DC: Memorial Day Weekend Trip Itinerary Help
 

My husband and I will be visiting DC this Memorial Day weekend. He has never been and I haven't been since I was little.

We are driving down from CT Sat morning and plan to get into DC around 11a-12p. We will be leaving on Monday mid-morning time. We are staying at Hotel George at 15 E St NW.

Below are a list of things we want to try to see while we are there. Since we have a limited time, I was looking for some help to try to group things together that make the most sense.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Tentative Itinerary:

Sat
The Mall and Monuments and Arlington National Cemetery - thinking maybe trolley tour
National Arhives
Dinner - thinking of heading to Penn Quarter, suggestions?
Checking out monuments at night

Sunday
Spy Museum
Natural History Museum
Air and Space Museum
Holocost Museum
Georgetown - walk through and grab dinner

Monday
Breakfast - suggsetions?
Anythign else?


Based on our travels, any suggestions for lunch, dinner, a good coffee shop/bakery?

Thanks!!

I think your itinerary looks good. A couple of items

I used to live in Hartford before moving to DC. I can make the drive in 6 hours but I drive about 75 to 80. I would cross the Tappan Z, take Garden State Parkway to Jersey Turnpike, take the Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore...not the Fort Mchenry, take Baltimore Parkway South right into DC. If you have an EZ pass that will help you a lot!

Hotel George - great hotel and has one of the better restaurants in the city.

National Archives - the line is deceiving. You only see the line that is outside the building but from the door to the exhibits is about another hour. I would get there first thing in the morning.

Dinner in Penn Quarter - lots of great restaurants, Raskia, Proof, Zola's, Jaleo to name of few. Go to www.opentable.com and you can see info on them.

Georgetown - the new rage is Georgetown Cupcake...had some last week and they are tasty...on a side street across from Dean and DeLuca.

Take the boat from Georgetown Harbor to Old Town Alexandria and back. Old Town is nice too.

What kind of food do you like?

Thanks!

We like pretty much any food - that Sat night is my husband's birthday so we wanted to go someplace nice where we can relax and really get a feel for the DC area. Any place that we couldnt go to somewhere else.

Any place that we couldnt go to somewhere else.


Good question...DC Coast and Georgia Brown's come to mind. Some might suggest one of the Clyde's Group places such as the 1789 (dress code for men, however) or the Old Ebbit (great but can be noisy)

Taberna del Alabardo for Spanish with great service and ambience but not really in Penn Qtr (at 1776 I) either

Am sure others will come up with things more in that part of the city.

If you enjoy walking around and taking pictures, the monuments/mall could take up all of Saturday through dinner, easily. Depends on how much you want to rush that and Arlington Cemetery - these are big spaces.

For a special dinner, I LOVE Tenpenh (www.tenpenh.com) - if you like Asian food, I'd highly recommend it. A few blocks away is "701" (www.701restaurant.com), which has a good wine list and a piano player. If you like tapas, go to Jaleo's or Zaytina's (for a mediterrean spin on them).

Your Sunday itinerary seems a bit crowded to me as I think you would want to devote a minimum of 2 hours to each museum. But since all of the museums will have extended hours during your visit, you can probably manage it.
Note that you should probably book your tickets to the Spy Museum in advance. They only offer a limited number of tickets per hour/per day and I think it is likely they could be sold out for Memorial Day weekend if you try to get same day tickets.
Also, while admission to the Holocaust Museum is free, you do have to have a timed ticket if you want to visit the permanent exhibit called "The Holocaust". I have no idea if it will be difficult to get same day tickets, but I suggest you look at their website for more details.

Thanks everyone! You are all so helpful. I will be looking into all the restauarants online. Do you think reservations would be necessary? I have heard a lot of locals are out of town that weekend and it is not too hard to get in to places for dinner.

Also, thanks for the tip on the Spy Museum and Holocaust. I will get those ahead of time.

