DC (very) rough itinerary for May - help clean it up?
 

Friday
Arrive Washington DC. 4:25 PM
Taxi to Tabard Inn

Light dinner or
Wine-Tasting at Dupont Circle

The Nat’l Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden for jazz concert 5 to 9 p.m.
__________________________________________________ _______
Saturday
Continental Breakfast at Inn

Whitehouse Visitor's Center

Arlington Cemetery

Lincoln Memorial if time enough.

Lunch
Washington Monument. Transfer North.

Visit one or more: (Save others for later)
1. US CAPITOL
2. Library of Congress
3. National Building Museum
3. National Archives
4. Botanical Gardens:
5. Museum of Natural History

Evening -
Light supper

7:30 PM “Capitol Steps” - Make Reservations

__________________________________________________ _______
Sunday

Brunch at the Tabard

Check out another of the museums,
Hirshhorn sculpture garden

Sunday Evening - with friends

__________________________________________________ _______

Monday


Morning:
National Gallery of Art
Lunch

Ford's Theatre

Hotel Washington's Sky Terrace,for a drink and view.

Light snack?

EVENING
Washington DC Choral Festival 7:00 PM

Dinner somewhere on U Street?

__________________________________________________ _______

Tuesday

Breakfast at Eastern Market, Dupont Circle,
Phillips Museums www.phillipscollection.org

Lunch Georgetown , Walk around Georgetown and check out the Basin.

Water taxi service from the Georgetown waterfront to Old Town in Alexandria.

Dinner Adams Morgan

__________________________________________________ _______
Wednesday

Breakfast

1. Taxi to Thomas Jefferson Memorial
2. FDR Memorial (walk)
3.Korean War Veterans (walk)
4.Lincoln Memorial (walk)
5.Vietnams Veterans Memorial (walk)
6. WW II


National Cathedral

Lunch - Two Amys ($$$) - authentic Naples pizza and very close to the Cathedral.


Kennedy Center Performance ?
Dinner?
__________________________________________________ _______
Thursday May 24, 2007

Breakfast

Something for a couple of hours??

Tabard to Union Station
11:30 - Train to NYC


I badly need suggestions for food that are close to the vicinity we will be in. Also suggestions for transportation. (Taxi VS Metro)

Most of all, it just seems so rough. I want it to be as efficient as possible - and I'm not sure about some of my groupings, or the time I have alloted.

Any suggestions most welcome.

Okay, I'll comment on a couple items:

Assuming you are landing at National at 4:25 pm on a Friday evening, I would plan on as much as an hour to get to the Tabard. This doesn't leave much time for dinner followed by getting over the gallery for the jazz concert.

On Monday, I don't know if they are open , but Polly's on U Street is a good place for a light dinner. It is a bar, but they have a good kitchen. And--even better--all bars and restaurants are now no smoking in DC. Another option is--gosh, what's the name--the Latin American place just a block from the Lincoln Theatre, which is where I assume you are going. Or, if you want a real DC experience, go to Ben's Chili Bowl. Or you could go around the corner to Busboys and Poets for dinner.

Tuesday -- I'm not sure why you have Eastern Market listed for breakfast when you want to see the Phillips, which is walking distance from the Tabard. Also, what basin are you talking about visiting from Georgetown? If you are talking about the Tidal Basin, it is near the Jefferson Memorial. If you are talking about Washington Harbor, it is nothing special. You are doing a lot of bouncing around this day. I would cut Eastern Market and go to either Georgetown or Alexandria.

For the proposed Kennedy Center evening, there are not too many dinner choices. We usually just eat in the cafe/cafeteria on the Terrace level at the center. Food is actually good albeit over priced.

I agree that going to Eastern Market on a Tuesday just to eat breakfast is not a good use of time. Eastern Market is best seen on a Saturday or Sunday morning when all of the artists and craftspeople have their wares out. Just go somewhere in Dupont for Breakfast Tuesday morning. Luna Grille (at Conn. Ave & N st.) has a good, inepensive breakfast.
http://www.lunagrillanddiner.com/Men...breakfast.html

On Saturday, instead of the White House Visitors center, just walk to the White House (16th & H st.) and then take a Blue or Orange train (from 17th and I St. - Farragut West) to Arlington Cemetary. You'll need the time and the Visitors Center is out of the way and uses too much time.

