Washington DC

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » August 31, 2007 9:10 am

Planning a brief trip to DC this fall. We want to see the Native American Museum and the Spy museum. Does anyone have any suggestions about the best days of week/times of day to visit the museums?

Haven't decided on weekday or weekend trip...either way it will be combined with one of my hubby's business trips.

Any great restaurant suggestions?

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » August 31, 2007 9:16 am

Aeroparrot is a good guide to DC, especially places to eat.

bravedave · Post by **bravedave** » August 31, 2007 9:27 am

nutmeg wrote:Planning a brief trip to DC this fall. We want to see the Native American Museum and the Spy museum. Does anyone have any suggestions about the best days of week/times of day to visit the museums?

Haven't decided on weekday or weekend trip...either way it will be combined with one of my hubby's business trips.

Any great restaurant suggestions?

I have not visited the Spy Museum or the Native American Museum yet, but I would recommend a weekend, evening , or holiday.

Downtown DC (and Roslyn) are busy places during the workday. Parking can be exhorbitant or non-existant, Metro is jam-packed during rush hour, and driving in DC will set your hair on fire.

After work and on weekends the place clears out like a ghost town. The number of tourists comes nowhere near the number of commuters, and parking is much easier.

Griz · Post by **Griz** » August 31, 2007 9:35 am

Nutmeg, I was born and raised here in Maryland just over the DC border.
Fall's a great time for the museums. The town is still kickin' but the bulk of the tourists come in the spring and summer.
Native American is really good, but IMHO, only if you are into that kind of thing. I think most folks would say the other Smithsonians are more interesting. The Zoo is also part of the Smithsonian and has a really good Panda exhibit. I have heard mixed reviews of the spy museum. again,, if it's your thing...
DC has TONS of restaurants. Whatcha lookin for? Clyde's in Georgetown and the Old Ebbit Grill near the White House are a couple of my favorites but there's a good Hard Rock near Ford's Theatre, great Irish pubs, some good seafood spots on DC's waterfront and in "Old town" Alexandria Virginia. You could hit there after seeing Mount Vernon.. another personal fav. An evening dinner cruise on the Dandy is a tad pricey but worth it.
The "Tour mobile" is a great way to get around to see all the monuments.
I'd also suggest catching a show at the Kennedy Center, the Warner or music at Wolftrap or the Birchmere. Check out the city guide in the Washington Post.. really good. http://www.washingtonpost.com/

green1 · Post by **green1** » August 31, 2007 9:43 am

I second the thought of an evening tour of DC. The momuments are all lighted and it has a completely different feel than druing the day. Old town Alexandria is a short drive south of DC and has tons of restaurants and a neat feel to it.

Spy museum was great. I loved it. Have never been to the Native American museum so I can't say anything about it one way or the other. The Holocaust museum, while sobering, is incredibly moving.

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » August 31, 2007 9:51 am

Griz wrote:Nutmeg, I was born and raised here in Maryland just over the DC border.
Fall's a great time for the museums. The town is still kickin' but the bulk of the tourists come in the spring and summer.
Native American is really good, but IMHO, only if you are into that kind of thing. I think most folks would say the other Smithsonians are more interesting. The Zoo is also part of the Smithsonian and has a really good Panda exhibit. I have heard mixed reviews of the spy museum. again,, if it's your thing...
DC has TONS of restaurants. Whatcha lookin for? Clyde's in Georgetown and the Old Ebbit Grill near the White House are a couple of my favorites but there's a good Hard Rock near Ford's Theatre, great Irish pubs, some good seafood spots on DC's waterfront and in "Old town" Alexandria Virginia. You could hit there after seeing Mount Vernon.. another personal fav. An evening dinner cruise on the Dandy is a tad pricey but worth it.
The "Tour mobile" is a great way to get around to see all the monuments.
I'd also suggest catching a show at the Kennedy Center, the Warner or music at Wolftrap or the Birchmere. Check out the city guide in the Washington Post.. really good. http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Thanks! I guess I should have mentioned that I've been to DC before and have done all the monuments and a good number of the other museums. Saw the pandas at the zoo and went to Mt Vernon.

