rdugirl

I am taking my son to DC in mid Jan to see the Georgetown/PITT basketball game. We will be staying at the Quincy (1823 L Street). We are flying from RDU to BWI. Looks like we have several options to get from BWI to downtown DC. Driving isn't an option. Looking for option that will get us closest to our hotel but won't take a lot of time. We arrive on a Tuesday, early afternoon, and the game isn't until Wed night. Any suggestions on things not to miss and any great places to eat (thinking secret gems that the locals love and the tourists wouldn't know about). I know the obvious places to visit, but with limited time, not sure which are must see? My son is 16 1/2 and is interested in history, sports, and takes a certain interest in big city life and the socioeconomic differences that go along with it.

Thanks guys!

tchoiniere

Given the limited amount of time, I would just concentrate on the monuments - depending on weather. You could spend all day just going thru the monuments. Alternatively, you could do a night tour of the monuments on Tuesday night when you get there and then pick a Smithsonian to do on Wed. This might even be your better option as you stay with a bus so if its cold, you will have some shelter between monuments.

I would look at the Smithsonian website but my favorite was the Air & Space or the Portrait Gallery.

europeannovice

If you want to see the monuments, there is a great tour group that operates on tips only--it meets near the smithsonian and is called dcbyfoot. They have a website for exact meeting location and they give a two hour walking tour of the monuments. It was a lot fun.

vjpblovesitaly

"Looking for option that will get us closest to our hotel but won't take a lot of time"

Car service or taxi

bardo1

I can't decide what way to get you from plane to hotel. It's up to you. A $60 taxi is quickest and easiest. The B30 bus and then transferring to a Metro (and then transferring from the Green line to either the Red or Blue/Orange) to your hotel is cheaper but takes more time and you have to schlep your luggage around a lot.


The Quincy is conveniently located close to two different Metro lines: 1)Red Line (Farragut North stop - L st. exit) and 2) Blue/Orange line (Farragut West stop - 18th st. exit). See the this map - arrows in black box is Farrragut West escalator entrance and arrow in gray box is Farragut North escalator entrance. The Quincy Hotel shows as a red box on L st. between 17th & 19th.

Take the RED line (Farragut North) to get to and from the basketball game from your hotel.

http://www.stationmasters.com/System.../farragtw.html

It's hard to recommend places to eat without knowing what neighborhoods you'll be in at various mealtimes, but here's some ideas.

Close to your hotel and inexpensive:
http://www.cffolksrestaurant.com/ (m-f lunch only, note hours)

http://www.javagreen.net/ (on 19th st. - don't let the word vegan scare you, I am a huge meat fan, but still LOVE this place)

http://www.famousluigis.com/ (get the pizza, though the whole menu is OK.

Vapiano 1800 M Street N.W. (European chain of Italian casual and inexpensive. Everything is good, save room for dessert. Wines are a particularly good value - http://www.vapiano.com/



The Corner Bakery directly across L st. from your hotel has a very good breakfast that will satisfy the hungriest teen (or a simple croissant, fresh squeezed OJ, and espresso for Mom).

Close to Verizon Center (GTOWN/PITT game):
There are a gazillion restaurants by the stadium, the highest concentration of them being on 7th St. between D st. and I st.

http://www.jaleo.com/ (reserve if possible, otherwise wait - this place is also close to the National Mall. Go, go, GO!)

http://www.matchboxdc.com/ (no reservations - go early and wait for your table, worth the wait)

http://www.zaytinya.com/ (reserve if possible, otherwise it's worth the wait for a table)

http://www.oyamel.com/ (Simply the BEST Mexican food around - not cheap, but not too expensive. Reserve.)

Let me know what your plans are for your free time (Capitol? Zoo? Nat'l Gallery? Air & Space?) and I can help with good places close to other places where you will be.

bardo1

Meant to include this - http://www.wmata.com/bus/b30_brochure.cfm

yestravel

great info from bardo1. he's off on the taxi fare. It will cost upwards of $60

rdugirl

Yikes! Upwards of $60. We shouldn't have to much luggage to carry around since it is a short trip. Maybe the B30 bus and then a taxi to hotel? What about the MARC? It says on BWI that it connects BWI to Union Station in DC? Amtrak?

Bardo...THANK YOU so much for all the great restauant suggestions! Also like the idea of taking a bus tour of monuments as I'm sure weather will be cold. Any other non-monument ideas welcome. Georgetown?

vjpblovesitaly

Taking the B30 bus to Greenbelt station and then a taxi to the hotel wouldn't make much sense. You could take Metrorail into DC and then a taxi.

