Washington DC/Alexandria VA

[gumbo gal]

We are planning a trip to DC next June, staying in Old Town Alexandria VA.

Anyone have any insider tips of Must-see's while we are there? any parrothead places to eat/drink? fun places the keets would enjoy (ages 8 and 12)

any and all info is greatly appreciated!

thanks and have a Buffetty day!

[LIPH]

I stayed in Old Town the last time I was down that way but it was about 5 years ago and I'm old so I don't remember too much about it. In DC, I'd definitely go to the Air & Space Museum, but then I am a space cadet.

[gumbo gal]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

[bravedave]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

[green1]

They just reopened the Museum of American History after a major renovation. The Star Spangled Banner is back on display and showing the side that has not been seen for decades. Call your congressman/sentor and see if you can get passes or a tour of the Senate, House or even the White House. Holocaust museum if you can bear it, is worth it but very moving. Definitely check out the Spy Museum there is stuff for the kids to do there as well.

In Old Town there is a restaurant called King Street Blues, intersection of King Street and St. Asaph street. Fun atmosphere for kids, good food and some good live music. Call ahead and they will tell you if/when bands will be playing. Could be loud though. Bilbo Baggins is another neat restaurant off the beaten path.

[Hockey Mon]

Ah, Old Town. I use to live down there when I was young and single. So, most of my (drunken) memories are related to what bars to go to.

June will be a great time to go; you can walk around in the evening. King Street is the main drag with various shops that you and your kids may or may not enjoy. You can take King Street down to the waterfront. If you turn right at the end of King onto S. Union and go a block or two, there is a Ben and Jerrys. The kids will probably like that. There are various places to eat up and down King Street. I like King Street Blues which has decent food, a few beers on tap and I think a neat place. There is Murphy's Irish Bar/Restaurant which is exactly what is sounds like. There are some fancy places to but you probably don't want to drag the keets there. There is also a bar/restaurant that is owned by an ex-Capitals hockey player and has lots of hockey games on TV (big suprise I know that). I don't remember anything really parrothead-y.

As for what to see in DC, jeez, that's an open-ended question. They just finished renovating the Smithsonian American history so that might be neat to visit. Of course, you can pick a Smithsonian, any Smithsonian, and visit them. Air and Space, Natural history, art, whatever tickles your fancy. You could also take the Metro to the National Zoo and visit that for a change of pace. If you have a car, you can drive out to Chantilly and visit the Air and Space annex which is *awesome*.

Bring you patience cap! Lots of people start rolling for tourist season. And there is no reasoning with tourist season(ing) or someting like that.

[FunkHouse9]

As for Buffety places, Mango Mike's on Duke Street is the best thing I know of in the DC area. It's on Duke Street which is just a couple blocks from the main Old Town road (King St.) but it's far enough down Duke St. that you'd need a car, bus or cab. It's not walking distance. If you want Buffetty, it's worth a stop.
www.mangomikes.com

Must Do's In DC (In my opinion):
The Air & Space, the American History and the Natural History museums are very safe bets. Make a quick stop at the National Archives and see the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall is very near the National Mall but you could very easily miss it. Look for it! The Holocaust Museum (not on the Mall) is really an incredible place. I was truly moved after going there and highly recommend paying it a visit. You may need advance tickets for that.

Should Do's (IMO):
The International Spy Museum (not Smithsonian and thus not free) would be good for the kids and adults. The National Zoo is quite nice. A stroll through Georgetown perhaps. Spend a little time at Arlington National Cemetery which isn't far from Old Town and while you're over in that direction, make quick stops to peek at the Pentagon and the Iwo Jima memorial.

Don't Do's:
I would not suggest Mount Vernon (George Washington's Home) unless you have a lot of time to kill or you're really interested in that. It's down the road from Alexandria, but out of the way enough that your time would be better spent on other things. It's an easy recommendation from people if you're in Alexandria. Old Town has ghost tours, but if you're not around here very often, you're also better off spending your time on significant things rather than time killers. Although I haven't actually been there, I'd skip the DC Aquarium. I've lived here my entire life and only know it exists because I've driven past it many times. I believe if it was worth going to, I'd know of someone who had gone already, which I don't.

[gumbo gal]

Thanks for the quick responses everyone....lots of cool stuff here I want to go check out. Keep the ideas coming!