Your Sunday list is a little daunting. The Spy museum is a little bit of a hike from the mall. After hitting the other main museums you will have tired feet. We would suggest dropping the spy and adding the American Indian Musuem next to the Air and Space it is really remarkable.
The WWII at night is fantastic. You won't want to leave. For a real off the path treat try the walk over to the FDR memorial from the holocast M. it is very scenic and peaceful. We also go to the Ebbitt Grill by the dept of commerce. It is a treat. You can see some of our 2008 DC pics at
http://www.dave-lori-home.com/dc.htm

sech - for the restaurants I and others mentioned, I don't think reservations would be necessary. If you have to wait a little while, it's a good excuse to have a drink! :)

kaudrey - "If you have to wait a little while, it's a good excuse to have a drink!"

Always a good point! We decided to drive down later on Friday night instead to give us a full day on Saturday and to beat the traffic. Looking forward to a busy and fun weekend.

When we take a walk through Georgetown, it will be Sunday afternoon/ evening, any things that are must sees?

Cafe Atlantico is close enough to the Archives to walk, maybe even from/to the Spy Museum too, and is divine for Sunday brunch. GREAT Mojitos too.

http://www.cafeatlantico.com/

I believe that the "Minibar" at Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, and Zaytinya are all the same chef - Jose Andres. (Cafe A is Latin American tapas... Jaleo is Spanish tapas, and Zaytinya Greek)

Why not try Ethiopian? DC has a vibrant community and many Ethiopian restos, I've heard second only to NYC but that could be apocryphal. Georgetown has at least one, but I've never eaten there. I've usually gone to Adam's Morgan for anything Ethiopian.

I really enjoyed Brasserie Beck, and have eaten there twice and would go back again in a heartbeat.

http://www.beckdc.com/

Some dining guides for DC:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv.../dining-guide/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...ant-guide.html

I agree your Sunday looks daunting. Maybe move the Spy Museum to Saturday if you can.

You will see LOTS of motorcycles in DC on Memorial Day weekend for Rolling Thunder
http://www.rollingthunder1.com/

It is a spectacular sight but can slow traffic and make getting around difficult. Check the link for their schedule.

The only problem I see with moving the spy museum to Saturday is that Saturday seems busy to me as well! We are going to try to get the the National Archives as soon as the open at 10a and then start the tour of the monuments/memorials and Arlington.

I got time entry tickets for the Spy Museum at 9am on Sunday and am hoping the earlier opening will help out.

I did know about Rolling Thunder. The bikes dont bother me!! My brother in law went last Memorial Day and said it was acutally a fun atmosphere. I figured it would be a more difficult to get around but will check out their schedule and try to work around it as best as possible.

Thanks for all of the great dinner recommendations. I think we are going to check out Cafe Atlantico, 701 restaurant and Zaytinya (love Greek/Mediterranean). Think we will probably make a decision based on the mood we are in that night.

Any suggestions for after dinner drinks? We love martinis and a bar where we can relax. We are still young (25 adn 26) but dont really do nightclubs.

Too late for you, but note that with at least 6 weeks notice you can make reservations for the Archives:

http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/reserved-visits.html

On Saturday consider the Old Town Trolley; skip Arlington Cemetery (very interesting but too time-consuming for your visit). Use the hop-on, hop-off busses in to get an overview in the afternoon. Or use the afternoon to wander on your own and use the Trolley's nighttime tour option. At night go to the FDR Memorial (walk through the memorial and then back along the Tidal Basin--beautiful) and the Lincoln Memorial (with Korean and Vietnam at its base).

There's a small discount if you buy your Trolley tickets in advance online:

http://www.trolleytours.com/Washingt...servations.asp

If you drive there is pretty good parking at and near the FDR memorial. Lincoln Memorial is trickier but try the north-south streets coming off of Constitution Ave, close to the Vietnam Memorial. FDR, Lincoln and WWII memorials all have decent bathrooms.

We just enjoyed a great meal at Rosa Mexicano in Penn Quarter, but you have plenty of choices there.

Your Sunday itinerary is ambitious; you might want to cut out the Archives and the Holocaust Museum. After the Spy Museum walk toward the mall; right next to the Archives metro stop check out the Navy Memorial. Then walk past the Archives and through the National Gallery Sculpture Garden--the cafe there has pretty good food, and a lovely view. Then you can go whatever direction you want on the Mall.

