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Washington DC: your favorite part of your visit

Washington DC: your favorite part of your visit

Old May 26th, 2015, 05:31 AM
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Washington DC: your favorite part of your visit

Hello everyone

I live in metro DC so this is an unusual question! This is for people who visit or even those who live here.

I have a friend visiting from out of town. I have a long list of cool ideas for him to see and do - I'm pretty good at ferreting out those kinds of things. But, I live here and you know how that goes - you take things for granted or you just don't take advantage of the area.

So, I'm looking for fresh ideas (or to validate the ones I've come up with). What was your favorite part of your visit? And if you live here, what are your favorite things to do and see? What was a disappointment?

Thank you for any and all ideas!

Cheers!

ps. this goes for the parts of Virginia local to DC as well... we might not have time to go even as far as Manassas but closer in things, sure...
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Old May 26th, 2015, 06:01 AM
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I really wish you had posted some of those "cool" ideas but having lived in the area for more than 40 years our visit last month had one highlight: leaving town.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 06:15 AM
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I love the Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 06:41 AM
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A handful of ideas:

NTSB labs tour (I have an inside friend there).
Capitol tour by a staffer - better than just showing up. I know someone who works there.
White House tour - nothing insider about this, I just wrote to my Congressperson.

I am trying to find out if there is a way to attend any of Obama's speeches or other public events but that is going to be tough - it isn't like he posts those in advance. If anyone has any thoughts about this I'd be grateful.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 07:58 AM
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Thanks Janet!

I told him he'll be spending a lot of time on the Mall between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. I will be taking him on a moonlight monuments drive/walk as well...
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Old May 26th, 2015, 08:04 AM
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OK, I will share with you an idea I got here that won me points over our friends who live in DC; we visit them every year, and have a friendly competition over who can come up with something new and different to do. We lived in the area for decades, they for almost a decade, so it's getting tougher to surprise us!

The idea is, the State Department Reception Rooms. They had never even heard of them, had no idea they could be visited, and we all enjoyed seeing them immensely.

I also always recommend Hillwood, which is of course well known to locals who like that sort of thing but tends to surprise others.

Along with a visit to Dumbarton Oaks, and a stroll around upper Georgetown, I like to stop for the tour at Tudor Place, an under-appreciated historic home. We also liked Woodrow Wilson House, which seems to me also to be little known. And it can be combined with a walk around Embassy Row.

(Something I've never done is the Embassy Open House thing--that's pretty insider-y, although it's easy to do. I think it's in early spring??)
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Old May 26th, 2015, 08:09 AM
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OK, sorry to be so long-winded, but having re-read your title, our favorites from last year's visit were the docent-led tours at the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Not insider-y or secret, but we had wonderful docents who really brought those buildings alive for us and we couldn't stop talking about those tours.

The previous year, it was Lincoln's Cottage, which is little known and really lovely to visit. We combined it with a return to Ford's Theater, the next day, and really enjoyed the expanded and renovated museum across the street.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 08:11 AM
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My favorite ever was walking along the Tidal Basin during peak cherry blossom bloom.

Second favorite - walking through the MLK memorial and FDR.
http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/frde/index.htm
And of course, the Vietnam Veteran's memorial
http://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm

Third favorite - self guided driving night tour of the memorials lit up with my favorite little boy

Fourth favorite - Natural History & Air and Space museums - after giving myself permission we don't have to see "everything". On my bucket list is enough time in DC to see one museum a day.

Favorite meal - Ben's Chili Bowl
http://benschilibowl.com/

Also on the list - seeing the pandas at the National Zoo and visiting the National Cathedral

On business trips we always stayed in Alexandria, so some of my favorite "DC memories" are actually restaurants, etc. in old town Alexandria
http://www.visitalexandriava.com/abo...wn-alexandria/

Least favorite memory = the horrid heat and humidity during the summer of 1961, visiting family and just being miserable because it was so hot.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 08:21 AM
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Wow, Newbe, so awesome, thanks! I was actually hoping to hear about lesser known things - I've done all the obvious things over the years and I could certainly fill his time on the big stuff - but was hoping for a little wow factor. State Dept Reception Rooms sound like a wow thing.

I should pay better attention, but, in those reception rooms - is that where occasionally the Pres is televised - giving out awards, for instance?

And not at all re: "long-windedness". So grateful for the info. Any other thoughts? You've put a lot of thought into your visits!

I wonder if the Pentagon gives tours.. I'll check.

