login
Washington DC Vacation Help
-
No new posts
|
 2010-05-27 4:52 AM |
 Lakeland, Florida |  Subject: Washington DC Vacation HelpLooking for a little help from people in the area. I am doing Eagleman 70.3, then spending the following week vacationing in DC....never been there before. Lodging My thoughts here are to stay at a hotel near a subway on the outskirts and travel in each day. I was looking for a nice hotel within walking distance of station to save parking fees at the station, but in some of the hotels I have found...its not worth $200 / night at a hotel when I could stay a little farther out, pay $100 / night and then $8/day parking at station. Willing to stay any outskirt from Maryland to Virginia....just dont want to spend tons time traveling to and from DC every day. Any thoughts on location? What about a location where me and wife could get 1hr rides done (not on roads, we prefer paved cycle trails). DC Attractions What are the top 5 or 10 things we should make sure to see in the area(s)? We will be there for 4 days and I figure thats not really enough to see everything, so I am trying to prioritize the things that can't be missed. Thanks in advance for your help!!!! Robby |
| 2010-05-27 5:18 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
Expert  1099  Broadlands | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help ok, for hotels I'm not so sure, you could stay around the Herndon / Reston area Bus/Metro from town, but there really isn't much there so you will have to go into town, but the hotels are pretty reasonable that far out (40 minutes). someone else will probably have better ideas on where to stay. But as for where to ride and what to do. Ride: definitely hit the W&OD trail - http://www.wodfriends.org/map1.html runs from just about Alexandria out to Purceville. The trail is paved cycle/running path, free from traffic. the trail does cross roads at points along the way so watch out for some interruptions, but the majority is long, rolling trail, water stops and rest stops along the way too. cannot stress how nice this trail is for riding, enjoy it. As for what to see. this depends on your likes, the Museums in town are pretty good (natural history is great), the Air and Space museum out just south of Dulles Airport is simply awesome if you're into that ( I am and can spend hours in that place), air and space in town is not as good, so it's worth taking the trip out to Air and Space by the Airport IMO. The SO and I took the kids on the DC Duck tour, was pretty amusing (aqua bus that tours the town and enters the Potomac to take a tour downstream) you get to see a lot of the town, pick up some history and see places like the Pentagon etc. If you get time and it's a nice day, spend some time in the park area by the monument, it's great to get a little training run around the park and run past all the monuments/memorials. Also, Arlington Cemetery is an amazing place to visit (sounds odd to say) but it's very humbling and emotional. If you go to the main Rail station there is a bus tour outside, one of them charges a day fee and runs a tour that circles a route around town, the bus continues to circle and provide the tour all day and you can hop on and off at your leisure, it's a good way to get around the town, I think the bus comes round every 30 to 45 minutes, so you can choose to spend whatever time you like at each stop and grab the bus as it comes round. Hopefully that gives you some ideas. have fun and enjoy the capitol :-) Oh there is obviously a little White House place in the middle of all of the town, always worth a quick look and perhaps a piccy or two :-) |
| 2010-05-27 7:26 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
Pro 6767   the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help I like the Smithsonian museums, which are all free. The National Zoo is also free, but if you have the time and inclination, I would rather drive to Baltimore and pay for the Aquarium. My last trip we went to the Spy museum, which is not free, but was worth the cost of admission. |
| 2010-05-27 7:39 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| 2010-05-27 7:46 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
Veteran 1097 Elizabethtown, KY | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Another not-free museum that's worth the price: The Newseum. On to the other questions. When we visited DC over spring break, we stayed with Friends in Alexandria, just down from the Franconia metro terminal. We rode the metro every day, save one, to the mall area. The one day we didn't was when we went to the National Cathredal and the National Zoo, both of which aren't near a metro (train) stop. You're right to use the mass transit system. Driving out of DC that evening was . . . . fun. The whole "NoVA" area is just a runner and biker's paradise. There seem to be a multi-use path adjacent to nearly every major road, and you'll see bikers and runners everywhere you go. |
| 2010-05-27 7:50 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
Champion 9060 Charlottesville, Virginia | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Looking around in Arlington, there is the Key Bridge Holiday Inn, 170ish a night, right across the river from georgetown, and 2-3 blocks away from Metro Station on Orange and Blue Line. |