For Holocaust Museum you need to get timed tickets in advance if you want to see the Permanent Exhibition. It's also not a place to rush through.

You can also buy IMAX tickets for Air and Space or Natural History in advance on-line. (Same for the Planetarium in Air and Space).

Thanks! Just got the trolley tickets. I like to save money any way I can!

Moved the Archives to Sat first thing in the morning. We will probably skip the Holocaust Museum (or go Monday morning before we head out of town depending on how long we want to stay). If we are doing the Spy Museum, Natural History and Air and Space on Sunday, would we have time for IMAX at either one?

Thanks for the tips on the bathrooms! Also for which memorials to see at night, I definitely want to catch them.

If you take the Old Town Trolley Tour it will include Georgetown and you can pick it up near the Spy Museum. Your Sunday seems a bit busy. Last April when I visited the Holocaust Museum (which was wonderful, and I have been several times) I found myself a bit drained and lacking energy.
Since we were heading back to VA, we took in Arlington on our way back home. It was a good morning trip- and we were on the road by early afternoon.
I think I would take in at least one of the museums on the day that you are doing the mall and monuments- perhaps even the Holocaust Museum that day. Do you have timed passes yet? Either you have to get them that day or you can pre-order them on tickets.com. There is a nominal handling charge for that convenience, but there is no charge for the tickets.
Hope some of this helps..

For your martini request, in the Penn's quarter area, check out the bar at IndeBlue restaurant, called Tantra Lounge (707 G Street NW). Zola, the restaurant above the Spy Museum, is also a nice place to get a drink, and the restaurant is actually also pretty good.

My favorite martini lounges in the city are all associated with the Kimpton Hotel chain (as is Hotel George, actually!) and are mainly near Dupont Circle - try Topaz Bar, Bar Rouge, or Helix Lounge (my personal favorite!) These are all not a bad walk from Georgetown if it's a nice night. I'm not a huge fan of the bar scene in Georgetown, but you could check out Modern (www.modern-dc.com), which just reopened so I haven't been there yet or the bar at Citronelle is a nice place to have a drink.

I agree with everyone who says your Sunday is a bit packed, not only because of the distance from the Spy Museum, but also because the Holocaust Museum is kind of an intense experience. I personally am not a big fan of the exhibits at the American Indian Museum, but you should definitely consider having lunch there - the cafe is fantastic and the building itself is lovely.

For breakfast, for something quick, there's all sorts of options at Union Station, right next to where you're staying. For a more local experience, there's a great diner-type place called Pete's at 212 Second St NE.

Have fun!

Lots of good advice here, including solid dining tips. For the Holocaust Museum, give yourself enough time but put it near the end of the day. It's so powerful and emotionally draining that it can be hard to get back on a normal tourist schedule for a while.

DoctorCarrie has some good ideas for drinks.

In addition, on the night you go to Zaytinya's, walk up a block and go to Oya's. It's a funky upscale-ish type of bar/lounge. They make good drinks.

www.oyadc.com

Oh, I definitely second that, Oya is fantastic!

And it reminds me that, for another breakfast-y idea, Oyamel, also in that vicinity, has a great brunch, if you're looking for something a little less traditional.

Thank you all so much for the help/ advice. This is the first time I have used these forums and wasnt really sure what to expect. I was a little nervous at first that I would feel crazed while in DC with so much to do and not really knowing my way around. But now if feel much more comfortable and am really excited for our visit!

I forgot to mention, I really enjoy Martin's Tavern in Georgetown.

<i>And it reminds me that, for another breakfast-y idea, Oyamel, also in that vicinity, has a great brunch, if you're looking for something a little less traditional.</i>

And until recently ... crickets on the menu! Any of Jose Andres' places are good, fun stops.