Love the Irish pub idea and also love fresh seafood...not something that is easy to come by in the Midwest. Old town Alexndria sounds great. Dinner cruise??? Now there's something I wouldn't have expected for DC.

My hubby is interested in the spy museum and I'm into the Native American Museum (my heritage). We have opposite museum interests

Last time we spent what felt like days to me in the Air and Space museum. I loved the Gallery of Art...him not so much

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » August 31, 2007 10:09 am

My folks will be there next week, although I think they are focusing more on the DC monuments like the Vietnam Memorial Wall and stuff like that.

My stepdad is a Navy veteran and served 3 tours in Vietnam, yet he's never been there.

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » August 31, 2007 10:39 am

bravedave wrote:
nutmeg wrote:Planning a brief trip to DC this fall. We want to see the Native American Museum and the Spy museum. Does anyone have any suggestions about the best days of week/times of day to visit the museums?

Haven't decided on weekday or weekend trip...either way it will be combined with one of my hubby's business trips.

Any great restaurant suggestions?

I have not visited the Spy Museum or the Native American Museum yet, but I would recommend a weekend, evening , or holiday.

Downtown DC (and Roslyn) are busy places during the workday. Parking can be exhorbitant or non-existant, Metro is jam-packed during rush hour, and driving in DC will set your hair on fire.
AND give you muscle spasms!! I will NEVER drive in DC again as long as I live! I don't care HOW much money I have to pay somebody to drive me! After work and on weekends the place clears out like a ghost town. The number of tourists comes nowhere near the number of commuters, and parking is much easier.

freaky4tiki · Post by **freaky4tiki** » August 31, 2007 10:46 am

nutmeg wrote:Planning a brief trip to DC this fall. We want to see the Native American Museum and the Spy museum. Does anyone have any suggestions about the best days of week/times of day to visit the museums?

Haven't decided on weekday or weekend trip...either way it will be combined with one of my hubby's business trips.

Any great restaurant suggestions?

I'd say go early in the morning or late in the afternoon (after 2 or so) because of all the school groups that populate DC during the school year. Don't forget the Air and Space Museum or the Natural History Museum. Shoot, you could spend days at the Smithsonian. Tons of art museums and the Holocaust Museum is supposed to be fantastic (if you're up for that). There used to be Polo matches on the weekends. I haven't been in a long time, but that's a good time too.

have fun!

FOOD! there are a gazillion ethnic places to eat-- very cool!

chippewa · Post by **chippewa** » August 31, 2007 10:55 am

As mentioned, Old Town Alexandria will have lots of good places to eat. FYI, the spy museum is a private enterprise, so it's not free like many of the Smithsonian places. Most of the cafeterias in the Smithsonian buildings serve the basic lunch fare, but the Native American museum has a great cafeteria. All authetic food from many different tribes, it's fun to try dishes from a couple of different areas. That's the one museum where I would recommend eating a lunch.

surfpirate · Post by **surfpirate** » August 31, 2007 11:10 am

The Native American Museum (actually the National Museum of the American Indian) ........ http://www.nmai.si.edu/ ........ is very cool. I chaperoned my daughter's fourth grade class visit there last year, and very nearly made the terrible mistake of wearing one of my Washington Redskins jackets that day which would have very likely sparked some important conversations. The guides are all very informative or you can wander the museum freely at your own pace. Be sure to check out the short film in the circular theater up on the 4th floor. The screens are 360 degrees around the room and the film is way, way cool. There is usually a short wait for the start of the film, but I doubt they'll be too many school groups there yet as schools have just begun in this area this week.

The International Spy Museum ....... http://www.spymuseum.org/ ....... has been on my to-do radar for some time now but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Seems every time I have family or friends in the area we always end up at the mall for the usual monuments and Smithsonian trip.

Remember that all of the museums shut down at 5:30pm, so visit museums during the day and save the monuments for the afternoon/evening. The monuments are the best at night when they are lit up. You need to get tickets in advance for the Washington Monument (http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc72.htm) and the White House, and actually since 9/11 I think the White House visits have been severely curtailed (limited to school groups, etc. and require 6 months advance reservations through your congressional representative).

