Thanks to all who gave me advice regarding my recent trip to Washington, D.C. Here are some reflections of my trip: Renaissance Mayflower Hotel was a gem of a hotel to stay at, not only for its amenities, but its location was excellent; our White House tour was better than I ever could have imagined-it was an honor to be there; dinner at The Sky Terrace on a beautiful Saturday evening was the perfect way to cap off a stay in D.C.-the view, service, and food were great; Walking tour of Haunted DC (WashingtonWalks) was not only great entertainment, but educational in a fun way also; paddle boating on the Tidal Basin was a treat for the kids (and adults); Mint Juleps at the Round Robin Bar at the Willard just couldn't match up to the better ones at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY; Pizza at Luigis was very good; The Library of Congress tour we took dragged on well over its promised 45 minutes (bored to death by too many details)-next time I will guide myself; walked along Embassy Row on a quiet Sunday morning and saw a part of D.C. that most visitors never do (and the Farmer's Market at DuPont Circle, too!); Kids loved the old Natinal Aquarium; Nachos at Afterwords Cafe were delicous; I could go on and on about what a great time we had, but space does not permit. I do want to add here that I never felt unsafe in the areas we were at (Golden Triangle, DuPont Circle, and around The White House) and we were out late every night walking around. I was amazed at the number of outdoor cafes and people enoying the city at night in those areas. Like any other city I know there are unsafe areas in D.C., but the old warning of "get out of Washington before dark" is now a piece of history for me....and it should be for future visitors. Washington D.C. has much to offer, day or night!

So glad you enjoyed your stay at the Nation's capitol. Being a native of Baltimore and have been working in the district for many, many years. I'm so glad that you have experienced this area and disspelled the myths for yourself.

However, did you get a chance to visit the White House and the various museums and monuments? Did you experience Georgetown, Chinatown?

Diva39, yes, I did get to tour The White House on this trip. Words cannot express how honored I felt to be in The White House. As for the other monuments, we did go to The Lincoln, Korean, and Vietnam Memorials. We viewed The Jefferson Memorial from our paddle boats on the tidal basin. On previous visits I have been to Georgetown (in my partying days) and I did get to Chinatown in the last year. Can't beat the Mongolian Lamb at Lei Garden on H St. NW! We also walked around The Capitol and visited Union Station & had a very potent locally brewed beer there !!! The difference between this trip and others is that on this trip I actually spent 3 nights in D.C. Other visits have been day trips from nearby Severna Park, MD with friends who live there.

Thanks for the report, I'm so glad you had such a good trip!

Great! I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation.

Glad you enjoyed your stay here! I am at my desk about 2 blocks from the Mayflower - did you meet Sam, the bartender at the Town and Country (the bar at the Mayflower)? He makes excellent martinis - we often go there before going out to dinner.

I always bring friends to the Sky Terrace (weather permitting). It's great up there. For pizza, I would have sent you to Pizzeria Paradiso, but Luigi's is good too.

Karen

Karen, sad to say I probably walked past Sam the bartender many times, but never stopped to have a drink or be entertained with his magic tricks. In a previous post I asked about sights in DC and you recommended both The Town & Country and the Sky Terrace. At least I got to 1 of the 2 and was very happy I did. My cousins who I met in DC, got to experience the Town & Country also. I know they liked it. Once again, let me say, I am thankful for your recommendations!