You could spend all day at Natural History or at Air and Space, or you could spend a couple of hours at each. Highlights at Natural History include the Mammal Exhibit and the Hope Diamond (for my son it's the dinosaurs and the insect zoo). Highlights at Air and Space include the Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, the Bell X-1 (in which Chuck Yeager broke sound barrier), the Apollo 11 command module and the moon rock you can touch. I also like the Sea-Air Operations exhibit, which replicates being on a carrier. Also while the American History Museum is closed for renovations a few of its items are on display at Air and Space.

I'd look on-line at the Imax schedule and if you see something you are interested in, buy the tickets. If nothing else it will force you to sit down and rest for a while.

A breakfast possibility is the Teaism located at the Navy Memorial right across Pennsylvania Avenue from the National Archives. Opens at 9:30 on Saturday.

http://www.teaism.com/Restaurant/PennQuarter7.html

You are ambitious, but I know I always want to see everything when I travel. Just know there is too much to see in 1 trip to DC. Someone may have already suggested this, but I would go to the Archives Sat. AM and then to Air &amp; Space, lunch at the Native Am., and afternoon at the Nat'l Hx. Everything will be close together then walk the mall to the Washington Monument. You may still be able to get timed tickets for late afternoon to go up - make them as late as possible. Enjoy a good dinner and rest your feet. Sunday would be the Spy Museum and if the trolley stops close by, purchase tickets for this and hop on/off all day as you visit the various outdoor memorials plus you will hear commentary and have a few minutes to rest. I like the idea of saving either the Holocaust or Arlington for Monday - w/ it being Memorial Day there may be special programming at Arlington. There are also nighttime tours of the memorials that many people enjoy but timing has never worked for me. Maybe catch the &quot;Capital Steps&quot; 1 of your evenings but doubt you can do this unless have early dinner. Good luck and have a great time.

Since you are mid-20s, (and as if you didn't have enough to do), you might want to check out the U Street corridor. A funky place for drinks is Busboys and Poets, on 14th and V St. A great place to eat is Utopia on U street between 14th and 15th. And during the day, there are cool shops that sell a lot of local designers on U between...I think mainly 15th and 16th.

Thanks again everyone! After reading through everything, I think the revised itinerary will look something like this:

Sat
breakfast
National Archives (open at 10a)
Air and Space Museum
Lunch at American Indian museum
Natural History Museum (possibly Imax)
Dinner - ton a great suggestions. I have them narrowed down and I think we will see what mood we are in that night
After dinner - walk around monuments and out for drinks

Sunday
breakfast
Spy Museum (have tickets for 9am)
Old Town Trolley mall tour - got tickets online
Head to Georgetown in late afternoon/ evening


Monday
Arlington National Cemetery on the way out of town

Thank you all so much for your help! Now I just hope the weather is nice!

Your plans sound very nice. When you go to Arlington, you can still take the TourMobile for 6.00 (just for riding through the cemetary and stopping at all major points). If you are driving to the cemetary, parking was very easy.
I had planned to be there for Memorial Weekend as well, but something came up and changed the plans.
I know you are going to have a great weekend!

I realize you've gotten a ton of sugggestions already but I just wanted to add my thoughts.

When I saw your original itinerary, my first thought was that you weren't going to survive to see Monday! I think your revised schedule looks much more doable.

We were just in DC last weekend and I thought that the Holocaust Museum was phenominal -- definitely more worthwhile than the Spy Museum. Or, given that you're coming from CT and have access to the Museum of Natural History in NYC, I would opt for the Holocaust Museum over the Natural History Museum.

Also, a possible suggestion for a nice breakfast close to the Mall. We had breakfast at the Cafe du Parc in the Willard (InterContinental) Hotel and loved it.

I know I keep adding to this post, but I would have to agree that the Holocaust Museum is one of the best. I personally did not enjoy the Spy Museum at all, but I endured for my friend who did enjoy it. I have been to the Holocaust Museum at least four times and it is on my &quot;must-see&quot; list whenever I take someone to DC.

There's a good chance that the President is visiting Arlington on Monday to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Could muck up your plans there, but I think usually he's there at mid-day, so if you go early you might be fine. Try to catch the changing of the guard at the Tomb.