Driving in from Ohio, and staying at the Westin in Arlington, Oct. 12-15. Got a great rate with parking. My main concern, is how do we get around? We are not driving into D.C. Bus/metro system, or tours and how do you reach them? Time frame from Arlington to D.C..
Requested tickets for White House, Engraving and the Capital. Have not got them yet. I read you can get tickets online ($1.50) for Washington Monument, Holocaust, etc. Does this give you a reserved time?
Also read about THE TASTE OF GEORGETOWN, on 10/14. Is this worth going to, or the crowds to large? Thanks for any help!

Take the Metro into DC.

The Westin Arlington is actually just a few blocks walk from the Ballston Metro station on the Orange Line (see map link below). Your hotel shows on this map (intersection of Glebe and Wilson) as does the entrance to the Metro station (marked "Exit" in bold typeface).

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

Do not bother with the Taste of Georgetown: crowded and riduculously high prices for small, mediocre portions.

Also, advance tickets DO give a reserved entrance time for the Washington Monument and the Holocuast Memorial Museum.

I know your DC visit is short so be aware that you'll need a minimum of 4 hours for the Holocuast Memorial Museum.

Thanks for the information. How do you get the reserved time tickets? Go to each site on the Web, and request, or is there a central booking area?

Go to each individual web site.

sue, don't overschedule your visit by focusing on the things that require tickets. Many of the most worthwhile activities, such as the all the memorials/monuments other than Washington, and the many Smithsonian museums, are free and require no tickets or other advance planning .

I went to college in Cleveland, OH. It was a 6-8 hour drive to D.C. area. I learned that flying with Southwest from Cleveland to BWI(Baltimore Washington International) was cheaper and faster. I live and work now in DC. You can definitely get around here without a car: using the metro( www.wmata.com ), buses(example: www.dccirculator.com )and walking. For dining checkout www.opentable.com.

The problem with flying to Baltimore is getting to downtown DC is, as my grandmother would have said, "A ganze geschite." ["A long story."] There are ways to do it, but, when you are in DC for only a short time, believe me, you don't want to deal with it.

The "W" in BWI does stand for Washington after all. The B30 express bus rund severy 40 minutes, 7 days per week and will have you at the Greenbelt Metro station in 30 minutes for a cost of $3.00. My daughter and I have taken this several times and don't consider it a big deal.

It's a pretty drive from Cleveland to DC, especially if you drive throught W.Va instead of through Pennsylvania.

If you decide to fly, these days you can usually fly into Dulles or DCA and need not deal with the inconvenience of BWI.

When you get to the Greenbelt Metro, it is another 30 minutes or so to downtown. If you have gobs of time and save a lot of money on a ticket to BWI, perhaps it is worth it.

And you might have to wait a full 40 minutes for the bus to Greenbelt on top of everything else if you have just missed one.

Never found BWI to be that inconvenient to DC, but Dulles would have an edge over it to NoVa places like Arlington. Right now, I'm finding $138 fares to BWI and $208 to IAD and DCA.

Still, though, good prices to DCA, the best option, do pop up, sometimes at the last minute, a lot more than they used to.

But mid-Octber is the best time of the year for a drive and it should be gorgeous. The West Va. route is certainly the way to go.

Taste of Georgetown isn't worth it as far as my experience.

Take a drive into the district at night. Go south on Glebe road and get on US 50 East. Crossing the Potomac see Kennedy Center on left, Lincoln to right. In D.C. stay on US 50 as it becomes Constitution Ave. White House on left, Washington Mem on right. Look for a parking spot on Constitution and if available take it and take a stroll by the VN memorial and Lincoln.

Continue driving east on Constitution and find a right (south on 12th St or 9th or 7th?) to cross the Mall in front of the Capitol. Left on Independence up the south side of the Capitol and (if the road is open) left on 1st St to go past Lib of Congress and Supreme Court on right Capitol on left. Continue north on 1st and find the way west on Mass Ave, to the left in front of Union Station.

Find the sign to I395 and take it south. As you cross the Potomac River, get in the right lane and take the first right to go north on Geore Washington Mem Parkway. Did you see the Pentagon? Take the first exit right to go into Lady Bird Johnson Park and take in the view of D.C. across the river.

Back on GW Parkway north follow signs to Lincoln Memorial Bridge. I like the trip across this bridge and the view of the Lincon Mem. That is Arlington Cemetery behind you and you can see the Lee Mansion on the hill (I think). Follow the traffic on the circle to the left onto 23rd St.

Go north on 23rd St. to Washington Circle, get off the circle onto Pennsylvania Avenue west. Not the first PA Ave. exit that goes back toward the White House. You have to go more than half way around the circle to get to PA Ave heading west.

PA Ave merges into M Street and you can cruise on thru Georgetown to Key Bridge. I like the ride across this bridge too. After crossing the bridge you will be on Ft Myer Drive heading south. Stay on this road, going straight, until it crosses US 50 and becomes N. Meade St (in Arlington they like to mess with your head by renaming streets, having streets that are not continuous but are in several unconnected segments).

Anyway, after you are on N.Meade make two lefts and you will get on the circle that goes around the Marine Corps Memorial. Admire the great statue of the flag raising on Mt Suribachi, Iwo Jima, and take in the great view of the Mall and much of D.C.

Now you know that US 50 is just below the memorial, so get back on that road heading west, then north on Glebe and you are home!

mrwunrfl: That looks like a great tour to take .. the the passengers anyway! I find I'm too stressed driving in the DC area to see anything but the traffic. But making some of the stops should make that a wonderful tour.

Count me as another who considers BWI to be no big deal. Yes, I prefer DCA, but I'd choose BWI over IAD. According to which arrives in DCfirst, I'll take the B30/Green Line combo, or for $6.50 take a MARC train to Union Station.

yes, stops are always an option. it is a tour that i would give out-of-town visitors. might not be such a good idea for a non-local. but, even as the driver I enjoyed it. just put my tourist hat on and drove like a tourist, taking it slow and doing some of the things that annoy the locals like (formerly) me.

Insider secret:

One of the best views of DC is from Anacostia. It is behind Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Morris Road, SE.

Go on a clear day and you will see the city spread before you. It is best in winter when the leaves are off the trees.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I got my passes for the White House/ Capital, but not the Mint. Maybe next time, when we go again and can see the American Museum. Can you take cell phones/cameras into these places? If not, do we leave them in the hotel and buy postcards?

mrwunrfl

I've copied your night drive. We are leaving for DC this coming Thurs and stay until Sunday afternoon. I'm excited!

mrwunrfl,
great driving tour -- has to be one of the top posts I've seen on this board for a while ...

Ok, take a map, and a good bit of patience with you. Good luck.