It it is a weekday, you could take MARC to Union Station and then a taxi to the hotel. Anyday you can take Amtrak to Union Station and a taxi to the hotel.

You have to take a shuttle from BWI to the BWI train station for MARC or Amtrak.

You can probably find the prices on the ground transportation page of BWI's website.

bardo1

The reason the B30 is there is to connect BWI to the Metrorail system. To use it, you would take the B30 bus from BWI to the Greenbelt Metro station and then take Metro from Greenbelt to the Farragut North (or Farragut West) Metro station. From either of the two Farragut stations it's just a few blocks walk to your hotel.

If you prefer MARC, here's the schedule:
http://mta.maryland.gov/services/mar...nn_Aug2010.pdf
The MARC trains are $6 per person one-way from BWI to Union Station. Get your ticket at the BWI MARC train station (or on board for an extra $3). After arriving at Union Station, transfer to the Metro (get your Metro tickets inside the Union Station Metro Station) and take the Red line to Farragut North and then walk the two blocks to your hotel.

You'll probably use Metro more than you think. I would load up your Metro cards with at least $10 each so you are not constantly having to refill it.

It's tough to recommend things to do without knowing your interests, but here are some of my favorites.

1) National Gallery of Art, both East and West wings. One of the top 5 in the world, IMO.
2) Holocaust Memorial Museum - top notch, very well done.
3) National Zoo, I am not typical but I love it in colder weather, especially between 8 and 10 am when all the animals are out and active.
4) Smithsonian American History Museum

Have you looked at Fodor's?
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-am...washington-dc/

Georgetown's main attraction for tourists is that it has a lot of high-end shopping. If that appeals, you can take a DC Circulator bus. Near your hotel, you would catch it at 19th & K and exit at Wisc. Ave. & M st. in Georgetown. Fare is $1 per ride.
http://www.dccirculator.com/index.ph...d=21&Itemid=22

yestravel

I would agree with vjb about the B30 bus -- it makes more sense to take either Amtrak or the Marc train to Union station in DC and either use the Redline metro from Union Station to your hotel or take a taxi to your hotel.

Agree that Georgetown has a bunch of stores and many/most are chains the same as in any town. Some restaurants and lots of college students hanging out in the evenings.

obxgirl

You said you were arriving on a Tuesday so I'd take the MARC option and the metro to your hotel. If you do load a metro card, it bears reminding that exposure to a cell phone will fry the card. That is a concept my teenage daughter continues not to grasp.

What ever mode of transportation you take to get into DC, you're going to be at the tail end of the museum day even if you just toss your luggage into the hotel room. Nighttime monument tours are a good choice. Art wasn't on your list but the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museums stay open until 7 pm. The NPG has a few exhibits of contemporary sports, political and entertainment figures that might be of interest to your son. These two places are in Penn Quarter which is where you'll be going to the basketball game on Wed evening.

But given his interests in history and sports I'd add the Newseum (across the street from the National Gallery) to your list of possible places to visit on Wednesday. Newseum charges an admission fee, well worth it IMO, though for no admission fee you can easily spend the day on the National Mall with the museums and galleries there.

If you eat near the Verizon Ctr on Wed, choose a place that takes bookings. Bardo's suggestions are great but they are popular restaurants that will be very busy before the game.

bardo1

A strong second to the Newseum idea, but plan on 3 hours or so there to get your money's worth (unlike all the other suggestions above, it's not free ($20 for you plus $13 for your son). Highly recommended, but with all the free Smithsonian options, just make sure it's what you want.

http://www.newseum.org/index.html

GeorgeW

bardo's suggestions are excellent. Take his advice.

longhorn55

While I normally suggest folks see the free Smithsonian musuems before they go to any of the "pay" museums (International Spy Museum, Newseum, etc.), based on your son's interests, I think that he might really enjoy the Newseum more than some of the Smithsonians. I've been there twice and I think it's one of the best museums around. There is an exhibit now of the photographs of Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss, Jr. that are fantastic (and I'm not even a sports fan). There are lots of great exhibits and films. (Don't miss "Press Box: the History of Sports Reporting", but you might want to give a pass to "I-Witness", the 3-D movie. I found it a bit juvenile.)
If you are here on a Saturday or Sunday, there's a "2-for-1" Early Bird special if you buy your tickets before 11 am. Also, all tickets are good for 2 consecutive days, which comes in handy because I think you'll want to spend a lot of time there. (I spent 8 hours over 2 days on my first visit and around 4 hours on my second visit.)
But, as bardo recommends, check out the websites for the Smithsonians and the Newseum first to make sure that it's what you want before you spend that money on admission.

circusliz

You can also take the Super Shuttle from the airport to your hotel. For two people it should be about $45.