On Thursday morning you can check out the National Geographic Museum at 17 & M
just a few blocks from your hotel. Then , you could easily MEtro (if you don't ave to much luggage

On Thursday morning you can check out the National Geographic Museum at 17 & M
just a few blocks from your hotel. Then, you could easily Metro (if you don't have to much luggage) straight to Union Station or take a taxi for $10. Either way is fine. Don't be afraid of arrive at Union Station too early, three iare a lot of stores, cafes, restaurants, etc. to pass the time. Make sure you by your train food at Union Station before you get on your Amtrak. Amtrak food is overpriced and horrible. My favorite Union Station place is Vaccaro's Italian Pastry at the lower level food court.

http://www.vaccarospastry.com/

I was going to make the same comment about the Eastern Market/Phillips Collection thing -- why go there for breakfast when you want to go to the Phillips? There are zillions of places you can have breakfast around Dupont Circle if you want. I am not as interested in planning every meal as you are, and especially breakfast, but I still wouldn't do that.

I don't understand the water taxi thing and going to Alexandria and then saying you want to have dinner in Adams Morgan, which is the other direction. Why are you even going to Alexandria when you are spending the afternoon in Georgetown and want dinner in Adams Morgan? Well, I guess you have to get back around Dupont Circle anyway as your hotel is there, but there doesn't seem a lot of time for that if you are having lunch in Georgetown and then walking around there. I don't find Old Town Alexandria that fascinating or special myself, although it would be okay to go into a pub or eat there if you were staying in the area, but I wouldn't go there just to walk up and down the street shopping if I'd just done the same thing in Georgetown. These are too similar. If you want to see both, I'd do them on different days, not back to back.

I don't think you are going to have to spend four hours at the sculpture garden your first night. I guess you can if you want, but those are free concerts where people come and go, and I think it's over 8 to 8:30, not 9.

Many of these days involve a lot of to'ing and fro'ing across town -- do you have a good map in hand? You clearly have lots of different interests, but I think it would be helpful if you could articulate a list of, say, 5 or 6 priority sights to visit -- one for each day of sightseeing that you have, and then try to structure the day around that particular sight/experience. Many of these days look jam packed. You suggested on another post that walking may be a concern -- if that's the case, Weds and Saturday look awfully tiring. You would probably be good candidates for the Tourmobile or Old Town Trolley tours, that will take you from monument to monument, letting you get off and on at will. Even then, just getting out to visit the sights will have you on your feet a lot.

Thanks for the comments - I have thought about them and changed some days.

Fri
Arr DC 4:25 PM
Taxi to Tabard Inn

(I need a suggestion for wine-tasting or dinner probably around Dupont Circle (walking distance from Inn)

Nat'ls Gallery of Art for Jazz concert - if time allows - for an hour or so
_______________________________________________
Saturday
Eastern Market

Metro to Arlington Cemetery (Tourbus there for tour if we don't want to walk it)

Metro to Smithsonian. Visit one museum. (Save others for later)
1.US Capitol
2.Library of Congress
3. Nat'l Building Museum
3. National Archives
4. Btanical Gardens:
5. Museum of Natural History

Light Supper

"Capitol Steps" at 7:30 PM
___________________________________________
Sunday

Brunch at Tabard Inn

Check out another Museum (from above)
Walk through Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

Dinner with Friends in Chevy Chase (Sightseeing from their car on the way - past embassies, National Cathedral etc)
________________________________________

Monday

Nat'l Gallery of Art

Lunch (somewhere close??)

Ford's Theatre
Drink at Washington Hotel's "Sky Terrace"

EVENING
Washington DC Choral Festival 7:00 PM

_______________________

Tuesday

Dupont Circle (Luna's for breakfast - close to Inn)

PHillip's Museum

Lunch in Georgetown

"Shear Madness" - (or just chill for a while)

Dinner & Jazz on U Street (Polly's Bar sounds good)

_________________________________________

Wednesday

Walk round the Memorials.

Lunch

Metro to National Cathedral

Penn Quarter for the Evening?

_______________________

Breakfast

National Geographic Museum -

Tabard to Penn Station.
Pick up tickets and food for the train at Vaccaro's.

___________________

Ruff, Thanks for the rec for Polly's - looked up the website and it looks like fun. We'll probably start there and bar hop a little and hear some jazz (music is my love) and then stop by at Ben's for a late night snack.

bardo, I loved Luna's and it's just right down the road from us. Have followed your other suggestions also. Hadn't thought about the food for the train - very good advice! And didn't realize there WAS a Nat'l Geographic Museum and I'm a subscriber.

Christina, you were so right and I cut out Alexandria. One is enough. We are foodies (kinda budget type) and want to be sure we have some places spotted in the area will be in! Good to know that these are come & go concerts (Jazz) on Friday - so hopefully we can get there for a set or so.

You were ALL right about Tuesday - I got messed up thinking that the Eastern Market was right there at Dupont - I have fixed that.