 2010-05-27 9:30 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2010-05-27 9:47 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Lafayette, CO | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help My favorites: Roosevelt Monument WWII Monument American History Air and Space Holocaust Natural History Trolley Tour Library of Congress On my list for the next time I'm there: American Indian Spy |
| 2010-05-27 9:56 AM in reply to: #2885660 |
Champion 10018 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help My list: Newseum (WORTH COST) I like staying in Crystal City, but that's not very good for biking Edited by BikerGrrrl 2010-05-27 9:57 AM |
| 2010-05-27 10:07 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Alpharetta, Georgia Bronze member | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help I did this exact same thing after Kansas 70.3 a few years ago... just a warning you will be walking A LOT, so wear your comfy shoes.  We splurged and stayed at a kind of swank hotel, so no advice there. But the things we did that I really enjoyed: Washington Monument - just know you have to stand in line early in the morning to get tickets for any point in that day. We tried to go in the afternoon and they laughed at us, since all of the tickets are distributed so early in the day. So explore this before the day you want to go so you can know when to get in line. Vietnam Memorial WW2 Memorial Arlington Cemetetary Air & Space Museum Lincoln Memorial National Archives This also looks like a good resource: http://washington.org/ |
| 2010-05-27 10:31 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Extreme Veteran 360 San Luis Obispo County, CA | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Bethesda has some decent hotels (Doubletree, American, Residence, Courtyard), and tons of great restaurants. All within 5 minutes of the metro, except the Marriot on Pooks Hill Rd. From Bethesda, you have access to the Capital Crescent Trail, which can hook you up (eventually) with the WOD, and much closer the C&O canal trail, which is dirt/crushed gravel. Also, you can easily access Rock Creek Park Trail from Bethesda. Portions of Beech Road are closed to traffic on weekends, but there is also a bike/walking path. 10 minutes north on the redline is White Flint. The North Bethesda Marriott is a good hotel right across the street from the Metro Station. You can also access the above trails from White Flint. The next stop up is Twinbrook. There is the Hilton, and the Legacy Hotel, both within minutes of the station. A little closer in are the hotels in Chevy Chase at the Friendship Heights station. Embassy Suites and a Holiday Inn. Some good restaurants around there as well. Hotwire frequently has deals at the hotels in Bethesda, and also the Hilton near Dupont Circle. Lots of great places to eat in the Dupont Circle area. I've stayed at all the hotels I've mentioned since I used to travel here frequently before I moved here. Good luck with your visit and Eagleman. |
| 2010-05-27 10:33 AM in reply to: #2885316 |
| Elite 3395 Raleigh | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help roch1009 - 2010-05-27 8:46 AM The National Zoo is right near the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro. The red line continues North, and the Cathedral is only a little bit West of it on Wisconsin Ave. I would guess that Cleveland Park might be the closest. A very short cab ride away.Another not-free museum that's worth the price: The Newseum. On to the other questions. When we visited DC over spring break, we stayed with Friends in Alexandria, just down from the Franconia metro terminal. We rode the metro every day, save one, to the mall area. The one day we didn't was when we went to the National Cathredal and the National Zoo, both of which aren't near a metro (train) stop. You're right to use the mass transit system. Driving out of DC that evening was . . . . fun. The whole "NoVA" area is just a runner and biker's paradise. There seem to be a multi-use path adjacent to nearly every major road, and you'll see bikers and runners everywhere you go. |
| 2010-05-27 10:43 AM in reply to: #2885857 |
| Elite 3770 | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help You are going to stay in two different hotels, right? b/c Cambridge is about 2:15 away from DC. I would recommend staying in the burbs, Bethesda is a pretty nice area to stay and is easy to walk around to get places, there is a nice public pool, a trail (can't bike too fast on it, but its bikeable) and good for running. White Flint is closer to me, and is probably cheaper, but you'll be doing more driving (and further up the line towards Shady Grove). I live 5 minutes from White Flint area and the drive is only about 2 hours to Cambridge for me. Not something to do everyday, but you could do it certainly for a day trip to DC. I heart the zoo. Best place to go for a run, since its free. Talk about scenery! The Mall is a must visit, along with Museum of American History and the Museum of Natural History. Don't forget the art museums are pretty great too! Haven't been to the Air and Space out by Dulles but all my friends have and they say its incredible.