Since you've been to D.C. before, you know the only way you'll want to go downtown is via the Metro (http://www.wmata.com/maps/maps.cfm?from ... Stations.1), forget about driving/parking. And for Pete's Sake ...... STAND TO THE RIGHT on the escalators so that all of the pompous self-important federal workers can scoot past you on the left!!!!!

~~~~~ surfpirate

bravedave · Post by **bravedave** » August 31, 2007 11:18 am

Griz wrote:Nutmeg, I was born and raised here in Maryland just over the DC border.
Fall's a great time for the museums. The town is still kickin' but the bulk of the tourists come in the spring and summer.
Native American is really good, but IMHO, only if you are into that kind of thing. I think most folks would say the other Smithsonians are more interesting. The Zoo is also part of the Smithsonian and has a really good Panda exhibit. I have heard mixed reviews of the spy museum. again,, if it's your thing...
DC has TONS of restaurants. Whatcha lookin for? Clyde's in Georgetown and the Old Ebbit Grill near the White House are a couple of my favorites but there's a good Hard Rock near Ford's Theatre, great Irish pubs, some good seafood spots on DC's waterfront and in "Old town" Alexandria Virginia. You could hit there after seeing Mount Vernon.. another personal fav. An evening dinner cruise on the Dandy is a tad pricey but worth it.
The "Tour mobile" is a great way to get around to see all the monuments.
I'd also suggest catching a show at the Kennedy Center, the Warner or music at Wolftrap or the Birchmere. Check out the city guide in the Washington Post.. really good. http://www.washingtonpost.com/

All good information here. I would listen to this guys' opinion. (And I have lived around DC my whole life.) Can't go wrong with seafood or an Irish pub in DC.

My favorite restaurant, however, is Jaleo. It's a cool urban take on a Spanish-style tapas restaurant. The original location is at 7th and D streets downtown, but now there are two more, in Bethesda and Crystal City (Arlington).

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » August 31, 2007 11:28 am

I'd have to say go to the spy museum during the day on a weekday. I think that place gets pretty crowded on weekends. I believe you need tickets for that. The Native American museum shouldn't be as bad. Wouldn't be too worried about timing for that but weekends are sure to be busier. I definately recommend the Holocaust Museum if you haven't been before.

I agree with Griz's dining suggestions. If you're looking to spend some $$$ on food, I recommend Bobby Vans near the White House. There's a place called Chef Geoff's that I really like across from Warner Theater and Kinkeads over near the World Bank. Lots of good dining in the Dupont Circle area too. Old Town Alexandria is very nice to walk around and eat. The Dandy cruise is nice for a romantic type of cruise. The Spirit of Washington is a bigger boat and more lively, but leaves from a lousy area. If you like steak, there's a place right across the water in Arlington called Ray's the Steaks that is excellent.

Griz · Post by **Griz** » August 31, 2007 12:26 pm

Forgot to mention Washingtonian Magazine: http://www.washingtonian.com/index.html
A really good area resource.. Check out the restaurants and "Cheap eats section,, (Five Guys!!! (Griz does his best Homer,,,Yuuummmmm))
AND the rooftop "Sky Terrace" at the Hotel Washington.. worth it even for just a beer.
http://www.hotelwashington.com/dining.php

There's 3 or 4 Potomac cruises and lots of other things to do on or around the Potomac. One of the more overlooked monuments is Teddy Roosevelt's on Roosevelt Island across from the Kennedy Center.. great, very tame hikes
BTW "Potomac" is from the Native American word, Potowamecke meaning meeting place. George Washington named the canal that he built on the Virginia side the Potowamecke.. still remnants at Great Falls Va. The C&O Canal is a National Park on the Maryland side. Another great resource, http://www.nps.gov/state/dc/

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » August 31, 2007 1:02 pm

freaky4tiki wrote:
nutmeg wrote:Planning a brief trip to DC this fall. We want to see the Native American Museum and the Spy museum. Does anyone have any suggestions about the best days of week/times of day to visit the museums?

Haven't decided on weekday or weekend trip...either way it will be combined with one of my hubby's business trips.

Any great restaurant suggestions?
