I hope the above statment isn't an oxymoron. I have an overnight plane ticket and because of that I will be spending almost 1 1/2 days in Dulles, VA.

I will arrive December 22, 2004 at around 1:00pm at the Washington D.C. Union Station and catch a Flyer or the Metro to my hotel about 1.5 miles from the Dulles International Airport (Fairfield Inn). We will spend the night there and the next day our plane won't leave until 7:35pm.

One of my traveling companions is a little reluctant to leave the Dulles area for fear of getting stuck somewhere and missing our flight so it seems we'll have to entertain ourselves in and around Dulles. What are some attractions in the area? I hope to go the the new Hazy Air and Space musuem, but is there anything else to do for some good cultural fun?

Is a daytrip to D.C. possible in this time factoring in getting to the Airport early etc? If it is, how can we get there by Metro. Thanks

You should have booked a hotel in DC... NOT the Dulles area.
Cancel if you can and stay in a hotel near the Metro. Head to Dulles around 4pm on the day of departure.

I think you're right I actually thought about this, but I was planning this hotel around a different plane ticket at first. I will take your suggestion.

Definately do the museum, but it will be crowded. Go early. Other things could iunclude driving to Historic Leesburg. A small but nice little shopping area with some historical sites. If your willing to go a little further, Great Falls Park in Great Falls Virginia is worth a visit unless its too cold. If you can find a place to rent bikes nearby, there's a great bike trail that will take you out to Leesburg or into DC (or at least as far as you care to go). There's tons of shopping malls and movie theaters. There's an ice rink (indoor and outdoor)in Reston, Virginia. Reston Town Center has great shops, good restaurants and an outdoor ice rink that would keep you busy for a while and its easy to get to from Dulles. Let me know if you want any more information on the above.

Dulles is good for only shopping..not much to do out in that area.. Like Skipop said, if you can rent a car and want to drive a little further I would head into the city or check out some hiking areas around Va. You could also do some of the wineries..Might be worth it to check it out..

You were wise NOT to stay in the city. To get to a 7:35 flight, you would have had to leave the city by at least 3 p.m., and then still probably sit in traffic.

You'd had to get a cab from your hotel to the Vienna metro stop (check first to see if the Fairfield has a shuttle). It's about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic. Everything depends on traffic in the DC area.

Reston Town Center is pretty bland, but handy enough for your needs.

There really isn't much to do out there, aside from the Air and Space Museum.

Thank you all for these tips! After discussing it with my travel comps. they agreed we should keep our reservation. I'll consider some of these ideas.

My 2 cents (since I live in the shadow of Dulles airport)... You have enough time to do a few things in downtown DC and then hit the new Air & Space Museum in Dulles on the 23rd.

Coming in at 1 to Union Station puts you in the middle of monuments downtown, so you could drop your luggage in a locker at the train station, and see a few sites in the immediate area for a few hours - many things are an EASY walk from the station. You could even have dinner downtown and then, after dinner, retrieve the luggage, and take the Orange Line to the Vienna Metro and catch a cab to your hotel. The next morning, you can have a leisurely breakfast and head to the new Air and Space Museum, and - time permitting - maybe head to Reston Town Center in the early afternoon. Your only requirement would be to get to Dulles around 5 - in case the security lines are long. I wouldn't try to go to Leesburg or the wineries, because it would involve car rental and it isn't really worth it in the short time you have.
Have fun.