Let me know if you need any insider MD info. |
| 2010-05-27 11:08 AM in reply to: #2885702 |
| Pro 4054 yep, | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help BikerGrrrl - 2010-05-27 10:56 AM My list: Newseum (WORTH COST) X 1023414329 Or another option are the open top buses that are pretty cool A tour of the Capitol. You cannot go alone, I don't believe. I set up a tour through my Senator's office. (but you can Tour the Capitol without the Senators office. But its just not as much info.
I'd look at staying in VA since its easier for biking. Another option is to look at maybe taking a charter Bus to DC and back. There are several locations that will take you down to DC and you can park for free. Check out possible locations here: http://mta.maryland.gov/status/index.cfm?service=Commuter%20Bus I do this for work and will save a ton on the metro parking which usually is around $4 a day which can add up. This will also allow you to stay further away from DC and still get to see the sights. |
| 2010-05-27 11:38 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Member 175 Westchester County | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help We went down there this December and got a very good price through Priceline for a downtown Washington hotel - under $90 a night per room - and we got a good breakfast thrown in for being AAA members. Hotel was a Hyatt, about 4 blocks from the National Mall. Parking was a cost issue but the public lot across teh street was not too bad, about $20 a day I think. The Newseum was great, as others have said. My 9 year old daughter could have spent two days there. Also the National Archives have some great exhibits, and it is cool to see the Declaration and the Constitution. The Magna Carta was also there but it may have traveled since December. Also, not sure about your dining needs but we had two great, and inexpensive, Ethiopian meals. Washington has some of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the country. |
| 2010-05-27 11:42 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Expert 764 | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help I did the Marine Corps Marathon and took a week off to sightsee afterward. I sayed in Arlington in a crappy, cheap hotel and reasoned that I wouldn't be in the hotel much anyway. There was a metrobus stop across the street that went to Pentagon City Mall, where I'd get on the metro and head into town. I second: Spy Museum Natural History Museum Air & Space Vietnam Memorial Holocaust Museum there's a military medical history museum near Walter Reed, but I'm a nerd about that stuff |
| 2010-05-27 11:55 AM in reply to: #2885857 |
| Veteran 1097 Elizabethtown, KY | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help DougRob - 2010-05-27 11:33 AM roch1009 - 2010-05-27 8:46 AM The National Zoo is right near the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro. The red line continues North, and the Cathedral is only a little bit West of it on Wisconsin Ave. I would guess that Cleveland Park might be the closest. A very short cab ride away.Another not-free museum that's worth the price: The Newseum. On to the other questions. When we visited DC over spring break, we stayed with Friends in Alexandria, just down from the Franconia metro terminal. We rode the metro every day, save one, to the mall area. The one day we didn't was when we went to the National Cathredal and the National Zoo, both of which aren't near a metro (train) stop. You're right to use the mass transit system. Driving out of DC that evening was . . . . fun. The whole "NoVA" area is just a runner and biker's paradise. There seem to be a multi-use path adjacent to nearly every major road, and you'll see bikers and runners everywhere you go. You're right of course, but we toured the National Cathredal first, which may be a short cab ride away, but not if you've got two families with two strollers. |
| 2010-05-27 11:59 AM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Extreme Veteran 394 Columbia, MO | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Newseum was great Smithsonians... American History one is really cool Holocaust Museum You cant go wrong with anything there. |
| 2010-05-27 12:21 PM in reply to: #2885279 |
| Champion 4835 Eat Cheese or Die | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help gearboy - 2010-05-27 7:26 AM My last trip we went to the Spy museum, which is not free, but was worth the cost of admission. I'll add another vote for the spy museum. Very entertaining. In college (I went to school about 2 hours from DC and my sister went to school in DC) my buddies and I spend a day taking pictures of us mooning all the major monuments. While frowned upon, it's a good time  Edited by graceful_dave 2010-05-27 12:27 PM |
| 2010-05-27 12:27 PM in reply to: #2885599 |
| Champion 4835 Eat Cheese or Die | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help AcesFull - 2010-05-27 9:30 AM I think the Holocaust Museum is the most thought out, best organized, most moving experience there is in DC. It is not for the faint of heart or for young children.