[green1]

As for Buffety places, Mango Mike's on Duke Street is the best thing I know of in the DC area. It's on Duke Street which is just a couple blocks from the main Old Town road (King St.) but it's far enough down Duke St. that you'd need a car, bus or cab. It's not walking distance. If you want Buffetty, it's worth a stop.
www.mangomikes.com

Must Do's In DC (In my opinion):The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall is very near the National Mall but you could very easily miss it. Look for it!

Forgot about Mango Mike's. Good call, but as Funk said, it is a drive to, not walk to place.

The wall is on the mall just before you reach the Lincoln Memorial, and directly across the reflecting pool from the Korean War Memorial, which is haunting in it's own way.

[chippewa]

The annex of the Air/Space museum is on the grounds of Dulles Airport. No trains go out there, but a bus does. Really, I'd recommend driving if you have a car, it's an easy drive. And a neat museum to see, too.

You can't miss having fun in Old Town, a similar neighborhood in D.C. would be Adams Morgan. Lots of funky restaurants and clubs, accessible by the Metro.

D.C. is great with kids, pretty cheap since so much to see is free. FunkHouse gave some great tips, I'll add a couple more.

recently opened Newseum. (also not free)

The keets will want to go up in the Washington Monument (and you, too, it's a great view). Free, but you'll need to send someone to get your timed tickets early in the morning. They'll give you a ticket with a time that you can come back and gain entry. You can also pay a small fee and reserve ahead of time.
http://www.nps.gov/wamo/planyourvisit/f ... ations.htm

For a lunch with something different than run-of-the-mill cafeteria food, grab a bite at the National Museum of the American Indian. Good stuff.
review here

FYI, some of the Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall are massive. You can easily spend all morning in one, all afternoon in another, and only skim the surface. Make sure you plan enough time, or plan on seeing the "highlights" of each and move on to another site. Smithsonian Museums are only open till 5 or 5:30, I believe.

[FunkHouse9]

You can't miss having fun in Old Town, a similar neighborhood in D.C. would be Adams Morgan. Lots of funky restaurants and clubs, accessible by the Metro.

Adams Morgan is a cool place, but I'm not sure I'd take kids there, particularly after dark. I don't think it's as safe at night as it used to be.

[RinglingRingling]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

you can get to Georgetown.. just requires a combination of Metro and a cab. and some walking.

[bravedave]

As for Buffety places, Mango Mike's on Duke Street is the best thing I know of in the DC area. It's on Duke Street which is just a couple blocks from the main Old Town road (King St.) but it's far enough down Duke St. that you'd need a car, bus or cab. It's not walking distance. If you want Buffetty, it's worth a stop.
www.mangomikes.com

The Birchmere: premier live music venue in Alexandria. Look for Alison Krauss, The Seldom Scene, Asleep at the Wheel, as well as nationally known live acts. Specializing in acoustic/folk/bluegrass

[aeroparrot]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

you can get to Georgetown.. just requires a combination of Metro and a cab. and some walking.

If they are willing to use the buses, I think the 30's goes down Wisconsin Ave. Where is islandguy (I think it's him) when you need him? I know he's in school down there.

[Jollymom21]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

you can get to Georgetown.. just requires a combination of Metro and a cab. and some walking.

If they are willing to use the buses, I think the 30's goes down Wisconsin Ave. Where is islandguy (I think it's him) when you need him? I know he's in school down there.

Hopefully he's studying his little heart out!!

Everything mentioned so far is on target.

Even though you have to pay for Newseum and Spy Museum, they're both well worth it.

At the Spy Museum you have an option of the normal tour &/or the interactive "be a spy" tour. Both are really good. There's an age limit for the "be a spy" but I think your kids are old enough -- that was really fun for both kids and adults.

[aeroparrot]

You can't miss having fun in Old Town, a similar neighborhood in D.C. would be Adams Morgan. Lots of funky restaurants and clubs, accessible by the Metro.

Adams Morgan is a cool place, but I'm not sure I'd take kids there, particularly after dark. I don't think it's as safe at night as it used to be.

There is a funky bar named Madame's Organ (seriously) and no, it's not THAT type of place. It's near Florida Ave I think. It's a jazz place.

Loreal Plaza (sp???) is a good Mexican place there.

[aeroparrot]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

you can get to Georgetown.. just requires a combination of Metro and a cab. and some walking.

If they are willing to use the buses, I think the 30's goes down Wisconsin Ave. Where is islandguy (I think it's him) when you need him? I know he's in school down there.