Gravelly Point is one of my personal favorites so I'll take him there.

starrs - indeed. I hate the heat as well. Thank you for your comments too.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 08:38 AM
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Library of Congress
Supreme Court
Walking tour of the monuments after dark

The Lincoln Memorial is my absolutely favorite place - not just for what he represents but for all of the other important events there (Marian Anderson singing there after being turned down by the dreaded DAR, MLK's I have a Dream Speech - one of the turning points of the efforts to make all amerian free and equal)
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Old May 26th, 2015, 09:27 AM
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We rented bikes twice - once on a Sunday (hardly any traffic at all in the CBD and environs) and rode from the mall to the Jefferson Memorial, to Capitol Hill, to Georgetown for lunch, and back.

Second time, we rented bikes in Georgetown and rode on the Capitol Crescent Trail to Bethesday, very pretty and fun ride.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 09:32 AM
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I grew up in Virginia and have been to DC a bunch of times but married a New Englander and have since been re-visiting all the spots.
My husband and I went to Fords Theater last summer and I think it was quite literally one of the best historical tours I've ever taken. In all the years coming to DC I had never gone and now I can't stop raving about it. The magic is in the park rangers/docents. They were knowledgable and engaging.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 09:34 AM
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It's not exactly "lesser known", but I really enjoyed the Newseum the last time I was in DC - spent almost an entire day there.

My favorite spot in DC is the Jefferson Memorial - I just love where it's situated, and it's quieter than a lot of other sites.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 10:35 AM
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You're very welcome, flygirl! It's a pleasure for me to talk about DC, always!

I bet you have seen the State Dept. reception rooms on TV, although I think the Secretary of State uses them more than the President does. What's funny about them is that they are 18th century-style rooms inside a modern (1960's or 1970's) State Department building in Foggy Bottom. If you Googled, you know you have to request to join a tour, but they do them regularly and all you have to do is sign up online. Arrive early, because the security screening can take a few minutes.

I did love seeing the MLK memorial. I think the likeness is wonderful.

I think seeing a performance at the Kennedy Center is a special thing, and you must go up on the rooftop for the view.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 10:53 AM
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On my first trip to DC, I was 19, so this was summer of 1994. The things that stand out most from that trip were visiting the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool, and visiting the Vietnam Memorial. I think that the reason these made such an impression was because of the things that had occurred there - the protests, the marches, the speeches that had taken place at the Lincoln Memorial - and how incredible it was to just be there. And the Vietnam Memorial is just powerful. Vietnam was a defining part of my parents' lives and therefore loomed large in my upbringing.

I didn't go to DC again until 2010 (since then, I've been at least 8 or 9 times for work). On that trip, the highlights were the Library of Congress tour and visiting several of the Smithsonian museums on the mall. It is just amazing to have so much of our country's history and culture in such a relatively small area and to be able to go in and see it for no charge. We spent most of a day in the Air and Space museum.

Last year, I spent a few days in DC after finishing a business trip - my husband joined me. We finally made it to the American Indian Museum and spent pretty much the entire day there. It was amazing. I find that I also enjoy exploring the neighborhoods more - now that I've seen a lot of the main museums and things, we like doing things like hanging around Dupont Circle and going to the Phillips Collection and the Wilson house. And just wandering around eating, checking out coffee houses, local brew, etc.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 11:53 AM
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The Pentagon does give tours. As with the White House tours you have to apply at least 6 months in advance through their website. This one you do not have to go through your representative.

I found it to be interesting and a little emotional. Inside is a memorial to the 911 victims. The memorial is in the same vicinity of where the plane hit the Pentagon. The guide gave us the specifics of the event and let us go into the memorial. Not a dry eye.

The 911 Memorial outside the Pentagon is beautiful and can be visited by anyone at anytime.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 12:03 PM
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During our trip last September we took a Happy Hour cruise on the Potomac. Very fun. It was good to have a little down time between sightseeing and dinner. The cruise leaves from Georgetown.

http://www.dc-cruises.com/happy_hour_cruises.php
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Old May 26th, 2015, 12:07 PM
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Just for the record, we did not apply to our representative for a White House tour 6 months in advance. More like 3. I think the time of year makes the biggest difference: in November, less notice is OK, but in the summer, no way.
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Old May 26th, 2015, 12:10 PM
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A Capitol tour with one of our representative's staff members
DC by Foot's nighttime monuments tour
Air and Space Museum
American History Museum
National Gallery of Art

One of Mr. Pickle's favorites was the evening he rented a bike from Capital Bikeshare and rode to the Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Lee Ann
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Old May 26th, 2015, 05:35 PM
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Not mentioned yet (I think) but things we've really enjoyed:

The National Arboretum is beautiful. The Capitol columns, originally erected in 1828, are here.

Love the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mary Headquarters, USA)

Mt Vernon is pretty nice, especially the front porch.
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