I'd say go early in the morning or late in the afternoon (after 2 or so) because of all the school groups that populate DC during the school year. Don't forget the Air and Space Museum or the Natural History Museum. Shoot, you could spend days at the Smithsonian. Tons of art museums and the Holocaust Museum is supposed to be fantastic (if you're up for that). There used to be Polo matches on the weekends. I haven't been in a long time, but that's a good time too.

have fun!

FOOD! there are a gazillion ethnic places to eat-- very cool!

Ackkk! It will be a cold day somewhere hot before I step foot into the Air and Space museum again

Technology is NOT my thing...While I fly frequently, I don't really relish it or planes. I felt like we were there for days since my hubby was fascinated by every exhibit...I shoulda brought a book

I'm also waaay to sensitive to go to the Holocaust museum...It would prolly take me months to climb out of the depression that would send me into.

Forgot about the school groups. Thanks for the suggesion.

No matter what we do, I'm sure we'll have fun!

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » August 31, 2007 1:22 pm

my folks went to the Native American museum last fall and loved it. they spent a good 1/2 day or more there.

they also went to the new air and space museum annex out at dulles airport and were sorry they couldn't spend 3 days there. there's a shuttle that runs back and forth from the smithsonian museums in the "city" out to the annex...

green1 · Post by **green1** » August 31, 2007 1:36 pm

nutmeg wrote:Ackkk! It will be a cold day somewhere hot before I step foot into the Air and Space museum again Technology is NOT my thing...While I fly frequently, I don't really relish it or planes. I felt like we were there for days since my hubby was fascinated by every exhibit...I shoulda brought a book

I'm also waaay to sensitive to go to the Holocaust museum...It would prolly take me months to climb out of the depression that would send me into.

Forgot about the school groups. Thanks for the suggesion.

No matter what we do, I'm sure we'll have fun!

Go to the Natural History Museum and spend your time in the precious gems exhibit. Royal jewels, the Hope Diamond etc. etc.

Then you can drop hints to your husband, word it that you deserve something like this (pointing at the necklace) as a reward for the trip to Air & Space.

Griz · Post by **Griz** » August 31, 2007 1:52 pm

One more.. http://www.si.edu/
Smithsonean Institute.. Unfortunately one of the best, American History with it's Ruby Slippers, Archie's Chair, the Star Spangled Banner etc,,, is closed til Summer 2008.. You'll just have to come back!

The Air Space Annex is cool if just to see the Shuttle and a Blackbird. It's a long ways out from town though. If you fly in to Dulles, you'll see its tower as you land.

green1 · Post by **green1** » August 31, 2007 2:15 pm

Griz wrote:One more.. http://www.si.edu/
Smithsonean Institute.. Unfortunately one of the best, American History with it's Ruby Slippers, Archie's Chair, the Star Spangled Banner etc,,, is closed til Summer 2008.. You'll just have to come back!

The Air Space Annex is cool if just to see the Shuttle and a Blackbird. It's a long ways out from town though. If you fly in to Dulles, you'll see its tower as you land.

But they have set up some of the American History exhibits in Air & Space. See, it's calling you back.

jonesbeach10 · Post by **jonesbeach10** » August 31, 2007 5:28 pm

Seeing the DC Monuments is awesome at night, but it IS a walk since there is only a subway stop by the Washington Monument, but not by the Lincoln Memorial (Smithsonian, I think). Either way, try to use Metro Subway if you can. Driving the city is tough and the subway is sooo easy. Also at night, you can't go up to the top of the Washington Monument, which has timed tickets (free though, I think).

The Spy Museum is really cool, but it's a lot of reading. It does get crowded though and you do have to buy tickets. I think you can buy tickets on Ticketmaster if you want. You just have to know when you want to go during the day because they are timed as well.

The Holocaust Museum is fantastic, though really sobering so be prepared.

Georgetown is really good for eating and shopping as well, but again, no subway stop.

When you're picking hotels, the western half of the city seems in my experience to be safer and staying in towns like Bethesda, Rosslyn, Arlington, Alexandria, Pentagon City, and Crystal City are a safe bet. I've stayed in hotels in east DC, and there's been bulletproof glass between me and the desk receptionist.

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