Hi Moongirl, Thanks for the comments - on the old post you had mentioned the Tourbus at Arlington - was so glad to find that out. Just perfect.

I know it's busy - but we can always choose to skip something - we are really active seniors (I keep calling us middle-aged, but my kids are telling me that THEY are middle-aged and we are just plain OLD!) and in really good health. My husband has some football knees that bother him at times - never know when. We have walked all over the Amalfi Coast (you know what walking that is with all the steps ) and he never missed a beat. But like I say, we never know. So I try to plan a just-in-case. Thanks for the thoughtfulness.

Please send anymore suggestions and comments.

couple of thoughts:

Dinner Friday -- For soemthing easy, directly across the street from your hotel is a restaurant called the Iron Gate Inn, which has an outdoor courtyard/patio area that should be quite lovely in May. It is not the most exciting menu (Mediterannean) in town, but the food is decent enough, and I think it would be a good place to relax after your flight in. Also, I think you will fare okay there without a reservation, giving you added flexibiity, whereas a number of other spots could be harder on Friday night. 4:30 on Friday night from any airport will put you in the height of rush hour, so even if your plane and baggage arrive on time, and you are arriving at DCA, I would not count on arriving at the Tabard before 6:00. If you are not picky about your food, there is also a cafe in the sculpture garden itself, but this is a self-service, not table service option.

On Saturday, if you are starting at Eastern Market, it would make sense to do your "museum" stop first, then Arlington. The Market is just a 7-block walk to the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol, for example. (You do know that you need special tickets if you want the inside tour, right? If not, start doing some research on that point, including writing your member of Congress). You could then get back on the metro at Capitol South and continue to Arlington.

I still worry about Wednesday being an awful lot of walking and standing, because you will encounter a lot of that at the Cathedral in addition to the memorials.

Where exactly is the choral festival located?

I

MoonGirl,
The Choral Festival is at the Kennedy Center:
Performance: Washington DC Choral Festival May 21, 2007 at 7:00 PM
(I was a choir teacher for years.)

Thanks for the Iron Gate - sounds perfect. And I will adjust that schedule on Saturday. That will be much smoother.

Since our friends are planning to take us by the Cathedral on our way to Chevy Chase, we will probably not need to go back. That way we can spread out the Memorials over a day - with a break for lunch.

I've emailed our congressman for tickets and tours, but haven't heard a word back yet.

We love Chinese food. Do you have a favorite, or should we wait until we get to NYC?

Thanks again!

You'd be better off waiting for NYC. Most of the area's better Chinese places are in the burbs. Full Kee isn't bad.

For general Asian, Ten Penh used to be good but it's been awhile.

DC has several excellent Ethiopian places if you're interested ...

Revised itinerary looks perfect - a few thoughts:

Lunch Monday: The Nat'l Gallery has very good food at its three cafes. For a REAL treat, a few blocks away (at 7th & E st.) is Jaleo. www.jaleo.com

You're taking a taxi to UNION station on Thursday, right? (Penn Station is in NYC).

Also, as mentioned, the good Chinese food in DC is now in the suburbs. Wait to get Chinese food in NYC.

You might also add to your list Sala Thai restaurant on P street...hmmm...near 21st and P -- walking distance from your hotel. There are other restaurants along P street. Just avoid that irritating Mimi's where the waiters sing loudly and badly. As a choir teacher, you won't appreciate it!

Full Kee in Chinatown is good, but I concur with the poster that most of the good Chinese places are in the 'burbs.

Just a general comment: I have visited DC twice as an adult & like in most large cities, I organize the days itinerary around what there is to see near a particular Metro station. This avoids alot of time-consuming back tracking.

When you arrive on Friday, you may want to consider just grabbing a couple of snacks and a bottle of wine and bringing it to the Sculpture Garden for the free jazz concert. You can pick up sandwiches/wine/cheese/crackers at Whole Foods (15th & P) not far from the Tabard. My friends do this often and as long as the weather is good - it's a lot of fun and the guards never bother us about bringing our own wine.

In addition to the Trolley tour - they also have nighttime tours of the monuments from union station. They allow you to get out and see everything w/ minimal walking and the monuments look awesome at night. This would allow you to free up your days for the museums.

The Iron Gate is a good suggestion. For a variety of Asian food - I like Cafe Asia on I St. between Connecticut & 18th. Also w/n walking distance of the Tabard. But my latest favorite is Al Crostini (mid-priced italian) on U St. - I think between 13th & 12th.

Neyla's in Georgetown has some of the best lebanese/greek food. Yum! I'm making myself hungry. Have a great trip!!