- Mach 30
- Dec 16, 2005
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That's faster than most planes can go!!!
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My wife and I will be visiting Washington DC this summer and want to make the most of it! We are staying at the Fairfax at Embassy Row, so we're fairly close to the National Mall. What do you recommend? There's all sorts of tours for sale for varying amounts of money and I don't want to get bent over in tourist traps. What things are not heavily advertised that are worth seeing? Is there public transport we can take or should we count on taxis? Any other advice or recommendations? Thanks for any and all recommendations!
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Jan 29, 2017 06:49
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Apr 30, 2024 03:53
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- Mach 30
- Dec 16, 2005
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That's faster than most planes can go!!!
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How long are you going to be in DC? What are your interests? Public transport is widely available, pick up a SmarTrip card at any metro station, also works on buses. There is no entrance fee for museums along the mall and places like Arlington National Cemetery.
We will be arriving mid-day Saturday and leaving the following Sunday, so roughly seven and a half days.
We're into history, culture, art, and politics. We want to see the national mall and all the usual stuff, but are there any nontraditional things?
Never heard of SmarTrip, so thank you for that lead!
Glad to hear the museums and such have no admission. Thank you!
There are tons of things to do in D.C...I lived there for two years, so let me run down the list of things I used to enjoy doing. The best, and perhaps only way to travel, is the Metro.
The classic thing to do is to see the museums and monuments on or near the national Mall. Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington Monuments, Vietnam and WWII memorials, Holocaust and Black History Museums...all great things to check out.
Go see "Chinatown" which is not really a Chinatown at all, but is worth it in order to go to the one Chinese restaurant near the large gate which is tasty and authentic-ish. Also worth it for Ford's theater and Lincoln's deathbed across the street from Ford's theater. Sit a spell and reflect on our nation's greatest president.
On the lighter side, the National Zoo is great. See the animals and then get blasted in nearby Adams Morgan (Dan's was the best bar, not sure if it is still there, open only at night).
National Symphony is good, near the Watergate which is worth seeing for historical reasons but they don't give tours.
If you can get out on the red line, go to the massive used book warehouse near the Grosvenor stop.
Edit: also go see the Nats play if you're going in the summer.
Thank you for the museum recommendations and advice for the Metro! We'll definitely be going to those museums and it sounds like public transit is the way to go.
We wanted to check out Ford's and Lincoln's deathbed. Good to hear it's near Chinatown. My wife and I love Chinese!
We will definitely have to check out the used bookstore. We're both huge bookworms! Thank you!
I was there for a few days recently. The Metro was good -- I flew into DCA and it was maybe 15-20 min to get downtown, very convenient. You shouldn't need a taxi most of the time, unless you're out very late/early.
As far as things to do, there a lot of great museums on the Mall -- and they're free, which is incredible. If the weather is nice, it also makes for a nice stroll. You'll be able to see a lot of historical sites all lined up in a row from the Supreme Court all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. I was able to fill my time without going on any official "tours" since it's easy enough to navigate yourself. I would've liked to try to see the inside of the White House and get a tour of the Capitol, but I believe you have to organize that in advance by calling your congressman or something. If that's something you're interested in doing, look up what you need to do ahead of time.
I didn't know that! I'll have to contact my Congressman. Thanks!
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Jan 30, 2017 05:36
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- Mach 30
- Dec 16, 2005
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That's faster than most planes can go!!!
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Go to a protest!
Just kidding, unless that's your thing.
Anyway, you could spend a whole week exploring the Smithsonian Museums and monuments all along the mall.
If you are into parks, Rock Creek Park is great for a stroll if it's not too hot. And there is some good history there too!
https://www.nps.gov/rocr/index.htm
Looking for nightlife? Dupont is where the "club scene" is at. Avoid Adams Morgan unless you like partying with drunk 20-somethings. U street is amazing if you like music clubs, check out Black Cat and U street music hall. Also if you are on U street go to Ben's Chili Bowl. I personally think the food there is average, but it's a DC staple rich in history so it's worth checking out if you are in the area.
If you have an abundance of time. Head to Virginia! You can get a shuttle to the Udvar-Hazy museum and see some really awesome planes. If you are renting a car, head to Annandale for some good Korean Food. Eden Center is one of the largest collection of Vietnamese shops and restaurants on the east coast:
http://edencenter.com/
I'll post more as I think of them. I've lived in the DC area for 16 years now,
We will definitely keep all of this in mind! Even the protests, haha. We're both politically-inclined and who knows where the current clusterfuck will be in a few months. Thank you!
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Feb 5, 2017 10:28
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Jan 29, 2017 06:49
