d217770-Reviews-The_Fairmont_Washington_DC-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

[Deleted]

Since you're first-timers (more or less), my favorite things are:

- Air & Space Museum
- Museum of American History
- Newseum
- Holocaust Museum (not really a "favorite" per se, but I think it is a worthwhile place to go)

[atlas]

If you are into theater, there is a theater company that does shows at Ford's Theater. My mom and I went to the muscial 1776 one trip to DC and it was AMAZING! We sat right across from where Lincoln was shot; it was very surreal. In a previous trip to DC we had already done the tour and stuff of Ford's.

Not sure if it is still available, but going up in the Washington Memorial has some spectacular views.

I would do the memorials/mall in the morning if you don't want to be around a bunch of kids/families/people. We would do our daily runs around 7/8 and it was so quiet and peaceful to see the monuments like that.

I agree with everything v said too.

[dana2006]

Plan your outings by neighborhoods.

Go to the National Zoo and check out the panda cub. This could take half a day.

Visit the Ford's Theatre. It's close to Chinatown, so you can also hit the Spy Museum if you're into that. Eat at Zaytinya while you're in that neighborhood.

Visit the Library of Congress and the Capital. Both are free, but it's a good idea to get timed tickets online to the Capital beforehand.

Check out the Dupont Circle area. Both the Society of the Cincinnati and the Philips Collection are great museums to visit in this area. SOC is free, but only open from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. There are tons of eating options around Dupont. My personal favorite is Zorba's, an inexpensive Greek place with outdoor seating and great people watching.

[Deleted]

May 20, 2014 14:40:42 GMT -5 v said:

I really like the Hotel Palomar on Dupont Circle -- I've stayed there twice.

Have you been before?  Must-dos kind of depend on that.

Ditto.  Hotel Madera is great too - another Kimpton right off of Dupont Circle.

I like staying in Dupont Circle.  I lived in DC for three years, and that's where I stay when I go back to visit friends. 

[osumelissa]

-Newseum
-Holocaust Museum
-Monuments at night
-National Portrait Gallery (I feel like this is an underrated free museum)
-American History Museum

For lunch, I highly recommend the cafe inside the American Indian museum. It is so good.

As for Metro advice, if you think you will take it a lot, I would just suck it up and buy the SmartTrip card from a machine at a station. It's $10 but comes with some money on it. Then you can load it at a machine and it makes getting in and out of the stations so much easier. And as long as you don't crowd the gate, and on escalators stand to the right and walk to the left, all will be good

Also DC is a pretty walkable city so sometimes it is easier to just walk than take the Metro. Cabs also have to take credit cards now, so that is an option as well.

[osumelissa]

Oh I forgot, just to put a plug in for where I work, at the Crime and Punishment Museum there is a special exhibit on the agency I work for over the next few months I actually have to go check it out myself sometime soon.

[Champagne Supernova]

DH and I stayed at Hotel Monaco. It's pretty central to most of the stuff I wanted to see.

How long are you staying? We bought a 4 day pass to the Hop on-Hop-off bus so we used that to get to the places that are kinda far to walk to. We only used the metro to get to Alexandria.

I'm just going to ditto the must-dos everyone already suggested. I love D.C.!

[bbaggins]

We just got back a week ago and the monuments at night trolley was so much fun.

[HamishHealys]

There are a lot of interesting places to go to in DC – museums and monuments especially around the Dupont Circle. The Ford theatre though should be on top of your list. Where to stay? you might want to try Palomar Hotel. Great place.

[flatlan]

May 21, 2014 10:25:10 GMT -5 osumelissa said:

Oh I forgot, just to put a plug in for where I work, at the Crime and Punishment Museum there is a special exhibit on the agency I work for over the next few months I actually have to go check it out myself sometime soon.

DH and I were in DC over Valentine's weekend in 2012 and we did the special event where you got handcuffed together.  I think it was called "Crimes of Passion" we had a great time!