Hopefully he's studying his little heart out!!

Everything mentioned so far is on target.

Even though you have to pay for Newseum and Spy Museum, they're both well worth it.

At the Spy Museum you have an option of the normal tour &/or the interactive "be a spy" tour. Both are really good. There's an age limit for the "be a spy" but I think your kids are old enough -- that was really fun for both kids and adults.

Didn't like the Spy Museum that much. It was good but ok.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Take a moment for Arlington National Cemetery. Makes you think....

[jonesbeach10]

Thanks Larry! The Air & Space museum is definitely on the list.

and you are not old, age ain't nothin' but a number. think of yourself as a fine wine which is only better as it ages

There are different locations of the Air and Space Museum. The original building (on the Mall, Independence Avenue side) is a great place to visit, but there is another location, some distance from downtown DC, named the Udvar-Hazy (annex or whatever). I have yet to visit this outlying location, but its size and structure were designed to hold aircraft too big for the downtown location. You will need a car to get there.

Metro (the DC subway) is a great way to get around DC and nearby areas*, but there are some places not served by Metro (historic Georgetown is the first that comes to mind)

*Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring are the only places immediately adjacent to DC you may really want to visit.

you can get to Georgetown.. just requires a combination of Metro and a cab. and some walking.

If they are willing to use the buses, I think the 30's goes down Wisconsin Ave. Where is islandguy (I think it's him) when you need him? I know he's in school down there.

Hopefully he's studying his little heart out!!

Everything mentioned so far is on target.

Even though you have to pay for Newseum and Spy Museum, they're both well worth it.

At the Spy Museum you have an option of the normal tour &/or the interactive "be a spy" tour. Both are really good. There's an age limit for the "be a spy" but I think your kids are old enough -- that was really fun for both kids and adults.

I'm here. I'm here.
I'm jonesbeach10 over on this site. Island guy over on Spooner's Shows.

I'll echo what everyone else has said. It's all good advice. I love the DC Metro. Basically as a student, I have not felt the need to have a car here in DC. My motto is that if the Metro and Buses can't get me where I need to go, then it's not worth going there.

The Spy Museum and Newseum are awesome, although you do have to pay.
The American History Museum just reopened. Haven't been there, but I want to go. Air and Space is pretty cool. Vietnam, as someone else mentioned is really powerful but sorta hidden away. It's next to Lincoln Memorial. If you look down at the Lincoln from the Washington Monument, it's to the right of Lincoln, and the Korean War Memorial is on the left. Also the World War II Memorial is very well done. It's located between the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. My only suggestion if you go to the monuments, bring a good pair of walking shoes. There aren't any Metro stops by the Lincoln Memorial, and the reflecting pool is longer than you think. Also parking near each memorial is pretty poor. If you do go during the day, I'd suggest taking the Metro to Smithsonian (near Washington Mon.), bringing a backpack with granola bars and waters, and some good walking shoes, and be ready for a long walk. Also, another cool thing to do is to go to the monuments at night. They are all lit up and there are a lot less people around, and yes it's safe.

Also, you'll just miss the Cherry Blossom Festival around the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial, but that area is still very pretty, and I really like the Jefferson Memorial.

The National Zoo is also great, especially for the kids. They'll love the pandas. It's part of the Smithsonian, so it's free!

If you want, write your representative and ask for tickets to take a tour of the Capitol Building. That takes some planning in advance in regards to time, date, etc. but it's well worth it.

Georgetown, DuPont Circle, and downtown near the Verizon Center are all have great places to eat. Ben's Chili Bowl on U St. is a DC establishment. Best chili cheese fries and milkshakes I've ever had.

As for hotels, I've found the western part of the city (and suburbs) are generally nicer. Areas like Bethesda, MD, Friendship Heights, Rosslyn, Alexandria, Arlington, and Crystal City are all safe areas. The one time I ever stayed in a hotel in the eastern half of the city (Takoma Park), there was bulletproof glass at the front desk.

[jonesbeach10]

Also, Nationals Park is a beautiful place to watch a baseball game. Upper deck tickets are really cheap, and I think they let you bring in your own food (food there is expensive). The sight lines from the upper deck are great, and you even get great views of the Capitol and Washington Monument.

And go to the National Cathedral at the corner of Mass Ave. and Wisconsin Ave. The building is awesome, the tour is pretty insightful, and go to the top of the towers for the best view of the city!