My friend and I dropped our GF's off at the Holocaust museum and we went looking for bike shops (yes, I sight see by going to bike shops in different cities) we got lost and saw the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, GW Univeristy and 3 shops. My wife and her friend spent the evening crying. While I think the Holocaust is important to remember, a pivotal time in world history, ect... I'll take my bike shop tour over being depressed the rest of the day. I also want to add a vote for the C&O canal being great for riding/running. |
| 2010-05-27 12:50 PM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Master 2485 Atlanta, Georgia | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Might be worth checking out VRBO.com(Vacation Rental by Owner) or one of the similar sites..My guess is there would be condos in the district available and almost always cheaper than hotels, esp. if you need more than one bedroom. |
| 2010-05-27 1:41 PM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Member 143 Oklahoma City, OK | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help Our family of four went to DC over Spring Break. Stayed in Arlington, VA at the Arlington Court Hotel, which was awesome. One block from the Metro, and the rates were reasonable. Part of the hotel is a converted apartment complex, so we got a two bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, and three TV's for the same as regular hotels that were closer in. Bought a Metro pass and traveled all over town. I'm a sucker for American history, so we did it all. Of everything we did & saw, the most moving to me was St. John's Church, just across Lafeyette Square from the White House. On the back row was a pew in the corner called "Lincoln's pew". It said during the Civil War, President Lincoln would walk over from the WH on Sunday evenings and slip in after services had started. He would sit, quietly praying, then slip out before services ended and walk alone back to the WH. I actually got very emotional imagining this scene, and considering the incredible burden Lincoln carried with a country at war with itself. To picture him walking alone, before Secret Service and press corps, unnoticed and anonymous, to seek peace and guidance from the Lord. It humanized him more than anything I had ever experienced. |
| 2010-05-27 1:50 PM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Extreme Veteran 767 Rockville, MD | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help I cant really offer anything that hasnt been mentioned except for this tip: Stand to the right when on Metro's escalators! |
| 2010-05-27 3:33 PM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Member 99 South Riding, VA | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help In addition to the Smithsonian stuff mentioned above. There is an Air and Space museum annex at Dulles airport that has lots of cool stuff. Mainly an SR-71 Blackbird, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The museum is free, but parking will cost you $12, I believe there is a shuttle from the main Air and Space museum on the mall. |
| 2010-05-27 3:42 PM in reply to: #2885123 |
| Pro 5169 Burbs | Subject: RE: Washington DC Vacation Help To add to ^^ 1. If you go to the Air and Space Museum, pay to see an IMAX movie. If "TO FLY!" is playing, see that. Very cool. 2. Since you have a car, I second the drive to Baltimore to go to the Aquarium. It's amazing and I think there is a special jellyfish exhibit going on right now (which may really pertain to you since you're going E-man ). If you end up in Baltimore, let me know if you want names of good places to eat. There are a lot of restaurants in the Inner Habor area, but most are overpriced, crowded chains. Little Italy is nearby and there's some good eatin' there! |
|
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK