Request - suggestions for things to do and see in Washington DC

I'm only going to be there for 3 days, then I'll be driving down to Virginia (Charlottesville area) to see my son.

I'm particularly interested in history but I love the interesting and unusual as well. Thanks in advance. :hi:

You can see a lot of stuff in one day if you don't want to go in the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the Capitol, or anything else that involves a line or a tour.

And thanks for yours, XemaSab.

The zoo was the best I have been to.

Stay away from their "aquarium" I have seen better fish stores

The national archives is a good tour as is the FBI building

Arlington National Cemetary is a good tour, if you are into that sort of thing

:hi:

arlington national

Turtleandsue's favorite airport reagan national DCA

smithsonian

Of course there are the obvious things (the monuments, Smithsonian, which is all FREE, Zoo to see the panda(s?), also FREE)...

The Rooftop Sky Terrace restaurant at the top of the Hotel Washington has a great view of the Mall (might be nice for a drink, lunch, dessert, etc., if you're not up for an entire dinner). http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3725345094

The Tabard Inn is an old, historic place to dine (or drink): http://www.tabardinn.com/rest.htm

The Adams Morgan neighborhood is funky and offers lots of different "ethic" foods. Dupont Circle is a cool area, as well.

The Library of Congress -- impressive and worth a visit:

And that photo is beautiful! :wow:

:hi:

BTW, another place of interest might be Union Station. It has shops and restaurants inside. (Notice how eating/drinking is a big thing with me? :rofl: )

I love, love, LOVE old train stations. And eating and drinking. :P

Thanks for the good wishes - I'm really looking forward to it. :hi:

It's only about 30 minutes out of the city. Quite spectacular views.

That and the C & O canal down at the Georgetown end too.

:hi:

http://www.spymuseum.org/

And the International Crime and Punishment is right across the street so if you get caught and tried for treason, you can find out what happens to you.

Thanks.

Although if you're a hardcore conspiracy buff like I am, you need more than that. It's really interesting. And the gift shop is pretty cool too.

There's an adorable sculpture of Albert Einstein in the National Academy of Sciences garden off Constitution Ave. He's just sitting there, the cosmos at his feet. :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein_Memorial

Oh and go see National Geographic too. Their first floor is an exhibit hall and usually has something very interesting going on. I believe they are between 17th and 16th streets off Connecticut Ave.

Good ideas, thanks. :hi:

1. The Metro's pretty convenient.

2. DC cops have no sense of humor. Seriously.

3. Apparently most of the sketch neighborhoods are mid or post gentrification, so your chances of not getting shot are apparently much better than they used to be.

4. Moroni and Brothers does great vegan pizza. Except that they have no olives for some weird reason.

5. Sticky Fingers Bakery= awesome.

I'll try to refrain from my usually witty ripostes when dealing with DC cops. Or maybe avoid dealing with DC cops altogether. :P

You can't go three blocks without tripping over an Ethiopian place. They're pretty much invariably cheap and good.

If you're into walking and poking around, the Adams-Morgan area is great for ethnic food, and Georgetown is wonderful for its restaurants, shops and architecture (although it used to be heavy with panhandlers, mostly not aggressive, but just letting you know). If you're into music, check out what is going on out at Wolf Trap, the Metro goes out there, and then a shuttle will pick you up and take you back (http://www.wolftrap.org/). It's a great way to spend an afternoon or evening on a blanket with some cheese and beverages. The Metro is the best I've ever seen in this country, very clean and easy to figure out.

Have fun!

In November the American History Museum is reopening after 2 year renovation..Should be nice...For history though..Make sure you take a tour of Arlington National Cemetary..Including the Custis Manson where Martha Washington lived. And Mt. Vernon!

Eat there any chance I get.

The National Portrait Gallery (across from the Spy Museum) is a great place to look at America's historic and modern figures, especially the art on level 3.

Kramerbooks and Afterwards in DuPont Circle has a great selection, if you like cramped-to-the-wall bookstores. DuPont is a great area, period.

You could hit the "Exorcist" steps at the NW end of M Street in Georgetown . .. if you like some creepiness with your walks.

Oh, and Georgetown also has a Dean and Deluca. GREAT supermarket. Smells so good in there.

Too bad you ain't going in November like I am . . . the American History Museum re-opens then.

All of these museums are in between my apartment (Laurel, MD) and my girlfriend's (Arlington, VA), and any time either of our parents are in town we have to take them.

Do keep in mind that ANY Smithsonian museum (this includes the zoo) is free of charge to enter. I tell you this because local hustlers often hang out in front of these museums and sell "discount tickets," which are usually pretty convincingly made. "Two bucks to enter Air and Space? I'm in!" I know this because one of my local drinking buddies is a DC cop who tells me that when they need to meet an arrest quota, they sometimes go round up these assholes.

The Holocaust Museum is also free, and absolutely unforgettable. Walking distance from the Washington Monument. (If you want to go to the top of the Monument, make sure to order tickets in advance; it's free if you do it in person, but ordering by phone will cost you about four bucks and require a credit card number).

By the way, if you're anything like my mother, let me save you the trouble of looking this up: the Hope Diamond is at the (Smithsonian) Natural History Museum.

BTW, do know that you won't be able to enter the Spy Museum when you show up unless it's a slow day. The last time we took one of my girlfriend's relatives, we bought tickets at roughly 10:00 for an 11:15 entrance. Once you're in you can stay as long as you like, but you enter in groups. If you are looking for a way to kill time while waiting for your ticket's time to come up, there's a Gordon Biersch brewpub within easy walking distance. Good food, good beer, reasonably priced, nice atmosphere. Just make sure that you're prepared to wait a while if you need to use the facilities.